Other language confidence: 0.9588798851710058
technologyComment of chlor-alkali electrolysis, diaphragm cell (RER): In the diaphragm process, all reactions take place in only one cell. A diaphragm is used to separate the feed brine (anolyte) and the chlorine formed at the anode from the sodium hydroxide containing solution (catholyte) and the hydrogen formed at the cathode. Without the diaphragm being present during electrolysis, chlorine and hydrogen would form an explosive mixture and sodium hydroxide and chlorine would react to form sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Diaphragms used to be made from asbestos but up-todate technology allows for asbestos-free polymer-based diaphragms. Purified brine is fed to the anode compartment and percolates through the diaphragm into the cathode compartment. The percolation rate is controlled by a difference in liquid level between both compartments. At the anodes (metal oxide coated titanium), chlorine gas is formed which is collected and directed to further processing. Cathodes, where water decomposition takes place, are made of activated carbon steel. Catholyte leaving the cell, also called cell liquor, is a mixture of 10-12 wt.-% sodium hydroxide and 15-17 wt.-% sodium chloride in water. This solution is usually evaporated to 50 wt.-% NaOH. In this process, simultaneously most of the salt is removed by precipitation to a final residual of 1 wt.-%. The resulting salt is typically recirculated to brine preparation. The advantage of diaphragm cells is that the quality requirements for the brine and the electrical energy consumption are low. Disadvantageous are the high amount of thermal energy necessary for sodium hydroxide concentration and the comparably low quality of the produced sodium hydroxide and chlorine. References: Euro Chlor (2013) An Eco-profile and Environmental Product Declaration of the European Chlor-Alkali Industry, Chlorine (The chlor-alkali process). technologyComment of chlor-alkali electrolysis, membrane cell (RER): In the membrane cell process, the anode and cathode compartments are separated by a perfluoropolymer cation-exchange membrane that selectively transmits sodium ions but suppresses the migration of hydroxyl ions (OH-) from the catholyte into the anolyte. Saturated brine flows through the anode compartment, where chlorine gas is produced at the anode. The electric field in the electrolysis cell causes hydrated sodium ions to migrate through the membrane into the cathode compartment. The cathode compartment is fed with diluted sodium hydroxide solution. Water is electrolysed at the cathode releasing gaseous hydrogen and hydroxyl ions, which combine with the sodium ions and thus increase the concentration of sodium hydroxide in the catholyte. Typically, the outlet concentration of sodium hydroxide is around 32 wt.-%. A part of the product stream is diluted with demineralised water to about 30 wt.-% and used as catholyte inlet. In some units, a more diluted 23 wt.-% NaOH solution is produced. In these cases, the inlet concentration is adjusted to 20-21 wt.-%. Usually the NaOH solution is evaporated to the marketable concentration of 50 wt.-% using steam. Depleted brine leaving the anode compartment is saturated with chlorine and is therefore sent to a dechlorination unit to recover the dissolved chlorine before it is resaturated with salt for recirculation. The advantages of the membrane cell technique are the very high purity of the sodium hydroxide solution produced and the comparably low energy demand. Disadvantages comprise the high requirements on brine purity, the need for sodium hydroxide evaporation to increase concentration, and the comparably high oxygen content in the produced chlorine. In general, multiple cell elements are combined into a single unit, called electrolyser, of whom the design can be either monopolar or bipolar. In a monopolar electrolyser, the anodes and cathodes of the cells are connected electrically in parallel, whereas in the bipolar design, they are connected in series. Therefore, monopolar electrolysers require high current and low voltage, whereas bipolar electrolysers require low current and high voltage. Since bipolar systems allow higher current densities inside the cells, investment and operating costs are usually lower than for monopolar systems. References: Euro Chlor (2013) An Eco-profile and Environmental Product Declaration of the European Chlor-Alkali Industry, Chlorine (The chlor-alkali process). technologyComment of chlor-alkali electrolysis, mercury cell (RER): The mercury cell process comprises an electrolysis cell and a decomposer. Purified and saturated brine (25-28 wt.-% NaCl in water) is fed to the electrolysis cell on top of a film of mercury (Hg) flowing down the inclined base of the cell. The base of the cell is connected to the negative pole of a direct current supply forming the cathode of the cell. Anodes consisting of titanium coated with oxides of ruthenium and titanium are placed in the brine without touching the mercury film. At the anodes, chlorine gas is formed which is collected and directed to further processing. Due to a high overpotential of hydrogen at the mercury electrode, no gaseous hydrogen is formed; instead, sodium is produced and dissolved in the mercury as an amalgam (mercury alloy). The liquid amalgam is removed from the electrolytic cell and fed to a decomposer, where it reacts with demineralised water in the presence of a graphite-based catalyst to form sodium hydroxide solution and hydrogen. The sodium-free mercury is recirculated back into the cell. Cooling of hydrogen is essential to remove any water and mercury. The sodium hydroxide solution is very pure, almost free from chloride contamination and has usually a concentration