scholarly journals News and analysis on materials solutions to energy challenges

MRS Bulletin ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 35 (9) ◽  
pp. 649-649
Author(s):  
V.S. Arunachalam ◽  
E.L. Fleischer
Keyword(s):  
Economic Viability ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Energy Technologies

When MRS Bulletin published its expanded special issue in April 2008, “Harnessing Materials for Energy,” it was not a project done lightly. The impetus for this effort was the desire to describe the veritable options that materials provide in energy technologies. These options can then be evaluated in the context of other imperatives such as economic viability and environmental concerns, which all interact to determine societal choices for energy.

scholarly journals Assessing the Economic Viability of the Plastic Biorefinery Concept and Its Contribution to a More Circular Plastic Sector

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 3883
Author(s):  
Megan Roux ◽  
Cristiano Varrone
Keyword(s):  
Beneficial Effect ◽  
Cash Flow ◽  
Material Properties ◽  
Fossil Fuels ◽  
Operating Costs ◽  
Economic Viability ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
Selling Price ◽  
The World ◽  
Furandicarboxylic Acid

It is widely accepted that plastic waste is one of the most urgent environmental concerns the world is currently facing. The emergence of bio-based plastics provides an opportunity to reduce dependency on fossil fuels and transition to a more circular plastics economy. For polyethylene terephthalate (PET), one of the most prevalent plastics in packaging and textiles, two bio-based alternatives exist that are similar or superior in terms of material properties and recyclability. These are polyethylene furanoate (PEF) and polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT). The overarching aim of this study was to examine the transition from fossil-based to renewable plastics, through the lens of PET upcycling into PEF and PTT. The process for the production of PEF and PTT from three waste feed streams was developed in the SuperPro Designer software and the economic viability assessed via a discounted cumulative cash flow (DCCF) analysis. A techno-economic analysis of the designed process revealed that the minimum selling price (MSP) of second generation-derived PEF and PTT is 3.13 USD/kg, and that utilities and the feedstock used for the production of 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) needed in PEF synthesis contributed the most to the process operating costs. The effect of recycling PEF and PTT through the process at three recycling rates (42%, 50% and 55%) was investigated and it was revealed that increased recycling could reduce the MSP of the 2G bio-plastics (by 48.5%) to 1.61 USD/kg. This demonstrates that the plastic biorefinery, together with increasing recycling rates, would have a beneficial effect on the economic viability of upcycled plastics.

scholarly journals Economic, social and environmental impacts attained by the use of the effluents generated within a small-scale biorefinery concept

2020 ◽  
pp. 57-63
Author(s):  
Tiago F. Lopes ◽  
Rafał M. Łukasik
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Lignocellulosic Biomass ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Economic Viability ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Biomass Valorisation ◽  
Social And Environmental Impacts

Biorefineries are emerging as the proper route to defeat climate change and other social, socio-economic and environmental concerns. So far, no residual lignocellulosic biomass-based biorefineries have been yet industrially implemented, mainly due to its economic viability. This article exposes some elements that may help overcome the bottlenecks associated to its social, economic and environmental sustainability: small-scale approaches, biomass valorisation through added-value products and near-zero effluent.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document