Chemical Product Environmental Attribute Attribution Across Supply Chains
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Solution Overview
Problem
The lack of common data standards and trusted platforms for sharing environmental impact data in supply chains hinders collective reduction of environmental impacts, making it laborious for participants to take collective action against climate change.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and apparatus for assigning environmental attributes to target materials produced by a chemical production network using input materials, employing attribution rules and balancing accounts to efficiently track and attribute environmental impacts across interconnected and non-connected production chains, ensuring transparency and alignment with customer needs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If conventional packaging materials are used, then packaging cost is reduced, but environmental harm increases due to non-biodegradability and pollution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by transforming the chemical composition and degradation properties of packaging materials. It uses genetically modified microorganisms to produce novel biopolymers with specific environmental degradation parameters, creating materials that biodegrade under controlled conditions while maintaining packaging functionality, thus reducing environmental harm without significantly increasing cost
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite materials by combining genetically modified microorganisms with specific substrates and nutrients to create engineered biological systems that produce composite biopolymer structures. These composite materials exhibit both packaging properties and environmentally benign degradation characteristics, resolving the contradiction between cost and environmental harm
2Productivity
If chemical synthesis methods are used for biodegradable polymers, then production speed increases, but environmental pollution increases due to toxic byproducts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes chemical synthesis mechanisms with biological synthesis mechanisms. Instead of using chemical catalysts and high-energy reactions that produce toxic byproducts, it employs genetically modified microorganisms that naturally synthesize biodegradable polymers through metabolic pathways, eliminating toxic byproducts while maintaining production efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the waste products of microbial metabolism into beneficial biodegradable polymer materials. By engineering microorganisms to redirect metabolic pathways, it transforms what would be harmful waste into valuable environmentally-friendly packaging materials, achieving both productivity and environmental safety
3Object-affected harmful factors
If biodegradable packaging materials are used, then environmental safety improves, but material strength and durability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating biopolymer materials with spatially varying properties. The genetically modified microorganisms produce polymers with different molecular weights, cross-linking densities, and crystallinity levels in different regions of the material, allowing simultaneous optimization of strength in load-bearing areas and biodegradability in non-critical areas
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs preliminary action by pre-engineering the molecular structure of biopolymers during microbial synthesis to incorporate strength-enhancing features before the material is formed into final packaging products. This includes pre-establishing cross-linking patterns and molecular architectures that provide necessary mechanical properties while maintaining biodegradability
Data Source
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AI summary
Computer-implemented methods and apparatuses for assigning or attributing at least one environmental attribute associated with input material(s) to target material(s), wherein the target material(s) are produced by a chemical production network using at least one of the input material(s).