Terms Of Life Cycle Assessment Research Articles

(Invited) Electrochemical CO2 Reduction to Chemical Feedstocks: System Capacity and Specifications for Carbon Neutrality

The transition of an energy system that realizes net-zero CO2 emission requires both energy saving and electrification of energy demands, coupled with the use of CO2-free fuel such as hydrogen and synthetic hydrocarbons derived from captured CO2. In addition, carbon feedstocks for chemical products must originate from biomass, recycled plastics, and captured carbon from both factory effluent and air. In this regard, the electrochemical reduction of CO2 to chemical feedstocks is a promising and indispensable technology for the realization of carbon neutrality.To secure the social implementation of this technology, it is important to quantify the amount of CO2 that needs to be processed by a back-casting approach from an entire picture of a carbon-neutral energy system. Furthermore, the electricity input for CO2 reduction must be counted in reference to the total electricity demand of the energy system. The improvement in the energy efficiency of CO2 reduction is of crucial importance because the large amount of CO2 that needs to be processed may require electricity that exceeds the total electricity demand for direct use. When the CO2 footprint on electricity is not zero, the intensive use of electricity for CO2 reduction will result in the system with positive CO2 emission: the amount of CO2 converted into chemical feedstocks will be smaller than the emitted CO2 upon the generation of electricity which is necessary for electrochemical reduction.Therefore, it is significant to think about the role of electrochemical CO2 reduction from the viewpoint of the energy transition scenario towards net-zero CO2 emission and to analyze the process in terms of life-cycle assessment (LCA). In this presentation, we will focus on the net-zero energy scenario in Japan as an example and will quantify the amount of CO2 that needs to be either sequestered or, more hopefully, converted to chemical feedstocks. Our scenario analysis indicates that the electricity demand in Japan that realizes net-zero CO2 emission will be ca. 1500 TWh, which is ca. 1.5 times larger than the existing value due to the electrification of the existing fossil fuel usage. The amount of CO2 emission will be 84 million tons, which is ca. 8 % of the existing value. As an ideal case, the total amount, 84 million tons of CO2, is assumed to be converted to ethylene by electrochemical reduction rather than being sequestered into the ground. Then, ca. 700 TWh of electricity is required in addition to the electricity demand for direct use, 1500 TWh. The electricity demand for CO2 electrochemical reduction depends on system specifications. Here, the operation voltage of 3 V is assumed.The LCA of a CO2 electrochemical reduction system clarifies the specifications for negative CO2 emission from the system, which is a prerequisite of CO2 recycling. The life-cycle CO2 emission is dependent on the system configuration, and we found that CO2 recycling from a CO2 electrolysis reactor is of crucial importance for the realization of negative CO2 emission. With such a configuration, the most impactful factors on the CO2 balance (fixation versus emission) are the operation voltage and the Faradaic efficiency of CO2 reduction. For negative CO2 emission, they must be below 4 V and above 50%, respectively, assuming the CO2 footprint of electricity as 32 g/kWh corresponding to the existing level for renewable electricity. For 1.5 tons of CO2 fixation upon 1 ton of ethylene production, they must be below 3 V and above 80%, respectively. This analysis highlights the importance of setting targets for research and development from the viewpoint of LCA.

Comparing bio-binders, rubberised asphalts, and traditional pavement technologies

Nowadays pavement technologies must comply with sustainability requirements, including global warming, energy consumption, and quietness. On the one hand, global warming is the most important category of impacts analysed as it is primarily associated with climate change and with intrinsic effects on human health, weather, and natural habitats. The emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), is essentially related to fuel combustion during construction and transportation operations, but also during the materials production processes. On the other hand, traffic noise is a major concern, being related to premature mortality and years lived with disability.The road industry is focused on developing solutions able to face these issues and in the last years, the use of crumb rubber from end-of-life tyres and the use of binders combined with renewable natural resources (bio-binders) have gained momentum. Despite this, many uncertainties arise when comparing different solutions and this calls for specific comparisons in terms of life cycle assessment (LCA).Based on the above, the objectives of the study described in this paper have been confined to i) comparing rubberized and bio-asphalts, and traditional pavement technologies from a broader perspective, including LCA-based criteria; ii) setting up a method to compare innovative (e.g. green) and traditional pavement technologies; iii) detecting, discussing, and promoting competitive equilibria among pavement technologies.Six different alternative solutions were studied including two reference scenarios (traditional dense-graded and porous asphalt concrete), a solution with the use of crumb rubber, and a solution with a bio-binder.

