Team:Lethbridge HS/Applied Design
Green Technology
SynthetINK's advantage in the global marketplace is its sustainability. Our method of pigment production will have little to no byproducts which will allow us to appeal to the environmentally friendly consumer base. The only byproducts of our pigment production will be carbon dioxide from the bacteria growing, and the cellular debris from the filtration of the pigments. Our product will have the advantage over carbon black in that we do not require the burning of petroleum for the production of the colorant.
Shift towards renewable energy
In recent times the world has been shifting away from practices that are harmful to the environment, this is shown in Fig. 1. This change towards renewable energy will result in a reduction in the amount of petroleum being burned for energ. The decrease in burning petroleum will result in a reduction of the carbon black available for use in the industry. This is where SynthetInk will fit into the global industry. Our environmentally friendly practices will allow us to fill the need for pigments within the green society.
Fig. 1.Graph of investment in alternative energy from 2003 to 2015(1)
Methods of Ink Production
| Method | Summary | Positive Aspects | Negative Aspects |
|---|---|---|---|
| SynthetINK | Production of biological pigments using synthetic biology. | After DNA is in the cells, media is only cost
Little to no by-products More applicable in a world heading towards green energy |
Expensive startup
Unlikely to do well against existing industry giants |
| Chemical Synthesis | The combining of many industrial chemicals to result in a colorant | Evolution of the industry has resulted in cheap production | Harmful byproducts |
| Plant Extraction | Growing pigmented plants for harvest and extraction of pigments. | Provides oxygen from plants. | Requires large areas of land
Time consuming |
| Carbon black production | Incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons | Industry evolution has allowed it to be cheap | Numerous harmful byproducts (including large amounts of greenhouse gases) |
References
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1) Bloomberg New Energy Finance via The Frankfurt School FS-UNEP Collaborating Centre 'Global Trends in Energy Investment 2015', Global Wind Energy Council, US EIA 2014 & 2015 Levelised Cost of Electricity, Global CCS Institute, US DOE Wind Technologies Market Report (multiple years), the BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2015, Clean Energy Canada 'Tracking the Energy Revolution - Global 2016'. MIT Carbon Capture and Sequestration Technologies 'Large Scale Power Plant CCS Projects Worldwide'.
https://www.saskwind.ca/global-investment/
2)
