Date of Award

1994

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Business Administration

Department

Business

First Advisor

Daniel W. Kemper

Second Advisor

Joe Ancona

Third Advisor

Joe Silverio

Abstract

Chemicals emitted into the atmosphere which contain chlorine have been identified as ozone-depleting compounds for several years. These chemicals generally described as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and chlorinated solvents, are used in a wide variety of applications. International agreements and government regulations in the United States are mandating a ban, and requiring industries to seek CFC and chlorinated solvent replacements. The substitutes which are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), contain less or no chlorine, and hence, are less damaging to the earth's ozone layer.

The provisional chemicals are not drop-in replacements for existing products and processes which employ CFCs. There are significant technological and economic barriers to overcome, and U.S. industries are proceeding quickly but cautiously to replace the CFCs . In most cases, firms have to reformulate products to maintain quality and safety, processes have to be modified, and it is often necessary to retrofit equipment in order to use CFC replacements.

The major criteria f or choosing alternates are: Environmental acceptability; Toxicity; Safety; Technical feasibility ; Availability; Cost effectiveness.

Nearly one- third of worldwide CFC use is in foam plastics. An option to phaseout CFCs in foam plastic s for insulation applications is presented. Insulation foam plastics are especially important because of the energy conservation function of the products in refrigeration and construction applications . This thesis outlines the steps necessary to evaluate and choose immediate replacements for CFCs, and eventually , the process necessary to phase in long-term substitutes which have no ozone depleting potential (ODP).

The option presented gives industries in insulating foam plastics a means of meeting the environmental regulations and challenges pertaining to the CFC substitutes, while maintaining a competitive position in the marketplace.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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