of 50 %. Further treatment comprises cooling and removal of catalyst and mercury traces by centrifuges or filters. Advantages of the mercury cell process are the high quality of chlorine and the high concentration and purity of sodium hydroxide solution produced. The consumption of electric energy for electrolysis is, however, higher than for the other techniques and a high purity of the feed brine is required. Inherently, the use of mercury gives rise to environmental releases of mercury. References: Euro Chlor (2013) An Eco-profile and Environmental Product Declaration of the European Chlor-Alkali Industry, Chlorine (The chlor-alkali process). technologyComment of potassium hydroxide production (RER): Potassium hydroxide is manufactured by the electrolysis of potassium chloride brine in electrolytical cells. Hydrogen and chlorine are withdrawn from the cell. The rest of the reaction mixture contains KOH, water, and unreacted potassium chloride. This reaction mixture is then concentrated in an evaporator. Most of the potassium chloride crystallizes by evaporation, and is recycled. After evaporation, the potassium hydroxide is precipitated. Potassium hydroxide, chlorine and hydrogen are obtained from potassium chloride brine according to the following reaction: 2 KCl + 2 H2O -> 2 KOH + Cl2 + H2 Reference: Jungbluth, N., Chudacoff, M., Dauriat, A., Dinkel, F., Doka, G., Faist Emmenegger, M., Gnansounou, E., Kljun, N., Schleiss, K., Spielmann, M., Stettler, C., Sutter, J. 2007: Life Cycle Inventories of Bioenergy. ecoinvent report No. 17, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH. technologyComment of sodium chloride electrolysis (RER): Sodium chloride electrolysis
Production mix technologyComment of decarboxylative cyclization of adipic acid (RER): decarboxylative cyclization of adipic acid technologyComment of formic acid production, methyl formate route (RER): The worldwide installed capacity for producing formic acid was about 330 000 t/a in 1988. Synthesis of formic acid by hydrolysis of methyl formate is based on a two-stage process: in the first stage, methanol is carbonylated with carbon monoxide; in the second stage, methyl formate is hydrolyzed to formic acid and methanol. The methanol is returned to the first stage. Although the carbonylation of methanol is relatively problem-free and has been carried out industrially for a long time, only recently has the hydrolysis of methyl formate been developed into an economically feasible process. The main problems are associated with work-up of the hydrolysis mixture. Because of the unfavorable position of the equilibrium, reesterification of methanol and formic acid to methyl formate occurs rapidly during the separation of unreacted methyl formate. Problems also arise in the selection of sufficiently corrosion-resistant materials Carbonylation of Methanol In the two processes mentioned, the first stage involves carbonylation of methanol in the liquid phase with carbon monoxide, in the presence of a basic catalyst: imageUrlTagReplacea0ec6e15-92c8-4d44-82bb-84e90e58b171 As a rule, the catalyst is sodium methoxide. Potassium methoxide has also been proposed as a catalyst; it is more soluble in methyl formate and gives a higher reaction rate. Although fairly high pressures were initially preferred, carbonylation is carried out in new plants at lower pressure. Under these conditions, reaction temperature and catalyst concentration must be increased to achieve acceptable conversion. According to published data, ca. 4.5 MPa, 80 °C, and 2.5 wt % sodium methoxide are employed. About 95 % carbon monoxide, but only about 30 % methanol, is converted under these circumstances. Nearly quantitative conversion of methanol to methyl formate can, nevertheless, be achieved by recycling the unreacted methanol. The carbonylation of methanol is an equilibrium reaction. The reaction rate can be raised by increasing the temperature, the carbon monoxide partial pressure, the catalyst concentration, and the interface between gas and liquid. To synthesize methyl formate, gas mixtures with a low proportion of carbon monoxide must first be concentrated. In a side reaction, sodium methoxide reacts with methyl formate to form sodium formate and dimethyl ether, and becomes inactivated. The substances used must be anhydrous; otherwise, sodium formate is precipitated to an increasing extent. Sodium formate is considerably less soluble in methyl formate than in methanol. The risk of encrustation and blockage due to precipitation of sodium formate can be reduced by adding poly(ethylene glycol). The carbon monoxide used must contain only a small amount of carbon dioxide; otherwise, the catalytically inactive carbonate is precipitated. Basic catalysts may reverse the reaction, and methyl formate decomposes into methanol and carbon monoxide. Therefore, undecomposed sodium methoxide in the methyl formate must be neutralized. Hydrolysis of Methyl Formate In the second stage, the methyl formate obtained is hydrolyzed: imageUrlTagReplace2ddc19c0-905f-42c3-b14c-e68332befec9 The equilibrium constant for methyl formate hydrolysis depends on the water: ester ratio. With a molar ratio of 1, the constant is 0.14, but with a water: methyl formate molar ratio of 15, it is 0.24. Because of the unfavorable position of this equilibrium, a large excess of either water or methyl formate must be used to obtain an economically worthwhile methyl formate conversion. If methyl formate and water are used in a molar ratio of 1 : 1, the conversion is only 30 %, but if the molar ratio of water to methyl formate is increased to 5 – 6, the conversion of methyl formate rises to 60 %. However, a dilute aqueous solution of formic acid is obtained this way, and excess water must be removed from