Progress towards Sustainable Production: Environmental, Economic, and Social Assessments of the Cellulose Nanofiber Production Process

Abstract

Abstract:We assessed the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the process for producing cellulose nanofibers (CNFs), which are considered to be a valuable sustainable woody biomass feedstock. The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with CNF production are greater than the emissions associated with producing most plastic materials used in vehicle components because the grinding process during CNF production generates significant GHG emissions. The cost of CNF production is also higher than the cost of producing comparable plastics for automotive use because of the high cost of the pulverization process. The sensitivity analysis in this study suggested that GHG emissions and manufacturing costs could be reduced by 19.1-76.4% and 3.6-12.2%, respectively, by improving the energy efficiency of CNF production by two to five times. We compared the potential social risks associated with CNF production between Japan and Vietnam using a product social impact life cycle assessment database. It is desirable to reduce the social risk on the fair salary and child labor, and to improve the safe and healthy living conditions in the local communities that import wood chips harvested in Vietnam.

Life Cycle Assessment of Forest-Based Products: A Review

“…However, most studies consider pulp (kraft pulp or sulfite pulp) as feedstock to produce nanocellulose. Nanocellulose production from woody biomass requires a pulping process to dissolve lignin and hemicellulose [116,117]. Production of nanocellulose (without pre-treatment) is an energy-intensive process, where a large amount of electricity (~27 kWh/kg of nanocellulose) is consumed to break down the crystalline structure of cellulose and defibrillate individual fibers [113,122].…”

“…Without pre-treatment of pulp, microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) produced from kraft pulp or sulfite pulp requires about 12 to 70 and 27 kWh/kg of MFC, respectively [113]. Thermo-mechanical [116,117], chemical [115,118,119] and enzymatic [115,121] pre-treatments were proposed to pretreat the pulp/woody biomass to help free up the nanofibers and thus reduce the energy required in the process of nanocellulose extraction. The pre-treatment process (carboxymethylation and enzymatic) can drastically reduce the energy requirement of MFC production (0.5-1.5 kWh/kg of MFC) [113].…”

Comparative Study into the Environmental Impact of Traditional Clay Bricks and Mixed with a Biological Ingredient Using Life Cycle Analysis

“…In this line of research, similar studies have been carried out that applied the LCA technique to the production of cellulose nanofibers as an organic biofuel additive against the use of plastic materials, observing reductions in greenhouse gases by up to 75% and reducing production costs by 12%, as well as improving the energy efficiency of production between two and five times [22]. In addition, the LCA model is currently being applied in numerous studies like that of Tsinghua University to calculate fossil energy consumption in the life cycle and greenhouse gas emissions in China [23].…”

LCA Case Study to LED Outdoor Luminaries as a Circular Economy Solution to Local Scale

“…With such an expectation, many studies are being developed that apply the life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to analyze the environmental impacts caused in the manufacture of equipment. A product manufactured with the criteria of a low environmental impact can cause the reduction of greenhouse gases by up to 75%, the reduction of production costs by 12% and an improvement of 2-5 times in the energy efficiency of production [15]. In addition, the LCA model is currently being applied in numerous studies, such as one from Tsinghua University that aims to calculate the life cycle fossil energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in China [16].…”