Issue 11, 2023

Synthetic amorphous silica: environmental impacts of current industry and the benefit of biomass-derived silica

Abstract

The production of Synthetic Amorphous Silica (SAS) is a billion-dollar industry. However, very little is shared publicly on the environmental impact of SAS production. This work provides the first complete treatment for the environmental impacts of SAS produced via the existing ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ industrial methods using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). To provide a more robust method, this includes an evaluation of 8 environmental impact indicators and consideration for uncertainty during process comparison. Predictions are then used to compare the impact of the existing dry and wet methods as well as theoretical methods in which rice husk (RH) is used as a biomass-derived feedstock alternative. Results highlight cases in which using RH as an alternative feedstock is likely to be beneficial. However, it is demonstrated that these benefits are highly dependent on specifics of the process, region, and feedstock characteristics rather than the inherent “green-ness” of RH alone. Findings are therefore of significance to those interested in the existing SAS industry and the sustainable development of SAS. Moreover, findings also have potential implications for wider policy.

Graphical abstract: Synthetic amorphous silica: environmental impacts of current industry and the benefit of biomass-derived silica

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
14 Apr 2022
Accepted
12 Aug 2022
First published
17 Aug 2022
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Green Chem., 2023,25, 4244-4259

Synthetic amorphous silica: environmental impacts of current industry and the benefit of biomass-derived silica

E. Errington, M. Guo and J. Y. Y. Heng, Green Chem., 2023, 25, 4244 DOI: 10.1039/D2GC01433E

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