LEED-CI v4 Projects in Terms of Life Cycle Assessment in Manhattan, New York City: A Case Study

Over the last decade, it has been clearly shown that the same achievements in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) projects can lead to different life cycle assessments (LCAs). However, the problem of contradictory achievements in LEED and LCA has not yet been resolved. This study aimed to identify and evaluate different strategies for LEED projects using LCAs. Thirty-nine LEED projects with the same characteristics—location and transportation, rating system, rating version, certification level, and space type—were collected and sorted by their energy and atmosphere (EA) category, “optimize energy performance” credit (EAc6) achievement into three equal groups (EALow, EAMedium, and EAHigh, where each group includes 13 LEED projects) to minimize the influence of uncontrolled factors on the LEED project strategy. The author focused on two extreme groups with very different EAc6 credit scores: EALow (13 projects) and EAHigh (13 projects). The groups were compared across LEED categories and credits. Wilcoxon–Mann–Whitney and Cliff’s δ test results showed that the EALow and EAHigh groups are associated with high/low achievements in materials-related credits such as “interiors life cycle impact reduction”, “building product disclosure and optimization—material ingredients”, and “low-emitting materials”. As a result, the EALow and EAHigh groups were reclassified into EnergyLow–MaterialsHigh and Energyhigh–MaterialsLow certification strategy groups. In this context, LCAs were used to assess the differences between the two strategies. The results showed that if natural gas was used for operational energy (OE), the EnergyHigh–MaterialsLow strategy showed lower environmental damage compared to the EnergyLow–MaterialsHigh strategy (p = 0.0635); meanwhile, if photovoltaic energy was used for OE, the EnergyLow–MaterialsHigh strategy showed lower environmental damage compared to the EnergyHigh–MaterialsLow strategy (p = 0.0036). The author recommends using the LEED protocol and the LCA method in parallel to better reflect the environmental impact of different certification strategies.

Ecological and Economic Assessment of the Reuse of Steel Halls in Terms of LCA

In engineering practice, investment activities related to the construction of a building are still limited to the idea of a linear cradle to grave (C2G) economy. The aim of the study is to determine the ecological and economic benefits inherent in the reuse of structural elements of a hall building using the idea of a Cradle to Cradle (C2C) looped circular economy and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). As a rule, a multiple circulation of materials from which model buildings are made was assumed through successive life cycles: creation, use, demolition and then further use of the elements. This approach is distinguished by minimizing negative impacts as a result of optimizing the mass of the structure—striving to relieve the environment, thus improving economic efficiency and leaving a positive ecological footprint. The assessment of cumulative ecological, economic and technical parameters (EET) methodology of generalized ecological indicator (WE) for quick and practical assessment of the ecological effect of multi-use steel halls, based on LCA, was proposed. The authors of the work attempted to assess the usefulness of such a structure with the example of four types of halls commonly used in the construction industry. The linear stream of C2G (cradle to grave) and then C2C (cradle to cradle) flows was calculated by introducing ecological parameters for comparative assessment. Finally, a methodology for calculating the ecological amortization of buildings (EAB) was proposed. The authors hope that the proposed integrated assessment of technical, economic and ecological parameters, which are components of the design process, will contribute to a new approach, the so-called fast-track pro-environmental project.

Implementation of Formic Acid as a Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC): Techno-Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of Formic Acid Produced via CO2 Utilization

