Sustainable chemistry

Introduction

This free course will look at how chemists play an increasingly crucial role in ensuring a sustainable future for the planet.

By focussing on the large scale production ammonia, one of the most important industrial chemicals, you will look at how chemists are leading the development of new manufacturing processes that use chemicals more efficiently, and in a less polluting way, together with greater use of recycling. You will look at how the principles of ‘green chemistry’ may be adopted to make chemicals and chemical-based products whilst minimising any detrimental impact on the environment.

In addition, sustainable use of resources and raw materials must be considered too. As such you will look at the chemical elements, in particular those that are likely to be in short supply in the future and what steps must be taken to ensure they are not lost forever.

This OpenLearn course is an adapted extract from the Open University course S218 Concepts in chemistry [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .