Environmental life-cycle assessment and green principles in process intensification: A review of novel catalysts from solid waste

Abstract

The development of novel catalysts from solid waste has become a key strategy in sustainable research. This review focuses on the environmental life-cycle assessment (LCA) of waste-derived catalysts, highlighting their role in process intensification and alignment with green chemistry principles. LCA is crucial for evaluating the environmental, socioeconomic, and design implications of catalyst production from waste materials. The continuous disposal of solid waste contributes to rising energy demands, environmental degradation, and human health risks, which underscores the need for efficient, green solutions. This review examines the evolution of waste-derived heterogeneous catalysts, emphasizing their significance in the circular economy and sustainable practices. The impact of analytical and physico-chemical properties on both conventional and intensified processes is explored, with reaction time and temperature identified as critical parameters in catalyst synthesis. Conventional catalyst production, often involving high temperatures (>600 to <900°C) and long reaction times (4–5 hours), is energy intensive. However, process intensification, reducing these conditions to <100°C and <100 minutes, offers a sustainable alternative by minimizing energy consumption while maintaining catalyst performance. This review also compares various analytical techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and density functional theory, to assess the effectiveness of catalysts produced through intensified methods. The findings suggest that intensified synthesis processes yield results comparable to traditional methods, demonstrating their potential to reduce energy demand and promote sustainability in catalyst production from solid waste.