Terephthalic acid from renewable sources: early-stage sustainability analysis of a bio-PET precursor

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 885-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Volanti ◽  
D. Cespi ◽  
F. Passarini ◽  
E. Neri ◽  
F. Cavani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Terephthalic Acid ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Renewable Sources ◽  
Sustainability Analysis ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective

The present work compares, from a life cycle perspective, four different ways for the production of terephthalic acid.

scholarly journals Environmental Impact of Energy Systems Integrated with Electrochemical Accumulators and Powered by Renewable Energy Sources in a Life-Cycle Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 2770
Author(s):  
Anna Stoppato ◽  
Alberto Benato ◽  
Francesco De Vanna
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Storage Systems ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Renewable Sources ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective

The aim of this study is to assess the environmental impact of storage systems integrated with energy plants powered by renewable sources. Stationary storage systems proved to be a valid solution for regulating networks, supporting frequency, and managing peaks in electricity supply and demand. Recently, their coupling with renewable energy sources has been considered a strategic means of exploiting their high potential since it permits them to overcome their intrinsic uncertainty. Therefore, the storage systems integration with distributed generation can improve the performance of the networks and decrease the costs associated with energy production. However, a question remains regarding the overall environmental sustainability of the final energy production. Focusing on electrochemical accumulators, the problems mainly concern the use of heavy metals and/or impacting chemical components of storage at the center of environmental hazard debates. In this paper, an environmental assessment from a life-cycle perspective of the hybrid energy systems powered by fossil and renewable sources located on two non-interconnected minor islands is presented. Existing configurations are compared with new ones obtained with the addition of batteries for the exploitation of renewable energy. The results show that, for batteries, the assembly phase, including raw material extraction, transport, and assembly, accounts for about 40% of the total, while the remaining part is related to end-of-life processes. The reuse and recycling of the materials have a positive effect on overall impacts. The results also show that the overall impact is strongly related to the actual energy mix of the place where batteries are installed, even if it is usually lower than that of the solution without the batteries. The importance of a proper definition of the functional unit in the analysis is also emphasized in this work.

scholarly journals Carbon footprinting of carbon capture and -utilization technologies: discussion of the analysis of Carbon XPRIZE competition team finalists

Clean Energy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-599
Author(s):  
Sylvia Sleep ◽  
Raghav Munjal ◽  
Michael Leitch ◽  
Marcius Extavour ◽  
Adriana Gaona ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Carbon Capture ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Assessment Process ◽  
Carbon Intensity ◽  
Carbon Footprinting ◽  
Carbon Capture And Utilization ◽  
Life Cycle Stages ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Co2 Mineralization

Abstract Life cycle assessments (LCAs) of early-stage technologies can provide valuable insights about key drivers of emissions and aid in prioritizing research into further emissions-reduction opportunities. Despite this potential value, further development of LCA methods is required to handle the increased uncertainty, data gaps, and confidentially of early-stage data. This study presents a discussion of the life cycle carbon footprinting of technologies competing in the final round of the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE competition—a US$20 million competition for teams to demonstrate the conversion of CO2 into valuable products at the scale of a small industrial pilot using consistent deployment conditions, boundaries, and methodological assumptions. This competition allowed the exploration of how LCA can be used and further improved when assessing disparate and early-stage technologies. Carbon intensity estimates are presented for two conversion pathways: (i) CO2 mineralization and (ii) catalytic conversion (including thermochemical, electrochemical, photocatalytic and hybrid process) of CO2, aggregated across teams to highlight the range of emissions intensities demonstrated at the pilot for individual life cycle stages. A future scenario is also presented, demonstrating the incremental technology and deployment conditions that would enable a team to become carbon-avoiding relative to an incumbent process (i.e. reducing emissions relative to a reference pathway producing a comparable product). By considering the assessment process across a diverse set of teams, conversion pathways and products, the study presents generalized insights about opportunities and challenges facing carbon capture and -utilization technologies in their next phases of deployment from a life cycle perspective.

scholarly journals Engineering Design Process of Face Masks Based on Circularity and Life Cycle Assessment in the Constraint of the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4948
Author(s):  
Núria Boix Rodríguez ◽  
Giovanni Formentini ◽  
Claudio Favi ◽  
Marco Marconi
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
New Device ◽  
Engineering Design Process ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Different Types ◽  
3D Printed ◽  
Negative Impacts

Face masks are currently considered key equipment to protect people against the COVID-19 pandemic. The demand for such devices is considerable, as is the amount of plastic waste generated after their use (approximately 1.6 million tons/day since the outbreak). Even if the sanitary emergency must have the maximum priority, environmental concerns require investigation to find possible mitigation solutions. The aim of this work is to develop an eco-design actions guide that supports the design of dedicated masks, in a manner to reduce the negative impacts of these devices on the environment during the pandemic period. Toward this aim, an environmental assessment based on life cycle assessment and circularity assessment (material circularity indicator) of different types of masks have been carried out on (i) a 3D-printed mask with changeable filters, (ii) a surgical mask, (iii) an FFP2 mask with valve, (iv) an FFP2 mask without valve, and (v) a washable mask. Results highlight how reusable masks (i.e., 3D-printed masks and washable masks) are the most sustainable from a life cycle perspective, drastically reducing the environmental impacts in all categories. The outcomes of the analysis provide a framework to derive a set of eco-design guidelines which have been used to design a new device that couples protection requirements against the virus and environmental sustainability.

scholarly journals Marine biomass for a circular blue‐green bioeconomy?: A life cycle perspective on closing nitrogen and phosphorus land‐marine loops

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean‐Baptiste E. Thomas ◽  
Rajib Sinha ◽  
Åsa Strand ◽  
Tore Söderqvist ◽  
Johanna Stadmark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
Marine Biomass

scholarly journals Design of Consumables in a Resource-Efficient Economy—A Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1036
Author(s):  
Siri Willskytt
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Product Design ◽  
Circular Economy ◽  
Design Guidelines ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Specific Design ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective ◽  
General Product

Consumable products have received less attention in the circular economy (CE), particularly in regard to the design of resource-efficient products. This literature review investigates the extent to which existing design guidelines for resource-efficient products are applicable to consumables. This analysis is divided into two parts. The first investigates the extent to which general product-design guidelines (i.e., applicable to both durables and consumables) are applicable to consumables. This analysis also scrutinizes the type of recommendations presented by the ecodesign and circular product design, to investigate the novel aspects of the CE in product design. The second analysis examines the type of design considerations the literature on product-type specific design guidelines recommends for specific consumables and whether such guidelines are transferable. The analysis of general guidelines showed that, although guidelines are intended to be general and applicable to many types of products, their applicability to consumable products is limited. Less than half of their recommendations can be applied to consumables. The analysis also identified several design considerations that are transferable between product-specific design guidelines. This paper shows the importance of the life-cycle perspective in product design, to maximize the opportunities to improve consumables.

Hydrometallurgical recovery of neodymium from spent hard disk magnets: A life cycle perspective

2020 ◽  
pp. 125087
Author(s):  
Engin Karal ◽  
Mehmet Ali Kucuker ◽  
Burak Demirel ◽  
Nadim K. Copty ◽  
Kerstin Kuchta
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Hard Disk ◽  
Life Cycle Perspective
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