Life cycle assessment of acetylene production from calcium carbide and methane in China. (1st November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Suisui; Li, Jingying; Li, Gang; Nie, Yan; Qiang, Luyao; Bai, Boyang; Ma, Xiaoxun
• Is Part Of: Journal of cleaner production. Volume 322(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-11-01
• Subjects: Life cycle assessment -- Acetylene -- Calcium carbide -- Methane -- Environmental impact; Factory and trade waste -- Management -- Periodicals; Manufactures -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Déchets industriels -- Gestion -- Périodiques; Usines -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; 628.5
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129055
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-6526

Abstract

Abstract: Currently, resource and environmental issues are becoming increasingly prominent, and human populations are facing many challenges from this perspective. Acetylene is an important raw material in China's national economy, but previous studies on the environmental performance of its production process were not sufficiently comprehensive. In this study, a life cycle assessment was conducted, using the CML 2001 method, to evaluate the environmental impact of acetylene production using the calcium carbide, methane partial oxidation, and methane plasma methods. At the same time, the impacts of technology improvements, energy substitution, and policy planning on the environmental performance of the three acetylene production methods were studied. The results showed that under the current electric power generation structure, the partial oxidation method exhibited the best environmental performance, followed by the plasma method. With increasing use of renewable energy in China, the plasma method will eventually have more advantages than the partial oxidation method, in terms of its environmental credentials; the environmental performance gap between the calcium carbide method and the other two methods will gradually narrow. The purposes of this study were to compare the environmental performance of these three acetylene production methods, to find ways to reduce the environmental burdens of acetylene production, and to provide a reference for the sustainable development of the acetylene industry in China. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Life cycle analysis of acetylene production were performed. Electricity has the most significant impact on acetylene production. The use of oil quenching is beneficial to reduce the environmental burdens. The effect of policy planning on the environmental performance was conducted.