Canadian drivers know that safe and reliable tires are essential to surviving four seasons on the roads. What they might not know is that nearly 7 gallons of oil go into producing each tire. Multiply that by 1 billion – the number of tires manufactured annually around the world – and the total amount of oil consumed for tire production is staggering.

But Chemistry Industry Association of Canada member-company LANXESS, the world’s largest synthetic rubber producer, is working on a solution that could help to change that.

“Do you want to pay with cash or plastic?”

Beginning in November 2011, that could be a redundant question. That’s when the Bank of Canada will begin introducing polymer banknotes into circulation, in an effort to modernize Canada’s currency. Canada won’t be the first country to use chemistry-inspired cash – some 30 other countries in the world already have at least some polymer-based bills in circulation, as they last much longer and provide more security than the cotton-based money.

In a world where almost a billion people don’t have access to safe drinking water, where plumbing is a luxury, and diarrheal disease kills 1.8 million people annually , chemistry is providing a practical, life-saving solution: water-filtration systems made with polyethersulfone ultra-filtration (UF) membranes.

Chemistry researchers at the University of British Columbia have created a unique, iridescent glass that could one day improve the energy-efficiency of buildings, and help detect impurities in pharmaceuticals or tap water.

Winter delays are a fact of life for Canadian air travellers. But just when you think all is lost and you’ll never leave the ground, in most cases all it takes is a quick de-icing of the airplane by the ground crew and you’re on your way.

Dow POWERHOUSE^TM Solar Shingles promise to give new meaning to the term “green roof”.

The shingles – which look and perform much like low-tech asphalt ones – can be nailed right to a rooftop, protecting a building from the elements, while allowing for solar power generation to offset energy use.

Weather-resistant, high-impact and with superior thermal properties, the insulation of today can reduce fuel and electricity costs in an environmentally-friendly way. 

OXI-cleaners are chlorine-free, phosphate-free and biodegradable.

Citric acid anhydrous and monohydrate are non-toxic, have low reactivity and are fully biodegradable.