the formic acid with the expenditure of as little energy as possible. Another way to overcome the unfavorable position of the equilibrium is to hydrolyze methyl formate in the presence of a tertiary amine, e.g., 1-(n-pentyl)imidazole. The base forms a salt-like compound with formic acid; therefore, the concentration of free formic acid decreases and the hydrolysis equilibrium is shifted in the direction of products. In a subsequent step formic acid can be distilled from the base without decomposition. A two-stage hydrolysis has been suggested, in which a water-soluble formamide is used in the second stage; this forms a salt-like compound with formic acid. It also shifts the equilibrium in the direction of formic acid. To keep undesirable reesterification as low as possible, the time of direct contact between methanol and formic acid must be as short as possible, and separation must be carried out at the lowest possible temperature. Introduction of methyl formate into the lower part of the column in which lower boiling methyl formate and methanol are separated from water and formic acid, has also been suggested. This largely prevents reesterification because of the excess methyl formate present in the critical region of the column. Dehydration of the Hydrolysis Mixture Formic acid is marketed in concentrations exceeding 85 wt %; therefore, dehydration of the hydrolysis mixture is an important step in the production of formic acid from methyl formate. For dehydration, the azeotropic point must be overcome. The concentration of formic acid in the azeotropic mixture increases if distillation is carried out under pressure, but the higher boiling point at high pressure also increases the decomposition rate of formic acid. At the same time, the selection of sufficiently corrosion-resistant materials presents considerable problems. A number of entrainers have been proposed for azeotropic distillation. Reference: Gräfje, H., Körnig, W., Weitz, H.-M., Reiß, W.: Butanediols, Butenediol, and Butynediol, Chapter 1. In: Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Sev-enth Edition, 2004 Electronic Release (ed. Fiedler E., Grossmann G., Kersebohm D., Weiss G. and Witte C.). 7 th Electronic Release Edition. WileyInterScience, New York, Online-Version under: http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/ueic/articles/a04_455/frame.html technologyComment of oxidation of butane (RER): The liquid-phase oxidation of hydrocarbons is an important process to produce acetic acid, formic acid or methyl acetate. About 43 kg of formic acid is produced per ton of acetic acid. Unreacted hydrocarbons, volatile neutral constituents, and water are separated first from the oxidation product. Formic acid is separated in the next column; azeotropic distillation is generally used for this purpose. The formic acid contains about 2 wt % acetic acid, 5 wt % water, and 3 wt % benzene. Formic acid with a content of about 98 wt % can be produced by further distillation. Reference: Gräfje, H., Körnig, W., Weitz, H.-M., Reiß, W.: Butanediols, Butenediol, and Butynediol, Chapter 1. In: Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Sev-enth Edition, 2004 Electronic Release (ed. Fiedler E., Grossmann G., Kersebohm D., Weiss G. and Witte C.). 7 th Electronic Release Edition. WileyInterScience, New York, Online-Version under: http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/ueic/articles/a04_455/frame.html
technologyComment of Mannheim process (RER): Production of sodium sulfate and HCl by the Mannheim process. This process can be summarized with the following overall stoechiometric reaction: 2 NaCl + H2SO4 → Na2SO4 + 2 HCl technologyComment of allyl chloride production, reaction of propylene and chlorine (RER): based on industry data in the US and Europe technologyComment of benzene chlorination (RER): Clorobenzenes are prepared by reaction of liquid benzene with gaseous chlorine in the presence of a catalyst at moderate temperature and atmospheric pressure. Hydrogen chloride is formed as a by-product. Generally, mixtures of isomers and compounds with varying degrees of chlorination are obtained, because any given chlorobenzene can be further chlorinated up to the stage of hexa-chlorobenzene. Because of the directing influence exerted by chlorine, the unfavoured products 1,3-dichlorobenzene, 1,3,5-trichlorobenzene and 1,2,3,5-tetrachlorobenzene are formed to only a small extent if at all. The velocity of chlorination for an individual chlorine compound depends on the compound's structure and, because of this, both the degree of chlorination and also the isomer ratio change continuously during the course of reaction. Sets of data on the composition of products from different reactions are only comparable if they refer to identical reaction conditions and materials having the same degree of chlorination. By altering the reaction conditions and changing the catalyst, one can vary the ratios of different chlorinated products within certain limits. Lewis acids (FeCl3, AlCl3, SbCl3, MnCl2, MoCl2, SnCl4, TiCl4) are used as principal catalysts. The usual catalyst employed in large scale production is ferric chloride, with or without the addition of sulfur compounds. The ratio of resulting chlorobenzenes to one another is also influenced by the benzene:chlorine ratio. For this reason, the highest selectivity is achieved in batch processes. If the same monochlorobenzene:dichlorobenzene ratio expected from a batch reactor is to result from continuous operation in a single-stage reactor, then a far lower degree of benzene conversion must be accepted as a consequence of the low benzene:chlorine ratio). The reaction is highly exothermic: C6H6 + Cl2 --> C6H5Cl + HCl ; delta H = -131.5 kJ/mol Unwanted heat of reaction can