Sustainability assessment tool for the design of new chemical processes

Abstract The main contribution of this research is a sustainability assessment tool, developed to foster the sustainability of chemical processes already in their design phases. There are several sustainability assessment tools that are used to assess products and their manufacturing processes; however, there is a gap and a lack of tools to be used at the early design phase of chemical production processes. This work reviews a set of indicators to assess chemical processes during their design phase to enhance sustainability. The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry were selected as a baseline when proposing the sustainability indicators. Sustainability assessment in this context covered the following dimensions: environmental, social including safety, economic and health. For the assessment of chemical hazards, the latest European chemicals regulations and classification databases were used as a baseline. The developed Sustainability Assessment Tool is an Excel spreadsheet and is based on a design for sustainability checklist with more than 200 questions. With multiple-choice answers, the sustainability score is based on the severity of impacts. Using the tool as a guideline in the early stages of designing a chemical process provides a competitive advantage, as it offers guidance in the critical target areas of process design. Further development needs are also highlighted in this research. The developed sustainability assessment tool can also guide chemists and chemical engineers in the piloting and manufacturing stages. Finally, this tool can be used for educational purposes as well as for enhancing sustainability knowledge during process design projects in all their design stages.Tiivistelmä Tämän tutkimuksen päätuloksena on kestävyyden arviointityökalu, joka on kehitetty edistämään kestävän kehityksen periaatteita noudattavien kemiallisten prosessien suunnittelua. Tuotteiden ja niiden valmistusprosessien arvioimiseksi on olemassa useita kestävyyden arviointimenetelmiä, mutta varhaisessa suunnitteluvaiheessa olevien kemiallisten tuotantoprosessien suunnitteluun ei ole kehitetty kattavia arviointimenetelmiä. Tässä työssä tarkastellaan indikaattoreita, joilla kemiallisia prosesseja voidaan arvioida suunnitteluvaiheessa niiden kestävyyden parantamiseksi. Vihreän kemian 12 periaatetta valittiin lähtökohdaksi kestävyysindikaattoreita kehitettäessä. Kestävyyden arviointi kattoi seuraavat ulottuvuudet: ympäristöllinen, sosiaalinen, mukaan lukien turvallisuus, taloudellinen ja terveyteen liittyvä kestävyys. Kemiallisten riskien arvioinnissa perustana käytettiin viimeisimpiä Euroopan kemikaalimääräyksiä sekä vaaraluokitukselle olemassa olevaa tietokantaa. Kehitetty kestävän kehityksen arviointimenetelmä on Excel-pohjainen ja perustuu yli 200 kysymystä sisältävään kestävyyden suunnittelun tarkistuslistaan. Monivalintakysymyksillä tapahtuva kestävyyden arvottaminen perustuu vaikutusten vakavuuteen. Arviointityökalun käyttö kemiallisten prosessien suunnittelun alkuvaiheessa tarjoaa kilpailuetua, koska se ohjaa prosessisuunnittelua kestävyyden kriittisillä osa-alueilla. Tutkimuksessa ehdotetaan myös lisätutkimustarpeita. Kehitetty kestävyyden arviointityökalu opastaa kemistejä ja kemian tekniikan insinöörejä myös pilotointi- ja valmistusvaiheen prosessisuunnittelussa. Kehitettyä kestävän kehityksen arviointityökalua voidaan käyttää sekä koulutustarkoituksiin että parantamaan kestävän kehityksen periaatteita koskevaa tietämystä prosessisuunnittelun kaikissa vaiheissa