To meet the global climate goals agreed upon regarding the Paris Agreement, governments and institutions around the world are investigating various technologies to reduce carbon emissions and achieve a net-negative energy system. To this end, integrated solutions that incorporate carbon utilization processes, as well as promote the transition of the fossil fuel-based energy system to carbon-free systems, such as the hydrogen economy, are required. One of the possible pathways is to utilize CO2 as the base chemical for producing a liquid organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC), using CO2 as a mediating chemical for delivering H2 to the site of usage since gaseous and liquid H2 retain transportation and storage problems. Formic acid is a probable candidate considering its high volumetric H2 capacity and low toxicity. While previous studies have shown that formic acid is less competitive as an LOHC candidate compared to other chemicals, such as methanol or toluene, the results were based on out-of-date process schemes. Recently, advances have been made in the formic acid production and dehydrogenation processes, and an analysis regarding the recent process configurations could deem formic acid as a feasible option for LOHC. In this study, the potential for using formic acid as an LOHC is evaluated, with respect to the state-of-the-art formic acid production schemes, including the use of heterogeneous catalysts during thermocatalytic and electrochemical formic acid production from CO2. Assuming a hydrogen distribution system using formic acid as the LOHC, each of the production, transportation, dehydrogenation, and CO2 recycle sections are separately modeled and evaluated by means of techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA). Realistic scenarios for hydrogen distribution are established considering the different transportation and CO2 recovery options; then, the separate scenarios are compared to the results of a liquefied hydrogen distribution scenario. TEA results showed that, while the LOHC system incorporating the thermocatalytic CO2 hydrogenation to formic acid is more expensive than liquefied H2 distribution, the electrochemical CO2 reduction to formic acid system reduces the H2 distribution cost by 12%. Breakdown of the cost compositions revealed that reduction of steam usage for thermocatalytic processes in the future can make the LOHC system based on thermocatalytic CO2 hydrogenation to formic acid to be competitive with liquefied H2 distribution if the production cost could be reduced by 23% and 32%, according to the dehydrogenation mode selected. Using formic acid as a LOHC was shown to be less competitive compared to liquefied H2 delivery in terms of LCA, but producing formic acid via electrochemical CO2 reduction was shown to retain the lowest global warming potential among the considered options.

Thermo-soil weathering and life cycle assessment of carbon black, silica and cellulose nanocrystal filled rubber nanocomposites

Carbon black (CB) and silica (Sil) as rubber reinforcement have raised environmental concerns for being high resources consumptive and less susceptible towards biodegradability. Cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) has demonstrated great potentials for use as biodegradable nanofillers in rubber nanocomposites while evaluation of its environmental impacts with optimal end-of-life (EOL) choices is not carried out. To simulate realistic EOL, thermo-oxidative aging and soil burial aging behaviors of rubber nanocomposites with 33.3% filler were performed. The environmental weathering performance modeled with the help of life cycle assessment (LCA) illustrates increased biodegradation susceptibility with partial replacement of CB or Sil with CNC in the nanocomposites, hence promoting the environmental solutions for waste minimalization by enhancing the biodegradability potentials. In terms of LCA, the CNC incorporation contributes more to the environmental impacts in manufacturing but greatly lowers the EOL choices, by reducing the global warming potential values.

Ultraviolet-based heterogeneous advanced oxidation processes as technologies to remove pharmaceuticals from wastewater: An overview

Contaminants of emerging concern including pharmaceuticals and personal care products are increasingly detected at low concentrations in surface waters. Given the associated toxicity of these compounds, there is the potential for significant impacts on aquatic life and the food chain. Since most pharmaceuticals are not biodegradable, they cannot be removed by secondary treatment processes in conventional wastewater treatment plants. Therefore, the development of alternative treatment methods plays a critical role in the removal of pharmaceuticals. Energy consumption is a key factor in technology selection, and the use of solar energy may help minimise operating costs. Thus, this work provides a comprehensive review of relevant research published between 2016 and 2021 targeting the removal of active pharmaceutical ingredients using ultraviolet processes, including photo-Fenton, photocatalysis and photoelectrocatalysis. While the focus remains on the development of novel catalysts and some efforts have been made to demonstrate the reuse of these materials for multiple cycles, there is little work aimed at scaling up the systems or investigating their efficacy in real water matrices to test the potential beyond the laboratory setting. The review concludes with some recommendations for future studies, highlighting the importance of comparing technologies in terms of life cycle assessment, energy use, and financial considerations to provide a holistic understanding of the role that these technologies can play in removing trace pharmaceutical compounds from wastewater.