be dissipated either by circulating some of the reactor fluid through an external heat exchanger or by permitting evaporative cooling to occur at the boiling temperature. Circulation cooling has the advantage of enabling the reaction temperature to be varied in accordance with the requirements of a given situation. Evaporative cooling is more economical, however. Fractional distillation separates the products. Iron catalyst is removed with the distillation residue.Unreacted benzene is recycled to the reactor. technologyComment of hydrochloric acid production, from the reaction of hydrogen with chlorine (RER): HCl can be either directly prepared or generated as a by-product from a number of reactions. This dataset represents the production of HCl via the combustion of chlorine with hydrogen gas. The process involves burning hydrogen gas and chlorine in a gas combustion chamber, producing hydrogen chloride gas. The hydrogen chloride gas then passes through a cooler to an absorber where process water is introduced, producing aqueous hydrochloric acid. H2 + Cl2 -> 2 HCl (exothermic reaction) References: Althaus H.-J., Chudacoff M., Hischier R., Jungbluth N., Osses M. and Primas A. (2007) Life Cycle Inventories of Chemicals. ecoinvent report No. 8, v2.0. EMPA Dübendorf, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH. technologyComment of tetrafluoroethylene production (RER): The production of fluorochemicals and PTFE monomers can be summarized with the following chemical reactions (Cedergren et al. 2001): CaF2 + H2SO4 -> CaSO4 + 2HF (1) CH4 + 3Cl2 -> CHCl3 + 3HCl (2) CHCl3 + 2HF -> CHClF2 + 2HCl (3) 2 CHClF2 + heat -> CF2=CF2 + 2 HCl (4) This dataset represents the last reaction step (4). Parts of the production are carried out at high pressure and high temperature, 590 ºC – 900 ºC. The first reaction (1) takes place in the presence of heat and HSO3 - and steam. The inventory for the production of hydrogen fluoride can be found in the report (Jungbluth 2003a). Reaction (2) is used to produce trichloromethane. Reaction 3 for the production of chlorodifluoromethane takes place in the presence of a catalyst. The production of PTFE (4) takes place under high temperature pyrolysis conditions. Large amounts of hydrochloric acid (HCl) are generated as a couple product during the process and are sold as a 30% aqueous solution. A large number of other by-products and emissions is formed in the processes (benzene, dichloromethane, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, R134a, and vinyl chloride) and small amounts of the highly toxic perfluoroisobutylene CF2=C(CF3)2. The by-products in the production of monomers can harm the processes of polymerisation. Because of this, the refinement of the production of monomers has to be very narrow. This makes the process complex and it contributes to a high cost for the PTFE-laminates. (Cedergren et al. 2001). References: Althaus H.-J., Chudacoff M., Hischier R., Jungbluth N., Osses M. and Primas A. (2007) Life Cycle Inventories of Chemicals. Final report ecoinvent data v2.0 No. 8. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH.
technologyComment of methanol production (GLO): For normal methanol synthesis, reforming is performed in one step in a tubular reactor at 850 – 900 °C in order to leave as little methane as possible in the synthesis gas. For large methanol synthesis plants, Lurgi has introduced a two-step combination (combined reforming process) that gives better results. In the primary tubular reformer, lower temperature (ca. 800 °C) but higher pressure (2.5-4.0 MPa instead of 1.5-2.5 MPa) are applied. More recently, Lurgi developed another two-step gas production scheme. It is based on catalytic autothermal reforming with an adiabatic performer and has economical advantages for very large methanol plants. At locations where no carbon dioxide is available most of the methanol plants are based on the following gas production technologies, depending on their capacities: steam reforming for capacities up to 2000 t d-1 or combined reforming from 1800 to 2500 t d-1 (Ullmann 2001). For the energy and resource flows in this inventory a modern steam reforming process was taken as average technology. To estimate best and worst case values, also values from combined reforming and autothermal reforming were investigated. Methanol produced using a low pressure steam reforming process (ICI LPM) accounts for approximately 60% of the world capacity (Synetix 2000a). Besides steam reforming, combined reforming has gained importance due to the production of methanol in large plants at remote locations. The reaction of the steam-reforming route can be formulated for methane, the major constituent of natural gas, as follows: Synthesis gas preparation: CH4 + H2O → CO + 3 H2; ΔH = 206 kJ mol-1 CO + H2O → CO2 + H2; ΔH = - 41 kJ mol-1 Methanol synthesis: CO + 2 H2 → CH3OH; ΔH = -98 kJ mol-1 CO2 + 3 H2 → CH3OH + H2O; ΔH = -58 kJ mol-1 For an average plant the total carbon efficiency is around 75%, 81% for the synthesis gas preparation and 93% for the methanol synthesis (Le Blanc et al. 1994, p. 114). For steam reformers usually a steam to carbon ratio of 3:1 to 3.5:1 is used. As methanol production is a highly integrated process with a complicated steam system, heat recovery and often also internal electricity production (out of excess steam), there were only data of the efficiency and energy consumption of the total process available. Therefore the process was not divided into a reforming process, a synthesis process and a purification process for estimating the energy and resource flows. Also the energy and resource flows in the methanol production plants are site specific (dependent on the local availability of resources such as CO2, O2, or electricity). In this inventory typical values for a methanol plant using steam-reforming technology were used. The main resource for methanol production is natural gas, which acts as feedstock and fuel. A natural gas based methanol plant consumes typically 29-37 MJ (LHV) of natural gas per kg of methanol. This gas is needed as feedstock for the produced methanol (20 MJ kg-1 LHV) and also used as fuel for the utilities of the plant. From the converted feed, 1 kg methanol and 0.06 kg hydrogen is yielded. It was assumed that the purged hydrogen was also burned in the furnace. The only emission to air considered from burning hydrogen is NOX. The energy amount generated is not considered, because the process of the furnace is specified for natural gas as fuel. The NOX emissions of the hydrogen burning were therefore calculated separately. References: Althaus H.