Glossary

Antimicrobials

Substances that destroy or inhibit the growth of micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses.

Catalyst

A substance that enables a chemical reaction at a usually faster rate or at a lower temperature than otherwise possible without being consumed in the reaction.

Biorefinery

A biorefinery is a facility that utilizes renewable feedstocks to produce multiple products. The biorefinery concept is analogous to today’s petroleum refinery, which produce multiple fuels and products from petroleum.

Cleantech

A business model utilizing technology to improve performance and productivity while reducing costs, energy consumption or waste, and environmental impact.

Green

Environmentally friendly, resource responsible.

Esters

Esters are widespread in nature and are widely used in industry. Ester is a general term for the product derived from the condensation of an acid and an alcohol. In nature, fats are, in general, triesters derived from glycerol and fatty acids. Esters are responsible for the aroma of many fruits, including apples, pears, bananas, pineapples, and strawberries and are widely used in surfactants, plastics and other industrial applications.

Feedstock

A raw material such as soybean, canola, corn, palm and sunflower.

Fossil-based oils

Oil produced from the remains of organisms in the earth’s crust with high carbon and hydrogen content; petroleum oil.

Functional oils

Oils used for personal care and cosmetics, candles, coated paper and packaging, solvents and adhesives.

Lubricants

A substance used to reduce friction and wear; the most common industrial lubricant is motor oil.

Monomers

A monomer (from Greek mono “one” and meros “part”) is an atom or a small molecule that may bind chemically to other monomers to form a polymer.

Olefins

In organic chemistry, an alkene, or olefin, is an unsaturated chemical compound containing at least one carbon-to-carbon double bond.

Olefin metathesis

A chemical reaction where the bonds between different atoms are broken and new bonds are formed; in olefin metathesis the carbon bonds change places.

Petrochemical

A chemical derived from petroleum or natural gas.

Plant-based oils

Oils derived from plants such as soybean, canola, corn and sunflower.

Polyamides

A polyamide is a polymer containing monomers of amides. Polyamides are commonly used in textiles, automotives, carpet and sportswear due to their extreme durability and strength.

Polyesters

Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Polyesters include naturally-occurring chemicals, as well as synthetically produced polymers. Polyesters are used to make plastic bottles, films, fibers, and coatings.

Polyurethanes

Polyurethanes are polymers widely used in foams, plastic parts and coatings including high resiliency flexible foam seating, rigid foam insulation panels, durable elastomeric wheels and tires, automotive, electrical, and fiber applications. Polyurethane products are often called “urethanes”.

Renewable

Natural resources that can be replenished at a rate comparable or faster than the rate of consumption through sound management practices.

Surfactants

Surfactants are compounds that lower the surface tension of a liquid, the interfacial tension between two liquids, or that between a liquid and a solid. Surfactants may act as detergents, wetting agents, emulsifiers, foaming agents, and dispersants.

Sustainable

A process or state that can be maintained at a given level indefinitely.

Toll manufacturing

Manufacturing service provided to other companies leveraging existing capital and infrastructure for a volume-based fee.

Triglycerides

A triglyceride (TG, triacylglycerol, TAG, or triacylglyceride) is an ester derived from glycerol and three fatty acids. It is the main constituent of vegetable oil and animal fats.