Section 11 - Atom Economy Flashcards
What is atom economy?
1) Lots of reactions make more than one product. Some of them will be useful, but others will just be waste.
2) The atom economy of a reaction tells you how much of the mass of the reactants is converted into useful products, and how much is wasted during a reaction.
What is the equation to find the atom economy?
Total Mr of desired products/ total Mr of all products x 100
Why is high atom economy better in industry?
1) Reactions with low atom economies use up resources very quickly. They also make lots of waste materials that have to be disposed of somehow. That tends to make these reactions unsustainable - the raw materials run out and the waste has to go somewhere. Industrial reactions are designed to be as cheap and green as possible. Generally, reactions with high atom economies are the most efficient processes as there is minimal waste.
2) For the same reason, low atom economy reactions aren’t usually profitable. Raw materials are expensive to buy, and waste products can be expensive to dispose of.
How can you combat low atom economy reactions?
The best way around the problem is to find a use for the waste products or to find a reaction with a better atom economy to make the same product