-J., Chudacoff M., Hischier R., Jungbluth N., Osses M. and Primas A. (2007) Life Cycle Inventories of Chemicals. ecoinvent report No. 8, v2.0. EMPA Dübendorf, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH. technologyComment of synthetic fuel production, from coal, high temperature Fisher-Tropsch operations (ZA): SECUNDA SYNFUEL OPERATIONS: Secunda Synfuels Operations operates the world’s only commercial coal-based synthetic fuels manufacturing facility of its kind, producing synthesis gas (syngas) through coal gasification and natural gas reforming. They make use of their proprietary technology to convert syngas into synthetic fuel components, pipeline gas and chemical feedstock for the downstream production of solvents, polymers, comonomers and other chemicals. Primary internal customers are Sasol Chemicals Operations, Sasol Exploration and Production International and other chemical companies. Carbon is produced for the recarburiser, aluminium, electrode and cathodic production markets. Secunda Synfuels Operations receives coal from five mines in Mpumalanga (see figure attached). After being crushed, the coal is blended to obtain an even quality distribution. Electricity is generated by both steam and gas and used to gasify the coal at a temperature of 1300°C. This produces syngas from which two types of reactor - circulating fluidised bed and Sasol Advanced SynthoTM reactors – produce components for making synthetic fuels as well as a number of downstream chemicals. Gas water and tar oil streams emanating from the gasification process are refined to produce ammonia and various grades of coke respectively. imageUrlTagReplacea79dc0c2-0dda-47ec-94e0-6f076bc8cdb6 SECUNDA CHEMICAL OPERATIONS: The Secunda Chemicals Operations hub forms part of the Southern African Operations and is the consolidation of all the chemical operating facilities in Secunda, along with Site Services activities. The Secunda Chemicals hub produces a diverse range of products that include industrial explosives, fertilisers; polypropylene, ethylene and propylene; solvents (acetone, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), ethanol, n-Propanol, iso-propanol, SABUTOL-TM, PROPYLOL-TM, mixed C3 and C4 alcohols, mixed C5 and C6 alcohols, High Purity Ethanol, and Ethyl Acetate) as well as the co-monomers, 1-hexene, 1-pentene and 1-octene and detergent alcohol (SafolTM).
technologyComment of barium carbonate production (GLO): Barium carbonate is manufactured in two reaction steps from barium sulfate (barite). Barite is treated with coal from coke to deliver barium sulfide. There are two main routes to receive barium carbonate: precipitation with carbon dioxide and precipitation with soda (Kresse et al., 2007). The main producers (e.g. Solvay) are using the carbon dioxide method, this is modelled here. In this reaction the barium sulfide is treated with carbon dioxide, which was formed in the first reactions step, which produces barium carbonate and hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide is assumed to be neutralised in waste water treatment and turned into Sulfate The reaction temperature is between 60 and 70 degree C. It is followed by filtering of the resulting slurry, washing, drying, grinding and packaging of barium carbonate. The assumed process efficiency is 90% per reaction step. BaSO4 + 2 C --> BaS + 2 CO2 BaS + CO2 --> BaCO3 + H2S This inventory representing production of a particular chemical compound is at least partially based on a generic model on the production of chemicals. The data generated by this model have been improved by compound-specific data when available. The model on production of chemicals is using specific industry or literature data wherever possible and more generic data on chemical production processes to fill compound-specific data gaps when necessary. The model has been updated and extended with newly available data from the chemical industry. In the model, unreacted fractions are treated in a waste treatment process, and emissions reported are after a waste treatment process that is included in the scope of this dataset. For volatile reactants, a small level of evaporation is assumed. Solvents and catalysts are mostly recycled in closed-loop systems within the scope of the dataset and reported flows are for losses from this system. In the model, unreacted fractions are treated in a waste treatment process, and emissions reported are after a waste treatment process that is included in the scope of this dataset. For volatile reactants, a small level of evaporation is assumed. Solvents and catalysts are mostly recycled in closed-loop systems within the scope of the dataset and reported flows are for losses from this system. The main source of information for the values for heat, electricity, water (process and cooling), nitrogen, chemical factory is industry data from Gendorf. The values are a 5-year average of data (2011 - 2015) published by the Gendorf factory (Gendorf, 2016, Umwelterklärung, www.gendorf.de), (Gendorf, 2015, Umwelterklärung, www.gendorf.de), (Gendorf, 2014, Umwelterklärung, www.gendorf.de). The Gendorf factory is based in Germany, it produces a wide range of chemical substances. The factory produced 1657400 tonnes of chemical substances in the year 2015 (Gendorf, 2016, Umwelterklärung, www.gendorf.de) and 740000 tonnes of intermediate products. References: Hischier, R. (2005) Establishing Life Cycle Inventories of Chemicals Based on Differing Data Availability (9 pp). The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, Volume 10, Issue 1, pp 59–67. 