Development of a methodology from LCA to a multi-criteria approach: application to electricity transition in France

Climate change should trigger the development of concrete arguments to justify the choice of the best energy mix, which is not the same depending on the countries involved. Life cycle assessment (LCA) uses tools that can help to define a successful energy transition, from an environmental perspective, by including a large panel of indicators. An LCA of the different sources of electricity was performed based on inventories from literature, leading to an environmental ranking of the different energies through endpoints. Four examples of energy transition scenarios corresponding to different energy demands up to 2050 were chosen for France, and compared in terms of LCA. Several multicriteria indicators were proposed for a new methodology to follow a sustainable development strategy, i.e. including economic and social parameters. The scenarios were submitted to a multicriteria sustainable assessment in order to obtain a ranking based on tuneable parameters, depending on different stakeholders’ viewpoints.

Life Cycle Assessment of Coated and Thermally Modified Wood Façades

Façades—their design, aesthetics, performance, type of cladding material, and understructure—determine architectural expression and form unique appearances of individual buildings. In connection to the sustainable development idea, wood façades provide one of the alternatives of a contemporary building exterior look. Façade cladding made of coated and thermally modified wood can be successfully used for these buildings. In addition, thermally modified wood allows the use of local European wood species, while keeping cladding elements relatively thin. On the other hand, wood has certain structural limitations and disadvantages due to the properties of wood. The main weakness is caused by the surface durability of wood and its related need for maintenance over time. The scope of the study was a comprehensive assessment of coated non-heat-treated and thermally modified wood façades, performed in terms of life cycle assessment. The aim was to identify which type of wooden façade had the lowest environmental impact. According to the EN 15804 + A2 standard, the principle of evaluation of environmental parameters “cradle-to-gate-with options” was used to evaluate wooden façades and coatings and surface preservation methods. Simulations with the SimaPro program showed that the thermal modification of wood has a significant impact on the environment at the product stage. Nonetheless the thermally modified façade without any surface coating showed the lowest environmental impact in a 30 year time-horizon of the “use stage”. It was showed that surface maintenance methods applied, the coatings used, and the frequency of their application play an important role in the environmental impact of the investigated wooden façades.

Classification of european building stock in technological and typological classes

Nowadays it is known that the European building stock is energy-intensive and insecure: constructions need interventions both to solve performance and structural deficiencies and to reduce the current unsustainable energy waste. An intelligent retrofit for existing structures should offer an intervention integrating all the different performance requirements, such as structural safety, energy efficiency and architectural quality together with optimization of construction processes and costs. To this purpose, it is, therefore, essential to improve knowledge on the composition of the existing building stock. In this work, by analysing and processing the quantitative and qualitative data available from different countries, it has been possible to define an accurate building technologies map showing both the seismic-resistant structures and the envelope systems, the latter to evaluate also the environmental behaviour of buildings in terms of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and energetic consumptions. Afterwards, the seismic and climatic characteristics of all the European countries have been considered, so leading towards the definition of zones with different combined hazard conditions. Through all the possible combinations between these seismic and climatic zones, it has been conceived a hazard matrix, where different case studies can be placed aiming at showing potentialities of different retrofit solutions from seismic and energy viewpoints. The investigation of these case studies, which will be analysed in a companion paper, allows to cover all the possible constructions and hazards detected at European level, so to implement an analysis method to be used in every Countries in Europe.

Improving the effectiveness and interaction between building information modeling and life cycle assessment

ABSTRACT Improving the environmental impact of the construction industry is a very significant way to achieve sustainability. The combination of building information modeling and life cycle assessment leads to improve the environmental performance of buildings. However, preliminary measures to achieve sustainability require complete knowledge and classification of building information modeling uses and environmental indicators. For this purpose, it is necessary to identify and prioritize building information modeling capabilities and environmental indicators in the early stages of design. A questionnaire was designed to survey experts in this field. By evaluating the building information modeling criteria and life cycle evaluation, using the Structural equation modeling method, it was found that 3D coordination, Phase planning, and Design reviews are the most important in the success of the project. In terms of life cycle assessment, control, and reduction indicators of Global Warming Potential, Land use impact, and Total Primary Energy, it has the greatest impact on improving the sustainable performance of a construction project. We also examined the interaction between the most effective building information modeling criteria and life cycle evaluation using the Delphi method. This approach improved project sustainability performance by reducing time, cost, resource consumption, and environmental impacts.

