Objective
The goal of VOFAUSE is to improve the scientific basis for technical applications of vegetable cleaning agents (VCA) - mixtures of vegetable oils and their fatty acid esters (VOFA). This will be done through classifying, characterising, assessing and adapting these products to make them much more technically applicable as non toxic substitutes for organic solvents.
It is expected that after the proposed study, important sectors of the solvent consuming industry use these products and reduce their consumption of organic solvents and the emission of volatile organic compounds. This technology needs no expensive investment so that actually small and medium sized companies can introduce this cleaning technology.
The project tasks cover areas, where innovation and improvement is necessary in order to obtain a more extensive usage of VOFA
1. Comprehensive description of the fields, where VOFA can be used for cleaning purposes, esp. printing, metal degreasing and coating (IA/KOOP)
2. A study of the technical experiences and the problems (MI/KOOP/IA/ENPRO)
3. A chemical characterisation of VOFA with respect to composition and a classification and definition of VOFA and their fatty acid esters as precondition to fulfill EC labelling requirements (IA/ENPRO/KOOP)
4. Cleaning effects and technical applications (ENPRO/MI)
5. Life cycle analysis and overall ecological assessment (CW)
6. Biological degradation in water and ground/bioaccumulation and toxicity (CW)
7. Dissemination (KOOP/ENPRO/IA/MI/CW)
The innovations are crucial steps to a scientifically based technology.
The reduction of organic solvents is a contribution to less air pollution to better protection of health of the workers and lower financial and technical risks for the employers arising from stricter environmental regulations.
The partners represent a well-balanced group both with respect to industrial experience, close connections with interested industries, experience in graphics, coatings metal cleaning and experience in chemical and physical analysis and environmental management.
Fields of science
- natural scienceschemical sciencesorganic chemistryvolatile organic compounds
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculeslipids
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringcoating and films
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringair pollution engineering
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagriculturehorticulturevegetable growing
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
20097 Hamburg
Germany