Pollution Prevention Technology Diffusion in Minnesota: Fiber Reinforced Plastics and Coating Industries

摘要

Technology diffusion is a tool for successfully implementing pollution prevention in businesses. Traditional technical assistance efforts have not resulted in the level of pollution prevention implementation that technical assistance programs would like to achieve. Technology diffusion can help companies realize that pollution prevention is a technically and economically viable alternative over pollution control and treatment. The Minnesota Technical Assistance Program (MnTAP) at the University of Minnesota, in partnership with the University of Illinois, Waste Management and Research Center (WMRC), and the University of Louisville, Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center (KPPC), are utilizing technology diffusion approaches to accelerate the adoption of innovative pollution prevention technologies in specific industrial sectors. MnTAP will follow the Accelerated Diffusion of Pollution Prevention Technologies (ADOP~2T) model developed by the WMRC, and apply the technology diffusion strategies in two industrial sector focus areas: fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) (primary) and coating and painting (secondary). This paper presents results of previous work MnTAP conducted with the fiber reinforced plastics industry to reduce styrene emissions, utilizing the technology diffusion model. Styrene reduction strategies rely on minimizing resin contact with air, including maximizing transfer of resin into the mold (operator training and improved resin application techniques), reducing styrene content in resins (low styrene resins), and curing resins in a closed system (closed mold). MnTAP worked closely with several companies on pilot pollution prevention projects that resulted in significant fiberglass process improvements. Installation of technologies at these shops resulted in a reduction of 108,400 pounds of styrene emissions and 17.7 tons of landfill waste, and cost savings of