Life Cycle Assessment of Typical Rubber-Plastic Sponge Production in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 913 ◽  
pp. 991-997
Author(s):  
Chun Zhi Zhao ◽  
Yi Liu ◽  
Shi Wei Ren ◽  
Yan Jiao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Fire Retardant ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Insulation Material ◽  
Primary Energy Demand ◽  
The Impact

As a kind of high-grade flexible insulation and energy-saving material, rubber-plastic sponge insulation material is produced by taking butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber and polyvinyl chloride as main materials, together with auxiliary materials such as fire retardant, plasticizer, foaming agent and filler, through production processes as weighing stock, pre-smelting, mixing, extrusion, foaming and cutting and packaging. By taking 1m3 rubber-plastic sponge as the functional unit, this paper quantitatively obtains that the impact of the product on primary energy demand, greenhouse effect, acidification potential, photochemical ozone formation potential and respirable inorganics is 2,100MJ/m3, 74.9kg CO2 equivalent/m3, 0.356kg SO2 equivalent/m3, 0.244kg NMVOC/m3 and 0.0642kg PM2.5 equivalent/m3 respectively. This paper provides reference for enterprise's cleaner production and consumer's green material selection by making life cycle assessment for rubber-plastic insulation material, quantifying the environmental load of the product, identifying the environment hot spots in product life cycle and illustrating the environment compatibility of product.

Life Cycle Assessment of Typical Glass Wool Production in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 913 ◽  
pp. 998-1003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Zhi Zhao ◽  
Yi Liu ◽  
Shi Wei Ren ◽  
Yan Jiao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Material Selection ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Volume Density ◽  
Glass Wool ◽  
Insulation Material ◽  
The Impact

Glass wool is the roll felt product produced by melting and fiberizing glass and then adding adhesive for curing processing. It is well-shaped, thermally insulated and corrosion resistant and has low volume density, low thermal conductivity, good acoustic absorptivity and stable chemical properties. By taking 1t glass wool as the functional unit, this paper quantitatively obtains that the impact of the product on primary energy demand, greenhouse effect, acidification potential, photochemical ozone formation potential and respirable inorganics is 1.12×105MJ/t, 8×103kg CO2 equivalent/t, 84.1kg SO2 equivalent/t, 3.21kg NMVOC/t and 15.5kg PM2.5 equivalent/t respectively. This paper provides reference for enterprise's cleaner production and consumer's green material selection by making life cycle assessment for glass wool insulation material, quantifying the environmental load of glass wool product, identifying the environment hot spots in product life cycle and illustrating the environment compatibility of product.

scholarly journals Environmental Performance of Soapberry (Sapindus Mukorossi Gaertn.) Cultivation in Southeast China based on a Life Cycle Assessment: A Potential Feedstock for Forest-based Biodiesel

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiqi Liu ◽  
Jiming Liu ◽  
Yuan Gao ◽  
Benye Xi ◽  
Zhong Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Performance ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Potassium Fertilizer ◽  
Southeast China ◽  
Primary Energy Demand ◽  
Net Carbon Sink

Abstract Sapindus mukorossi G. has been considered as a potential feedstock for forest-based biodiesel in China. To optimize the cultivation of soapberry and ensure its sustainable supply, an environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted using a chronological approach combined with extrapolation. Soapberry plantations with two degrees of cultivation intensities were comparatively analyzed. For the studied environmental categories, nitrogen fertilization accounted for half or more of the global warming potential, primary energy demand, acidification and eutrophication potential. The main contributors to ozone depletion were pesticides and potassium fertilizer. The plantations with a relatively low cultivation intensity presented better environmental performance, mainly due to the lower input of fertilizers, but they are not a priority choice for soapberry cultivation because of low yield. Stakeholders should focus on how to reduce the environmental impacts of the plantations with a relatively high cultivation intensity in this area. Overall, classified management, increasing the yield, reducing the inputs of chemicals and decreasing the unproductive years are the key ways to improve the environmental performance of soapberry cultivation in Southeast China. Woody biomass carbon should be included in LCAs, and 3.71-5.11 t CO2 can be fixed by soapberry plantations per ha year, indicating that soapberry cultivation provides a net carbon sink.