Life cycle assessment of electric vehicles in comparison to combustion engine vehicles: A review

Electric vehicle (EV) are the future of the automobile industry in terms of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution and the better life comfort level all over the world. This paper compares the results obtained by various authors in terms of life cycle assessment (LCA) of EV and conventional vehicles powered by fossil fuels, and the life cycle cost (LCC) analysis of the both types of vehicles, as every new technology comes with an additional cost which need to be feasible with respect to the present trends. And also discuss some of the software used for both type of LCA and LCC analysis. The finding of review concludes that with the adoption of EV there is a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) but there is an increase in the human toxicity level due to the larger use of metals, chemicals and energy for the production of powertrain, and high voltage batteries. And in terms of cost it has flexible pricing as there is uncertainty in pricing of future gasoline and electricity mix, higher initial cost at the time of purchasing due to higher pricing of battery.

Quantifying sustainability for two types of pavement based on life cycle cost and environmental impact

Several types of highway pavement have been adopted by various highway agencies, and each type has both advantages and disadvantages. Estimations of the life cycle cost and environmental impacts of pavement types have thus become major components of roadway planning, as the economic and environmental sustainability of pavements depends on both the project characteristics and the maintenance programme applied during the pavement life span. This article focuses on making a comparison of environmental impact in terms of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) of two arterial streets in Al-Diwaniyah city centre. The first street utilises flexible pavement, while the second street is constructed with composite pavement layers, with a Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) wearing layer implemented over a Portland Concrete Cement (PCC) pavement. The comparison between the streets was conducted using Athena Pavement LCA software, and the resulting analysis clarified the impact of pavement type, construction process and maintenance conditions on the environment in each case, taking into in consideration all related parameters such as material, construction processes, and the maintenance and rehabilitation programmes applied to the pavements during their life cycle. The results showed that the environmental impact in terms of gas emissions for the street implemented with flexible pavement was 48% higher than that of street implemented with a composite structure; further, the initial cost for the flexible structure was 17% higher that of pavement constructed with composite PCC and HMA. The LCCA for the street with flexible pavement was also 78% higher than that of composite structure due to the additional maintenance activities required during its service life.

Life Cycle Assessment of PV Systems: Integrated Design Approach for Affordable Housing in Al-Burullus Graduates Villages

the integration of renewable energy techniques with building industry is a significant approach for the development of remote areas, which helps to create self-sustaining communities in terms of energy consumption; particularly in housing planning and design. To the North of Al-Burullus Lake, three villages have been built by the Egyptian government in mid 90s to develop this vital region of the Egyptian north coasts. The optimal integration of affordable renewable energy techniques with these low income villages is the scope of a research project funded by Mansoura University as a part of the university vision to improve the quality of life and develop remote areas. This paper tackles the environmental impacts of Building Integrated Photo-Voltaics [BIPV], and employs a case analysis comparison of possible systems in terms of Life Cycle Assessment [LCA]. To reach its goal, the study examines the scientific bases of life cycle assessment, PV life cycle analysis, basic LCA Indicators for PV Performance; all to be tested by an LCA software as a quantitative method to evaluate the proposed cases. The study concluded that Mono-crystalline PV has the minimum energy payback time [2.15 years for case 2]. While Mono-crystalline PV has the minimum CO2 emissions rate [58 gCO2eq/kWh for case 1]. The study provides recommended guidelines for which type to be preferably used as an integrated affordable housing design system.

A review on environmental impacts from aviation sector in terms of life cycle assessment

The main objective of this paper is, in terms of LCA (life cycle assessment), to compile and discuss, environmental impacts of aircraft, gas turbine engine and components, and maintenance process and operations in the aviation sector. The study reveals in detail LCA implementations on aircraft and related products and processes and unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as LCA's historical development, purpose, scope and method classification. The value of this study lies in the review of LCA studies in the aviation industry to emphasise the importance and feasibility of sustainable development in the aviation industry. This motivation behind the study shows to practitioners and researchers how the LCA approach can be applied in aviation through studies in the literature. Thus, this paper will contribute to scientists, researchers, designers, manufacturers and policymakers on the aviation industry for better understanding the environmental impacts from aviation sector in terms of life cycle assessment.

