7 Life Cycle Assessment of Acrylic Fibre and Garment
in Thailand
A case study is presented that aims first at the quantification of environmental
impacts by LCA according to ISO 14040/44 standard [6, 7], for one tonne of
Acrylic Fibre manufactured at Thai Acrylic Fibre Co. Ltd, i.e. cradle to gate study,
and then for one piece of Acrylic Garment of 450 g throughout the entire life cycle,
i.e. cradle to grave study with 100 washes. Acrylonitrile, electricity and steam
consumption were identified as major hot-spots in the value chain across the various
identified environmental impacts. Use-stage electricity and water consumption are
also hot-spots in cradle to grave study. This information is used for the development
of a report for communication to stakeholders. Improvements are possible in the
captive power plant efficiency, the steam and electricity consumption in polymerisation, the solvent recovery and the wet-spinning processes. Scenarios of different usages of acrylonitrile produced through the propane route will be analysed
in the future to further understand the processes and improve them [8].
8 Conclusions
The presentations provided a good overview of how Life Cycle Assessment is used
to assess chemical products and materials and which challenges exist with regard to
the data exchange along the value chain. The session shows how companies use
LCA results to improve the chemical products in their journey towards sustainability, in which they use life cycle management. Some presentations also gave an
insight in the progress made in the quality and the possibilities of preparing LCIs of
chemical products and materials.
Overall, including also poster presentations, it can be said that the chemicals
industry has achieved an important degree of maturity in implementing life cycle
management since the beginning of this century. In the future it can be expected
that the data exchange along the value chain will be further improved, using as an
example the established exchange of toxicity information stemming from risk
assessment.
References
1. Smith R-L, Meyer D-E, Ruiz-Mercado G-J, Gonzalez M-A, Abraham J-P, Barrett W-M,
Randall P-M, Niblick B, Mittal V-K, Rapid Estimation of Life Cycle Inventory, LCM 2017
conference, Luxembourg, 2017.
2. Wernet G, Levova T, Bourgault G, Current models and approaches for data matching and
modeling of chemical production, LCM 2017 conference, Luxembourg, 2017.
Improving the Life Cycle Performance of Chemical Products …
99
in Thailand
A case study is presented that aims first at the quantification of environmental
impacts by LCA according to ISO 14040/44 standard [6, 7], for one tonne of
Acrylic Fibre manufactured at Thai Acrylic Fibre Co. Ltd, i.e. cradle to gate study,
and then for one piece of Acrylic Garment of 450 g throughout the entire life cycle,
i.e. cradle to grave study with 100 washes. Acrylonitrile, electricity and steam
consumption were identified as major hot-spots in the value chain across the various
identified environmental impacts. Use-stage electricity and water consumption are
also hot-spots in cradle to grave study. This information is used for the development
of a report for communication to stakeholders. Improvements are possible in the
captive power plant efficiency, the steam and electricity consumption in polymerisation, the solvent recovery and the wet-spinning processes. Scenarios of different usages of acrylonitrile produced through the propane route will be analysed
in the future to further understand the processes and improve them [8].
8 Conclusions
The presentations provided a good overview of how Life Cycle Assessment is used
to assess chemical products and materials and which challenges exist with regard to
the data exchange along the value chain. The session shows how companies use
LCA results to improve the chemical products in their journey towards sustainability, in which they use life cycle management. Some presentations also gave an
insight in the progress made in the quality and the possibilities of preparing LCIs of
chemical products and materials.
Overall, including also poster presentations, it can be said that the chemicals
industry has achieved an important degree of maturity in implementing life cycle
management since the beginning of this century. In the future it can be expected
that the data exchange along the value chain will be further improved, using as an
example the established exchange of toxicity information stemming from risk
assessment.
References
1. Smith R-L, Meyer D-E, Ruiz-Mercado G-J, Gonzalez M-A, Abraham J-P, Barrett W-M,
Randall P-M, Niblick B, Mittal V-K, Rapid Estimation of Life Cycle Inventory, LCM 2017
conference, Luxembourg, 2017.
2. Wernet G, Levova T, Bourgault G, Current models and approaches for data matching and
modeling of chemical production, LCM 2017 conference, Luxembourg, 2017.
Improving the Life Cycle Performance of Chemical Products …
99