scholarly journals Analysis and comparison of passive and climate-unadapted design in terms of resources, energy demands and thermal comfort by means of building simulation and life cycle assessment

2021 ◽  
Vol 2069 (1) ◽  
pp. 012032
Author(s):  
A J Mayer ◽  
T Jürgens
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Indoor Climate ◽  
Additional Measure ◽  
Primary Energy Demand ◽  
Passive Design

Abstract The aim of passive design is to respond to the external climate using primarily structural means to achieve a comfortable indoor climate. The use of building technology is an additional measure. This paper compares the demand for resources, primary energy, and thermal and air-hygienic comfort of passive and climate-unadapted designs to determine the most energy-efficient and sustainable design. It also analyses whether user comfort suffers from reduced use of technical building equipment. For this purpose, a representative passive building model is compared with a climate-unadapted one. Comfort, primary and embodied energy are determined and compared by way of a simulation and life cycle assessment. The passive design presents a lower primary energy demand than the climate-unadapted one, even when embodied energy is taken into account. While the requirements of air-hygienic comfort are fulfilled equally in both types of buildings, the passive design displays better thermal comfort. This indicates that energy can be saved by employing a passive design.

scholarly journals Life cycle assessment of processing for chrome tanned cowhide upper leather

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-86
Author(s):  
Heng YANG ◽  
Dexin AN ◽  
Carmen GAIDAU ◽  
Jinwei ZHANG ◽  
Jin ZHOU
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Environmental Effect ◽  
Current Method ◽  
Primary Energy ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Leather Industry ◽  
Water Utility ◽  
Primary Energy Demand

Pollution has become a serious problem in leather industry, however, current method to evaluate its environmental effect usually used data from literature review, those data generated while leather manufacturing were rarely collected and analyzed. Thereby, the aim of this study was to evaluate the environmental effect of manufacturing process of chrome tanned cowhide upper leather by applying the Life Cycle Assessment protocols. Following the guidance of ISO 14010, we first combined data obtained from field study and empirical review; and then these data were input into eFootprint for calculation. Results, including four environmental indicators (global warming potential [GWP], primary energy demand [PED], water utility [WU] and acidification [AP]), show that producing 1 kg of cowhide upper leather releases 7.040 kg of CO2 eq, consumes 106.793 MJ of energy and 89.144 kg of water and emits 0.058 kg of SO2 eq. Sensitivity analysis of inventory data demonstrated that chrome tanning and retanning processes accounted for more than 40% of PED, AP and GWP, whereas the beamhouse was more than 78% of WU. Therefore, we could optimise the tanning process by using alternative materials or technologies in the critical sections to achieve cleaner production and sustainable leather manufacturing.

scholarly journals Case study of a water bioengineering construction site in Austria. Ecological aspects and application of an environmental life cycle assessment model

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. von der Thannen ◽  
S. Hoerbinger ◽  
C. Muellebner ◽  
H. Biber ◽  
H. P. Rauch
Keyword(s):  
Global Warming ◽  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Assessment Model ◽  
Construction Site ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Environmental Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Soil And Water

AbstractRecently, applications of soil and water bioengineering constructions using living plants and supplementary materials have become increasingly popular. Besides technical effects, soil and water bioengineering has the advantage of additionally taking into consideration ecological values and the values of landscape aesthetics. When implementing soil and water bioengineering structures, suitable plants must be selected, and the structures must be given a dimension taking into account potential impact loads. A consideration of energy flows and the potential negative impact of construction in terms of energy and greenhouse gas balance has been neglected until now. The current study closes this gap of knowledge by introducing a method for detecting the possible negative effects of installing soil and water bioengineering measures. For this purpose, an environmental life cycle assessment model has been applied. The impact categories global warming potential and cumulative energy demand are used in this paper to describe the type of impacts which a bioengineering construction site causes. Additionally, the water bioengineering measure is contrasted with a conventional civil engineering structure. The results determine that the bioengineering alternative performs slightly better, in terms of energy demand and global warming potential, than the conventional measure. The most relevant factor is shown to be the impact of the running machines at the water bioengineering construction site. Finally, an integral ecological assessment model for applications of soil and water bioengineering structures should point out the potential negative effects caused during installation and, furthermore, integrate the assessment of potential positive effects due to the development of living plants in the use stage of the structures.