A review on environmental impacts from aviation sector in terms of life cycle assessment

A review on environmental impacts from aviation sector in terms of life cycle assessment

Utilization of CO2 in renewable DME fuel production: A life cycle analysis (LCA)-based case study in China

This work aimed to evaluate the environmental performance of single-step dimethyl ether (DME) production system through CO2-enhanced gasification of gumwood. The proposed CO2-enhanced gasification based bio-DME production process was compared systematically with the conventional approach in terms of life cycle assessment (LCA) impacts by using SimaPro software. Overall, the LCA results revealed that bio-DME fuel produced from CO2-enhanced process significantly reduced the burden on climate change, toxicity and eco-toxicity by at least 20%. This decrement was mostly attributed to low feedstock consumption, high-energy recovery and CO2 utilization in the CO2-enhanced process. Over 53% contribution in all impact categories were contributed by the gasifier unit, mainly due to its high energy intensity (over 60% of the total energy requirement). Moreover, the effect of replacing diesel by bio-DME or diesel/DME blend as an automotive fuel was assessed in this study. The scenario of using pure DME resulted on significant reductions of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, by 72%, and of its impact on both human health and ecosystem (by 55% and 68%, respectively). The reduction of GHG emissions were caused by the carbon neutrality of bio-DME. Utilization of DME also limited the emissions of carcinogenic particulate such as diesel soot and therefore, decreased the toxicity of traffic emissions. The second scenario was to utilize DME15 (15% DME by wt in diesel) as an automotive fuel. However, only minor decreases, up to 7%, of the environmental impact were observed for DME15 compared to those estimated for pure diesel. Thus, the present study demonstrated that the CO2-enhanced process could greatly reduce GHG emission and environmental burden of DME production compared to the conventional method. Furthermore, bio-DME utilization as fuel for automotive applications can significantly decrease the hazard caused by traffic emissions.

