Abstract
Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a powerful tool to identify direct and indirect environmental burdens associated with products, processes and services. A critical phase of the LCA methodology is the collection of representative inventory data for the energy and material streams related to the production process. In the evaluation of new and emerging chemical processes, measured data are known only at laboratory scale and may have limited connection to the environmental footprint of the same process implemented at industrial scale. On the other hand, in the evaluation of processes already established at commercial scale, the availability of process data might be hampered by industrial confidentiality. In both cases, the integration of simple process design techniques in the LCA can contribute to overcome the lack of primary data, allowing a more correct quantification of the life cycle inventory. The present paper shows, through the review of case study examples, how simplified process design, modeling and simulation can support the LCA framework to provide a preliminary estimate of energy and material consumption data suitable for environmental assessment purposes. The discussed case studies illustrate the implementation of process design considerations to tackle availability issues of inventory data in different contexts. By evidencing the case-specific nature of the problem of preliminary conceptual process design, the study calls for a closer collaboration of process design experts and life cycle analysts in the green development of new products and processes.
Highlights
Because of the central position of the chemical and process industries along the value chain in the world economy, the development and design of new products and processes has a crucial role in reducing environmental burdens and achieving sustainability
The present paper shows, through the review of case study examples, how simplified process design, modeling and simulation can support the Life cycle assessment (LCA) framework to provide a preliminary estimate of energy and material consumption data suitable for environmental assessment purposes
Righi et al [14] compared the expected environmental impacts of two cellulose dissolution methods, if applied at industrial production level: the well-established environmentally friendly non-viscose processes with N-methyl-morpholine-N-oxide (NMMO/H2 O) and an alternative process with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BmimCl). This case represents a situation in which the former process is already implemented at an industrial scale but no LCA dataset is available and the latter is only tested at lab scale
Summary
Because of the central position of the chemical and process industries along the value chain in the world economy, the development and design of new products and processes has a crucial role in reducing environmental burdens and achieving sustainability. It is evident that an early-stage analysis of the environmental impacts helps to orient and support Research and Development (R&D). It is essential to conduct environmental assessments from the very early stages of the design life cycle to achieve the best solutions in terms of eco-efficiency and sustainability [3]. There are many different tools that can be used to handle environmental consideration in product development (e.g., Material Flow Analysis, the Ecological Footprint, and emergy). Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has surely emerged as the prevalent approach. In its Communication on Integrated Product Policy (COM (2003)302 [4]), the European Commission concluded that LCA
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