scholarly journals Attributional & Consequential Life Cycle Assessment: Definitions, Conceptual Characteristics and Modelling Restrictions

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (13) ◽  
pp. 7386
Author(s):  
Thomas Schaubroeck ◽  
Simon Schaubroeck ◽  
Reinout Heijungs ◽  
Alessandra Zamagni ◽  
Miguel Brandão ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impact ◽  
Product Life Cycle ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Consequential Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Modelling Framework ◽  
Potential Environmental Impact ◽  
Reference Environment ◽  
The Impact

To assess the potential environmental impact of human/industrial systems, life cycle assessment (LCA) is a very common method. There are two prominent types of LCA, namely attributional (ALCA) and consequential (CLCA). A lot of literature covers these approaches, but a general consensus on what they represent and an overview of all their differences seems lacking, nor has every prominent feature been fully explored. The two main objectives of this article are: (1) to argue for and select definitions for each concept and (2) specify all conceptual characteristics (including translation into modelling restrictions), re-evaluating and going beyond findings in the state of the art. For the first objective, mainly because the validity of interpretation of a term is also a matter of consensus, we argue the selection of definitions present in the 2011 UNEP-SETAC report. ALCA attributes a share of the potential environmental impact of the world to a product life cycle, while CLCA assesses the environmental consequences of a decision (e.g., increase of product demand). Regarding the second objective, the product system in ALCA constitutes all processes that are linked by physical, energy flows or services. Because of the requirement of additivity for ALCA, a double-counting check needs to be executed, modelling is restricted (e.g., guaranteed through linearity) and partitioning of multifunctional processes is systematically needed (for evaluation per single product). The latter matters also hold in a similar manner for the impact assessment, which is commonly overlooked. CLCA, is completely consequential and there is no limitation regarding what a modelling framework should entail, with the coverage of co-products through substitution being just one approach and not the only one (e.g., additional consumption is possible). Both ALCA and CLCA can be considered over any time span (past, present & future) and either using a reference environment or different scenarios. Furthermore, both ALCA and CLCA could be specific for average or marginal (small) products or decisions, and further datasets. These findings also hold for life cycle sustainability assessment.

scholarly journals Life Cycle Assessment of Maize-Germ Oil Production and The Use of Bioenergy to Mitigate Environmental Impacts: A Gate-To-Gate Case Study

Resources ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mattias Gaglio ◽  
Elena Tamburini ◽  
Francesco Lucchesi ◽  
Vassilis Aschonitis ◽  
Anna Atti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle Assessment ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Impact Categories ◽  
Industrial Processing ◽  
The Impact

The need to reduce the environmental impacts of the food industry is increasing together with the dramatic increment of global food demand. Circulation strategies such as the exploitation of self-produced renewable energy sources can improve ecological performances of industrial processes. However, evidence is needed to demonstrate and characterize such environmental benefits. This study assessed the environmental performances of industrial processing of maize edible oil, whose energy provision is guaranteed by residues biomasses. A gate-to-gate Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach was applied for a large-size factory of Northern Italy to describe: (i) the environmental impacts related to industrial processing and (ii) the contribution of residue-based bioenergy to their mitigation, through the comparison with a reference system based on conventional energy. The results showed that oil refinement is the most impacting phase for almost all the considered impact categories. The use of residue-based bioenergy was found to drastically reduce the emissions for all the impact categories. Moreover, Cumulative Energy Demand analysis revealed that the use of biomass residues increased energy efficiency through a reduction of the total energy demand of the industrial process. The study demonstrates that the exploitation of residue-based bioenergy can be a sustainable solution to improve environmental performances of the food industry, while supporting circular economy.

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