4+Scotchgard+=+Summaya

=**__Scotchgard__** =

**What is Scotchgard? ** Scotchgard TM is a treatment used for stain removal and fabric protection. Today, Scotchgard is a trusted and very well known brand. It was discovered over 50 years ago by the 3M (Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company). This product is easy to use and keeps your fabric looking good for a longer amount of time. In addition, the look, feel and breathability of the item do not change at all. The reformulated scotchgard treatment not only protects fabric, but is environmentally friendly also.



**How Scotchgard Came to Be** It was in 1952, when Scotchgard was discovered accidentally. Patsy Herman and Sam Smith, two chemists working for a major chemical company, were trying to create a new type of synthetic rubber, which would be used for jet aircraft fuel lines. One day, the two chemists saw a lab assistant accidentally drop a bottle that contained liquid synthetic latex. The fluid had been created by Sherman and some of it landed on the assistant's shoe. It could not be removed regardless of what they did. No solvents could remove the fluid, it also resisted being soiled. This chemical that had been invented by Sherman, and Smith eventually became the main ingredient in Scotchgard.



**What Scotchgard is Made of?** Scotchgard consists of ingredients that belong to the family of fluorochemicals. Other ingredients used in Scotchgard are: acetone, isopropyl alcohol, light alkylate petroleum, naphtha, carbon dioxide, and fluorochemical urethane. The main ingredient in Scotchgard is Perfluorooctanyl sulfonate (PFOS). This treatment is resistant to water and other liquid materials.



**Negative Effects of Scotchgard Before Going Green** Perfluorooctanyl sulfonate (PFOS), the main ingredient in Scotchgard can be quite harmful to the environment and us. When inhaled, PFOS can cause blood contamination, liver damage, produce several birth defects, and other health effects. Furthermore, PFOS combine persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity properties to a great extent. After investigating the ingredients in Scotchgard, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that PFOS was toxic. Due to this, Scotchgard was reformulated and PFOS was replaced with perfluorobutanesulfonic acid (PFBS). This ingredient was much better than PFOS, since it has a shorter half life in people comparing to PFOS. PFOS has a half life of upto 5 years, on the other hand PFBS has a half life of only 1 month. Scotchgard TM is now a environmentally friendly, safe and beneficial product.

** __References__ **
 * Haberer, Stephen, Kristina Salciccioli, and Milan Sanader. //Chemistry 11//. Canada: Nelson Education Ltd., 2011. Print. (Pg.198)
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__**Information That I learned**__ **Green Chemistry in Industry: Principal 1 (Zainab Patel)**
 * 1) Products should use renewable resources as a starting material during their manufacturing process
 * 2) Benzene is an ingredient that is very harmful to the environment as well as humans, because it can cause cancer
 * 3) Adipic acid is the key ingredient used in the making of plastics, nylon and polyurethane

**Super Glue (Pratheep Logaranjan)**
 * 1) Super glue was first discovered dyring World War II by Harry Coover
 * 2) A pro about super glus is that it can be used to fix objects and materials, in addition it can be used to heal wounds around our body
 * 3) A con about super glue is that the heat released from cyanoacrylate can cause minor burns and if enough is used it can possibly catch the cotton on fire

**Neurtralizing Stomach Acid (Dhruva Desai)**
 * 1) Stomach acid is hydrochloric acid which is a digestive fluid in our stomach that helps digest our food
 * 2) Stress, infections, diet and sleep are all factors that can change the pH level of stomach acid
 * 3) Antacids can be taken to help neutralize stomach acid, which is a weak base that can be slightly soluble