10.1065/lca2004.10.181.7 Gendorf (2020) Umwelterklärung 2019, Werk Gendorf Industriepark, www.gendorf.de Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology. 3rd ed., Volumes 1-26. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, 1978-1984., p. V3: 466 (1978) Kresse, R., Baudis, U., Jäger, P., Riechers, H. H., Wagner, H., Winkler, J. and Wolf, H. U. 2007. Barium and Barium Compounds. Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. pp. 15-16. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim.
technologyComment of chlor-alkali electrolysis, diaphragm cell (RER, RoW): In the diaphragm process, all reactions take place in only one cell. A diaphragm is used to separate the feed brine (anolyte) and the chlorine formed at the anode from the sodium hydroxide containing solution (catholyte) and the hydrogen formed at the cathode. Without the diaphragm being present during electrolysis, chlorine and hydrogen would form an explosive mixture and sodium hydroxide and chlorine would react to form sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Diaphragms used to be made from asbestos but up-todate technology allows for asbestos-free polymer-based diaphragms. Purified brine is fed to the anode compartment and percolates through the diaphragm into the cathode compartment. The percolation rate is controlled by a difference in liquid level between both compartments. At the anodes (metal oxide coated titanium), chlorine gas is formed which is collected and directed to further processing. Cathodes, where water decomposition takes place, are made of activated carbon steel. Catholyte leaving the cell, also called cell liquor, is a mixture of 10-12 wt.-% sodium hydroxide and 15-17 wt.-% sodium chloride in water. This solution is usually evaporated to 50 wt.-% NaOH. In this process, simultaneously most of the salt is removed by precipitation to a final residual of 1 wt.-%. The resulting salt is typically recirculated to brine preparation. The advantage of diaphragm cells is that the quality requirements for the brine and the electrical energy consumption are low. Disadvantageous are the high amount of thermal energy necessary for sodium hydroxide concentration and the comparably low quality of the produced sodium hydroxide and chlorine. References: Euro Chlor (2013) An Eco-profile and Environmental Product Declaration of the European Chlor-Alkali Industry, Chlorine (The chlor-alkali process). technologyComment of chlor-alkali electrolysis, membrane cell (CA-QC, RER, RoW): In the membrane cell process, the anode and cathode compartments are separated by a perfluoropolymer cation-exchange membrane that selectively transmits sodium ions but suppresses the migration of hydroxyl ions (OH-) from the catholyte into the anolyte. Saturated brine flows through the anode compartment, where chlorine gas is produced at the anode. The electric field in the electrolysis cell causes hydrated sodium ions to migrate through the membrane into the cathode compartment. The cathode compartment is fed with diluted sodium hydroxide solution. Water is electrolysed at the cathode releasing gaseous hydrogen and hydroxyl ions, which combine with the sodium ions and thus increase the concentration of sodium hydroxide in the catholyte. Typically, the outlet concentration of sodium hydroxide is around 32 wt.-%. A part of the product stream is diluted with demineralised water to about 30 wt.-% and used as catholyte inlet. In some units, a more diluted 23 wt.-% NaOH solution is produced. In these cases, the inlet concentration is adjusted to 20-21 wt.-%. Usually the NaOH solution is evaporated to the marketable concentration of 50 wt.-% using steam. Depleted brine leaving the anode compartment is saturated with chlorine and is therefore sent to a dechlorination unit to recover the dissolved chlorine before it is resaturated with salt for recirculation. The advantages of the membrane cell technique are the very high purity of the sodium hydroxide solution produced and the comparably low energy demand. Disadvantages comprise the high requirements on brine purity, the need for sodium hydroxide evaporation to increase concentration, and the comparably high oxygen content in the produced chlorine. In general, multiple cell elements are combined into a single unit, called electrolyser, of whom the design can be either monopolar or bipolar. In a monopolar electrolyser, the anodes and cathodes of the cells are connected electrically in parallel, whereas in the bipolar design, they are connected in series. Therefore, monopolar electrolysers require high current and low voltage, whereas bipolar electrolysers require low current and high voltage. Since bipolar systems allow higher current densities inside the cells, investment and operating costs are usually lower than for monopolar systems. References: Euro Chlor (2013) An Eco-profile and Environmental Product Declaration of the European Chlor-Alkali Industry, Chlorine (The chlor-alkali process). technologyComment of chlor-alkali electrolysis, mercury cell (RER, RoW): The mercury cell process comprises an electrolysis cell and a decomposer. Purified and saturated brine (25-28 wt.