Sugar to glucaric acid:a sweet path to renewable chemicals

摘要

During the last two years US consumers have seen the introduction of numerous new automatic dishwashing detergents. Almost everyone—from upstarts such as Method Home to majors like Procter & Gamble—has introduced new phosphate-free formulations. With some notable exceptions, these introductions have left consumers with spotting, filming, and frustration. In the same period, a European commission determined that cleaner dishes required the continued allowance of phosphates and declined to ban theiruse, as several US states have. In both Europe and North America, detergent brands are innovating to recover and gain market share, yet the market is still wide open, as no dominant phosphate replacement has emerged. Finding a suitable phosphate replacement is a complex problem in which for-mulators must try to balance ingredient cost, performance, and a demand for green chemicals.