A modeling framework to identify environmentally greener and lower-cost pathways of nanomaterials

Abstract

Producing environmentally benign and economically viable nanomaterials is critical for large-scale applications in energy and other industries. This study presents a modeling framework to identify environmentally greener and lower-cost pathways of large-scale nanomaterial production, which encompasses life cycle assessment, Green Chemistry principles, techno-economic analysis, and eco-efficiency analysis. The framework is demonstrated by case studies of cellulose nanomaterials produced in the U.S. For cellulose nanocrystals, the framework identifies pathways that simultaneously reduce the life-cycle global warming potential (GWP) from 17.7 to 2.6 kgCO₂e per dry kg cellulose nanocrystals and the minimum selling price (MSP) from US$7540 to US$4587 per dry t cellulose nanocrystals. For cellulose nanofibrils, the strategies present trade-offs of reducing GWP from 7.8 to 0.1 kgCO₂e per dry kg cellulose nanofibrils but increasing MSP slightly from US$2873 to US$2985 per dry t cellulose nanofibrils. Eco-efficiency analysis quantifies the magnitudes of co-benefits and trade-offs between the environmental and economic performance of different production strategies and supports decision making for sustainability-informed process optimization.