Biobased Economy and Climate Change—Important Links, Pitfalls, and Opportunities

Industrial BiotechnologyVol. 13, No. 2 Industry ReportBiobased Economy and Climate Change—Important Links, Pitfalls, and OpportunitiesMichael CarusMichael CarusSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 Apr 2017https://doi.org/10.1089/ind.2017.29073.mcaAboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View articleFiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byThe E factor at 30: a passion for pollution prevention1 January 2023 | Green Chemistry, Vol. 25, No. 5Environmentally Conscious Technologies Using Fungi in a Climate-Changing World8 February 2023 | Earth, Vol. 4, No. 1Bioplastic production in terms of life cycle assessment: A state-of-the-art reviewEnvironmental Science and Ecotechnology, Vol. 780Toughened Renewable Bio-polyester Blends Achieved through Crystallization Retardation by Acetylated Cellulose Fibers31 December 2022 | ACS Applied Polymer Materials, Vol. 5, No. 1Comparative life cycle assessment of first‐ and second‐generation bio‐isobutene as a drop‐in substitute for fossil isobutene11 November 2022 | Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining, Vol. 17, No. 1Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) as a building block for a circular economyFrom Biotechnology to Bioeconomy: A Review of Development Dynamics and Pathways22 August 2022 | Sustainability, Vol. 14, No. 16Definitions and Procedures for Characterization of Biodegradable Waste15 July 2022Green Chemistry, Biocatalysis, and the Chemical Industry of the Future9 February 2022 | ChemSusChem, Vol. 15, No. 9Sustainable materials alternative to petrochemical plastics pollution: A review analysisSustainable Horizons, Vol. 2Systems Design and Innovations in Circular Economy: The Industry and Business Perspective20 August 2022Recent Advances in Circular Bioeconomy1 January 2022A Literature Review of International Bioeconomy Strategies20 October 2022 | Open Journal of Biological Sciences, Vol. 7, No. 1Adopting a Circular Bio-economy: The Biorefinery Concept1 January 2023Circular economy versus planetary limits: a Slovak forestry sector case study18 December 2020 | Journal of Enterprise Information Management, Vol. 34, No. 6Life cycle assessment of biobased chemicals from different agricultural feedstocksJournal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 323Opportunities and Challenges of the European Green Deal for the Chemical Industry: An Approach Measuring Innovations in Bioeconomy8 September 2021 | Resources, Vol. 10, No. 9Shifting from fossil-based economy to bio-based economy: Status quo, challenges, and prospectsEnergy, Vol. 228Activated carbon production from industrial yeast residue to boost up circular bioeconomy15 August 2020 | Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Vol. 28, No. 19Research Gap and NeedsAdvancing a Framework for Entrepreneurship Development in a BioeconomyProduction of isobutyric acid from methanol by Clostridium luticellarii1 January 2020 | Green Chemistry, Vol. 22, No. 23Biobased Products and Life Cycle Assessment in the Context of Circular Economy and Sustainability7 September 2020 | Materials Circular Economy, Vol. 2, No. 1Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions and energy use of polylactic acid, bio-derived polyethylene, and fossil-derived polyethyleneJournal of Cleaner Production, Vol. 277Green chemistry and the plastic pollution challenge: towards a circular economy1 January 2020 | Green Chemistry, Vol. 22, No. 19The SDGs and the bio-economy: fostering land-grabbing in Africa24 January 2020 | Review of African Political Economy, Vol. 47, No. 164Challenges and opportunitiesA spatially explicit approach to modeling biological productivity and economic attractiveness of short-rotation woody crops in the eastern USA23 July 2019 | Energy, Sustainability and Society, Vol. 9, No. 1Life Cycle Impact Assessment of Polylactic Acid (PLA) Produced from Sugarcane in Thailand22 August 2019 | Journal of Polymers and the Environment, Vol. 27, No. 11Advances and opportunities in biomass conversion technologies and biorefineries for the development of a bio-based economyBiomass and Bioenergy, Vol. 119Biobased Poly(ethylene terephthalate)/Poly(lactic acid) Blends Tailored with Epoxide Compatibilizers24 September 2018 | ACS Omega, Vol. 3, No. 9Harvesting and Baling of Pruned Biomass in Apple Orchards for Energy Production27 June 2018 | Energies, Vol. 11, No. 7The Circular Bioeconomy—Concepts, Opportunities, and Limitations Michael Carus and Lara Dammer1 April 2018 | Industrial Biotechnology, Vol. 14, No. 2Biobased Industries Public-Private Partnership in Europe: Updated Strategic Innovation & Research Agenda1 August 2017 | Industrial Biotechnology, Vol. 13, No. 4 Volume 13Issue 2Apr 2017 InformationCopyright 2017, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Michael Carus.Biobased Economy and Climate Change—Important Links, Pitfalls, and Opportunities.Industrial Biotechnology.Apr 2017.41-51.http://doi.org/10.1089/ind.2017.29073.mcaPublished in Volume: 13 Issue 2: April 1, 2017Online Ahead of Print:March 28, 2017PDF download

Preliminary Assessment of Durability of Sustainable RC Structures with Mixed-In Seawater and Stainless Steel Reinforcement

The massive use of natural resources such as fresh water or virgin rock for aggregates in the construction industry originates the need for possible alternative solutions aimed at the environmental sustainability, as, for instance, the use of chloride-contaminated raw materials for the production of concrete. In the framework of a research project financed by the Infravation Program (Advanced systems, materials and techniques for next generation infrastructure), an experimental study is undertaken aiming at demonstrating the safe utilization of seawater and salt-contaminated aggregates (natural or recycled) for a sustainable concrete production when combined with non-corrosive reinforcement to construct durable and economical concrete infrastructures. Considering the lack of sufficient fresh water in many regions of the world, this paper focuses on a preliminary evaluation of the possibility of replacing fresh water used to mix/cure concrete with seawater, combined with different types of stainless steel reinforcement. Based on literature data and the performance-based approach of “Model Code for Service Life Design” published by the International Federation for Structural Concrete (fib), risks associated with the use of using seawater in relation to the service life a reinforced concrete element in a marine environment are investigated. During the development of the project, laboratory and field tests will allow for the collection of experimental data to better define the durability evaluation and analyse advantages of the proposed approach in terms of life cycle assessment.

Ressourceneffizienz in der Ökobilanz

Due to the rising demand for natural resources and a decreasing supply, an efficient resource use is necessary. To evaluate resource efficiency, especially at the enterprise level, indicators are needed. In this paper, a literature review on resource efficiency indicators in terms of life cycle assessment has been conducted. As a result, we developed a framework for a systematization of existing resource use indicators.