-% NaCl in water) is fed to the electrolysis cell on top of a film of mercury (Hg) flowing down the inclined base of the cell. The base of the cell is connected to the negative pole of a direct current supply forming the cathode of the cell. Anodes consisting of titanium coated with oxides of ruthenium and titanium are placed in the brine without touching the mercury film. At the anodes, chlorine gas is formed which is collected and directed to further processing. Due to a high overpotential of hydrogen at the mercury electrode, no gaseous hydrogen is formed; instead, sodium is produced and dissolved in the mercury as an amalgam (mercury alloy). The liquid amalgam is removed from the electrolytic cell and fed to a decomposer, where it reacts with demineralised water in the presence of a graphite-based catalyst to form sodium hydroxide solution and hydrogen. The sodium-free mercury is recirculated back into the cell. Cooling of hydrogen is essential to remove any water and mercury. The sodium hydroxide solution is very pure, almost free from chloride contamination and has usually a concentration of 50 %. Further treatment comprises cooling and removal of catalyst and mercury traces by centrifuges or filters. Advantages of the mercury cell process are the high quality of chlorine and the high concentration and purity of sodium hydroxide solution produced. The consumption of electric energy for electrolysis is, however, higher than for the other techniques and a high purity of the feed brine is required. Inherently, the use of mercury gives rise to environmental releases of mercury. References: Euro Chlor (2013) An Eco-profile and Environmental Product Declaration of the European Chlor-Alkali Industry, Chlorine (The chlor-alkali process).
technologyComment of dimethyl carbonate production (RER): Dimethyl carbonate has been historically produced through the reaction of phosgene and methanol. Because of the toxicity of phosgene, a greener route of production has been developed (Tundo and Selva 2002). Today it is mostly produced through the reaction of ethylene or propylene carbonate with methanol. This activity models the production of dimethyl carbonate as the result of the reaction of ethylene carbonate and methanol. Chemical reaction: C3H4O3 + CH3OH -> C3H6O3 + CH2O This inventory representing production of a particular chemical compound is at least partially based on a generic model on the production of chemicals. The data generated by this model have been improved by compound-specific data when available. The model on production of chemicals is using specific industry or literature data wherever possible and more generic data on chemical production processes to fill compound-specific data gaps when necessary. The basic principles of the model have been published in literature (Hischier 2005, Establishing Life Cycle Inventories of Chemicals Based on Differing Data Availability). The model has been updated and extended with newly available data from the chemical industry. In the model, unreacted fractions are treated in a waste treatment process, and emissions reported are after a waste treatment process that is included in the scope of this dataset. For volatile reactants, a small level of evaporation is assumed. Solvents and catalysts are mostly recycled in closed-loop systems within the scope of the dataset and reported flows are for losses from this system. The main source of information for the values for heat, electricity, water (process and cooling), nitrogen, chemical factory is industry data from Gendorf. The values are a 5-year average of data (2011 - 2015) published by the Gendorf factory (Gendorf, 2016, Umwelterklärung, www.gendorf.de), (Gendorf, 2015, Umwelterklärung, www.gendorf.de), (Gendorf, 2014, Umwelterklärung, www.gendorf.de). The Gendorf factory is based in Germany, it produces a wide range of chemical substances. The factory produced 1657400 tonnes of chemical substances in the year 2015 (Gendorf, 2016, Umwelterklärung, www.gendorf.de) and 740000 tonnes of intermediate products. Reference(s): Hischier, R. (2005) Establishing Life Cycle Inventories of Chemicals Based on Differing Data Availability (9 pp). The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, Volume 10, Issue 1, pp 59–67. 10.1065/lca2004.10.181.7 Gendorf (2016) Umwelterklärung 2015, Werk Gendorf Industriepark, www.gendorf.de Tundo, P. and Selva, M. 2002. The Chemistry of Dimethyl Carbonate. Acc. Chem. Res. Vol.9, 35, pp. 706–716 For more information on the model please refer to the dedicate ecoinvent report, access it in the Report section of ecoQuery (http://www.ecoinvent.org/login-databases.html) technologyComment of oxidation of methanol (RER): Represents a current cross-section of actual plants in Europe. The inventory is based on 100% formaldehyde production. The inputs and outputs are an average of the Silver and Formox processes. Silver process: Initially, methanol is dehydrogenated and subsequently there is combustion of hydrogen overall resulting in the production of formaldehyde and water. The raction takes place with air over a crystalline silver catalyst. Formox process: Methanol is directly oxidized by air over a metal oxide catalyst at a temperature of 470 °C. excess heat is removed with an oil-transfer medium. The product gases are cooled, absorbed in water, and an aqueous 37% formaldehyde solution is obtained. (Wells, 1999) References: G. Margaret Wells, “Handbook of Petrochemicals and Processes”, 2nd edition, Ashgate, 1999 Althaus H.-J., Chudacoff M., Hischier R., Jungbluth N., Osses M. and Primas A. (2007) Life Cycle Inventories of Chemicals. Final report ecoinvent data v2.0 No. 8. Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH.