Sustainability assessment of products:case study of wind turbine generator types

Abstract This study proposes a product sustainability assessment tool (PSAT) that addresses the environmental, health and safety, social, and economic sustainability aspects from a life cycle perspective. The proposed PSAT uses the principles of Green Chemistry, Industrial Ecology, and Green Engineering as guidelines in the development of its assessment criteria. The developed assessment criteria are expressed as easy-to-answer questions covering the environmental, social, health and safety and economic aspects of sustainability. PSAT also incorporates life cycle assessment impact categories and the Circular Economy approach. PSAT comprises an Excel checklist of a questionnaire with a drop-down list of answers to select from describing the sustainability impact of the assessed product. PSAT serves to highlight the sustainability hotspots in a product’s life cycle. The questionnaire consists of qualitative and quantitative assessment criteria and contains a total of 97 questions, out of which there are 11 design questions, 22 materials selection questions, 31 manufacturing questions, 24 use questions, and 9 end-of-life questions. The PSAT scoring system enables users to compare the sustainability performance of their products. PSAT aims to aid users in making informed decisions before purchasing a product based on the information on how the product is designed and what materials it contains, how it was manufactured, how it will perform during its use, and what will happen at the end of its useful life. It also aims to aid product manufacturers and designers in incorporating sustainability into all stages of the product life cycle. The PSAT methodology promotes a holistic view of a product life cycle, including the design, materials selection, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life stage. As a case study, PSAT was used to perform a comparative sustainability assessment of two types of 3 MW rated power wind turbines: a direct-drive permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) and a doubly-fed induction generator with a gearbox (DFIG). The results from the sustainability assessment reveal that the DFIG wind turbine had a better sustainability impact than the direct-drive PMSG in the materials selection, manufacturing, and end-of-life life cycle stages. On the other hand, the direct-drive PMSG had a better sustainability impact than DFIG in the life cycle stages design and use. Overall, DFIG demonstrated a better sustainability impact than the direct-drive PMSG

Recycling and substitution of light rare earth elements, cerium, lanthanum, neodymium, and praseodymium from end-of-life applications:a review

Abstract The light rare earth elements (LREEs) lanthanum, cerium, neodymium and praseodymium are increasingly used in renewable energy technology and are applicable in portable electronic devices, such as phosphors in lightning applications and in catalysis. The extraction of REEs from virgin ores causes environmental degradation. LREEs are considered as critical metals. To overcome the environmental and criticality challenges of LREEs, recycling presents means by which they can be obtained from secondary sources. Presently, the recycling rate of LREEs is still very low. Substitutes of LREEs in most cases are either inferior or still undiscovered. This study investigates the criticality challenges and environmental impacts of producing LREEs from virgin ores. It focuses on LREEs obtainable in selected end-of-life products considered to have significant recycling potential; these include NdFeB magnets, Ni-MH batteries, phosphors in lighting and catalysts. Current recycling technologies, including representative methods and current recycling challenges are also reviewed. Although current recycling technologies have recorded growth, there is still a need for further improvements. The article highlights current LREEs substitution advances and the faced challenges in finding suitable LREEs substitutes. Furthermore, future ways to promote sustainability of LREEs recycling, to improve substitution, and to tackle the criticality challenges of LREEs are proposed

Developing and testing a tool for sustainability assessment in an early process design phase:case study of formic acid production by conventional and carbon dioxide-based routes

Abstract This paper suggests a ‘Sustainability Assessment Tool’ that can be used in early design phases of production processes. “Green Chemistry” principles were considered as a baseline when proposing the sustainability indicators. European chemicals regulations and databases were also applied and used as a baseline in chemicals hazards assessment. The tool is an excel based checklist, with multiple choice answers that are scored based on their severity of impact. This Sustainability Assessment Tool was tested by comparing two formic acid production routes. It is proposed that using the tool as a guideline in the early stages of a chemical process design can provide competitive advantages in research as it provides guidance on the critical target areas of the process that should be further developed. This can further guide researchers and engineers through the piloting and manufacturing stages. In addition it is also expected that the suggested sustainability assessment tool can be used as an educating purpose to foster sustainability in process design work during all the design stages

Evaluation of physicochemical/microbial properties and life cycle assessment (LCA) of PLA-based nanocomposite active packaging

Abstract To attend the growing consumer demand for novel ready-to-eat fresh cut fruits packaging polylactic acid (PLA)-based active packaging was realized. The aim of these packaging is to provide an improved protection and even to extend their shelf-life. PLA-based active packaging was prepared by adding nanoclays and surfactants in its formulation. The evaluation of PLA-nanocomposite packaging was done in comparison to pristine PLA and conventional plastic (polyethylene terephthalate, PET) using fresh-cut melons. Physicochemical properties were investigated by the means of weight loss, visual appearance, pH, colour, and firmness. In addition, microbial profile was tested via microbiological assays. In order to evaluate the environmental impact of PLA-based active packaging compared to commonly used PET, life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted. In terms of physicochemical and antimicrobial properties, the results clearly showed that the presence of nanoclays and surfactants in the PLA formulations improved their performance, thus contributing to bring the characteristic and behaviour of PLA packages close to those of PET. Furthermore, assessment of life cycle environmental impacts indicated that PLA packaging with nanoclays had the highest environmental performance