Life cycle assessment of polycarbonate production: Proposed optimization toward sustainability

Zhou, Xinying; Zhai, Yijie; Ren, Ke; Cheng, Ziyue; Shen, Xiaoxu; Zhang, Tianzuo; Bai, Yueyang; Jia, Yuke; Hong, Jinglan

doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106765

Cited by 25 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…198 In both cases, BPA production is a key driver of environmentally detrimental impacts. 199 The motivation to recycle BPA-PC is clear: to reduce environmental release of bisphenol A. Significant evidence indicates that bisphenol A is toxic and of environmental concern.…”

Section: Polycarbonatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Depolymerization within a Circular Plastics System

Clark,

Shaver

2024

Chem. Rev.

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The societal importance of plastics contrasts with the carelessness with which they are disposed. Their superlative properties lead to economic and environmental efficiency, but the linearity of plastics puts the climate, human health, and global ecosystems at risk. Recycling is fundamental to transitioning this linear model into a more sustainable, circular economy. Among recycling technologies, chemical depolymerization offers a route to virgin quality recycled plastics, especially when valorizing complex waste streams poorly served by mechanical methods. However, chemical depolymerization exists in a complex and interlinked system of end-of-life fates, with the complementarity of each approach key to environmental, economic, and societal sustainability. This review explores the recent progress made into the depolymerization of five commercial polymers: poly(ethylene terephthalate), polycarbonates, polyamides, aliphatic polyesters, and polyurethanes. Attention is paid not only to the catalytic technologies used to enhance depolymerization efficiencies but also to the interrelationship with other recycling technologies and to the systemic constraints imposed by a global economy. Novel polymers, designed for chemical depolymerization, are also concisely reviewed in terms of their underlying chemistry and potential for integration with current plastic systems.

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Section: Polycarbonatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two commercial BPA-PC production methods exist (Scheme ): polycondensation of bisphenol-A (BPA) with phosgene or melt polycondensation of BPA with diphenyl carbonate . In both cases, BPA production is a key driver of environmentally detrimental impacts …”

Section: Polycarbonatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Depolymerization within a Circular Plastics System

Clark,

Shaver

2024

Chem. Rev.

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“…18 PC plastics are commonly synthesized by phosgene and nonphosgene methods. 19,20 To solve the toxicity problem of bisphenol A, biobased PC has emerged by replacing bisphenol A with isosorbide produced from biomass. 21 On the whole, it seems that biobased plastics can replace petroleumbased plastics in greenhouse applications.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Primary Energy Demand of Agricultural Greenhouse Plastics: Proposed Optimization toward Agricultural Plastic Sustainability

Zhang,

Kang,

Jiang

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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The agricultural greenhouse plastics have resulted in significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and primary energy demand (PED), hindering the achievement of agricultural plastics sustainability and energy conservation and emission reduction policies. Starting from three sustainability measures, this paper quantified the impacts of raw material selection, management measures, and green energy use on GHG emissions and PED for 6 petroleum-based plastics and 17 biobased plastics used in plastic greenhouse systems and analyzed their uncertainties using Monte Carlo simulation. The results demonstrated that any of the three measures could effectively reduce the environmental impact of agricultural greenhouse plastics, but the combination of the three measures changed the optimal choice of waste plastic management measures. Specifically, waste biobased plastics with negative GHG emissions in the production process could be treated in landfills to achieve optimal carbon reduction effects. Moreover, the utilization of low-carbon electricity significantly reduces the environmental benefits associated with incineration power generation.

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“…8−10 The obtention and repurpose of r-BPA could relax the utilization of fossil-based raw chemicals, promote the recyclability of similar plastics, and consequently, dramatically reduce the BPA environmental impact. 11 A complementary strategy to prevent BPA-derived waste could involve using biobased alternatives to produce more sustainable epoxy resin, which is vital for a material industry in continuous expansion. 1 From the perspective of chemical structure similarity with BPA, biobased small molecules such as eugenol and vanillin have been proposed as suitable candidates, 12−15 but their high obtention price, availability and modification process limit the upscaling production.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The principal limitations involve the purity of the waste material, solubility, accessibility to the internal structure, and capability to break the targeted bonds. , Polycarbonates from transparent screens and plates produced globally in large scale, especially during the COVID restrictions period, represented the perfect material candidates to attempt this chemical recycle methodology . Thus, our group was motivated to efficiently produce high-quality recycled BPA (r-BPA) from polycarbonate waste, considering previously reported methodologies. − The obtention and repurpose of r-BPA could relax the utilization of fossil-based raw chemicals, promote the recyclability of similar plastics, and consequently, dramatically reduce the BPA environmental impact …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hardener-Dependent Properties of Twice Renewable Epoxy Resins Combining Tailored Lignin Fractions and Recycled BPA

Comí,

Van Ballaer,

Gracia-Vitoria

et al. 2024

ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng.

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The use of biosourced and/or recycled raw materials represents a promising strategy for making the polymer industry more renewable. In this context, both biobased lignin fractions and chemically recycled bisphenol A (r-BPA) have been independently considered as promising renewable alternatives to aromatic fossil monomers. Here, renewable thermosetting epoxies were designed by combining tailored lignin fractions and r-BPA, while the influence of several hardeners on the physical structure and properties of the obtained resins was systematically investigated. To do so, the phenolic groups of r-BPA derived from polycarbonate waste and solvent-extracted Kraft lignin (EKL) were both glycidylated with epichlorohydrin. This led to the renewable epoxy precursors r-BPA diglycidyl ether (r-DGEBA) and glycidylated extracted Kraft lignin, respectively. Twenty different formulations were then designed by tailoring the structural parameters of the resins, such as the hardener length and functionality, the epoxide/hardener (E/H) ratio, and the lignin content. The thermomechanical properties were investigated and the structure−property relationships established, highlighting the excellent and tunable performance of these renewable epoxies. Finally, flexible coatings were produced with lower cross-link density formulations that demonstrated excellent performance, even with 30% of lignin content. Overall, our results show how biobased and recycled aromatic building blocks could be combined for the design of epoxy resins with superior properties in both sustainable and technical terms.

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Life cycle assessment of polycarbonate production: Proposed optimization toward sustainability

Cited by 25 publications

References 40 publications

Depolymerization within a Circular Plastics System

Depolymerization within a Circular Plastics System

Life-Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Primary Energy Demand of Agricultural Greenhouse Plastics: Proposed Optimization toward Agricultural Plastic Sustainability

Hardener-Dependent Properties of Twice Renewable Epoxy Resins Combining Tailored Lignin Fractions and Recycled BPA

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