technologyComment of ethylene oxide production (RER): Ethylene is directly oxidized with air or oxygen in the presence of a catalyst to ethylene oxide (EO). About 40% of all European EO production is converted into glycols, globally the figure is about 70%. Usually, EO and MEG are produced together at integrated plants. Industrial production started in 1937 with a union Carbide process based on ethylene and air. In 1958 oxygen rather than air was instroduced by Shell Development Company, and today most processes are based on oxygen. Total European production was 3.4 million tons per year in 1997, while the US produced 5.2 million tons per year. Further production capacity of at least 1.2 million tons is reported from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Japan and South Korea giving a total of at least 9.8 million tons of ethylene oxide production worldwide. Ethylene oxide is a hydrocarbon compound made from ethylene and oxygen. Major manufacturers include Hoechst Celanese, Shell Chemical, and Union Carbide, among many others. EO is produced by passing a mixture of ethylene and oxygen over a solid silver-containing catalyst. Selectivity is improved by the addition of chlorine compounds such as chloroethane. Reaction conditions are temperatures of about 200 - 300 °C and a pressure of 10 – 30 bar. The main by-products are carbon dioxide and water, formed when ethylene is fully oxidised or some of the EO is further oxidised. Ethylene glycols are formed when the reactor gases are absorbed into chilled water. C2H4 + 1/2 O2 C2H4O (1) C2H4 O + H2O HO-C2H4-OH (2) C2H4 + 3 O2 2 CO2 + 2 H2O (3) (1) production of ethylene oxide (2) production of MEG from EO and water (3) production of carbon dioxide and water from oxidation of ethylene The carbon dioxide is removed from the scrubber by absorption with hot aqueous potassium carbonate, the resulting solution is steam stripped to remove the carbon dioxide, which is vented to air. The potassium carbonate is regenerated. The carbon dioxide can be reused for inerting, or is sold, or is vented to atmosphere. References: IPPC Chemicals, 2002. European Commission, Directorate General, Joint Research Center, “Reference Document on Best Available Techniques in the Large Volume Organic Chemical Industry”, February 2002. Wells, 1999. G. Margaret Wells, “Handbook of Petrochemicals and Processes”, 2nd edition, Ashgate, 1999
technologyComment of carbon black production (GLO): The most important production process used nowadays is the oil-furnace process – other processes like e.g. thermal or acetylene carbon black processes are only of minor interests and therefore not further examined within this study here. The oil-furnace process is, according to Voll and Kleinschmit (2010) and Dannenberg and Paquin (2000) a partial combustion process of liquid aromatic residual hydrocarbons. The principle is to atomize the feedstock into the reactor, where it is decomposed into carbon black and hydrogen due to the fact that the oxygen available is not sufficient for a combustion of all the input. The reactor temperature is in the order of 1200 to 1900 °C, achieved through the combustion of natural gas and of the unreacted feedstock. After the decomposition, a fast quenching has to be done to avoid the loss by reaction of carbon black with carbon dioxide and water. The further processing consists mainly of drying and separation from other substances like tail gases, through a filter system. This dataset describes the production of carbon black with the oil-furnace process, using natural gas as further energy input. The inventory is based on literature information about two different types of carbon black, as well as estimations based on industrial data. The emission amount is estimated while the composition is based on literature. References: Voll, M. and Kleinschmit, P. 2010. Carbon, 6. Carbon Black. Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Dannenberg E. M. and Paquin L. (2000) Carbon Black. In: Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, Fourth Edition, Electronic Release, 4 th Electronic Release Edition. Wiley InterScience, New York, Online-Version under: http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/kirk.
technologyComment of silicon production, electronics grade (DE, RoW): In practice, EG-silicon is a product from complex chemical production plants. The conventional route for production of EG-silicon comprises three process steps: 1) the MG-silicon is converted into a gas, either trichlorosilane (SiHCl3) or silane (SiH4), 2) this gas is purified by means of distillation, 3) silicon in solid form is deposited in a Siemens reactor. Reference: Jungbluth N., Stucki M, and Frischknecht R. (2009) Photovoltaics. In Dones, R. (Ed.) et al., Sachbilanzen von Energiesystemen: Grundlagen für den ökologischen Vergleich von Energiesystemen und den Einbezug von Energiesystemen in Ökobilanzen für die Schweiz. ecoinvent report No. 6-XII, Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Dübendorf, CH, 2009.