Early process design approaches for environmentally sustainable and cost-effective Camelina oil-based acrylic monomers production

Abstract

We integrated life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) in the initial phases of camelina oil-based acrylic monomers (CMMs) production, aiming to comprehensively evaluate their environmental performance and cost efficiency. The biogenic CO₂ sequestration associated with camelina cultivation played a key role in reducing the overall greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from CMM's production. Results showed that replacing dichloromethane with greener solvents alternatives, such as 2-methyltetrahydrofurane (Me-THF) and hexane, adressed not only environmental, health, and safety concerns but also improved yields by up to 9 %. The study also indicated the significance of recycling alternative solvents, demonstrating significant reductions in the environmental impacts, particularly in ozone and fossil fuel depletion categories. Despite variations in scenarios using alternative solvents, the minimum selling price (MSP) remained steady at approximately $61 per kg, maintaining competitiveness with petroleum-based alternative while offering a lower environmental footprint. The MSPs were primarily influenced by fluctuations in raw material prices and total capital investments, with only a moderate reductions observed as production scales up from 1.6 to 105 kton per year. Notably, this study demonstrated the viability of biobased monomers as alternatives to petroleum-based butyl acrylate, with a 23 % reduction in GHG emissions attributed to CO₂ sequestration during camelina cultivation. Additionally, solvents recycling significantly reduced most environmental impacts, achieving a 70 % and 12 % decrease in ozone depletion and fossil fuel depletion categories, respectively. Overall, these findings provide valuable insights for decision-making in the early design stages of the biobased acrylic monomers, emphasizing their potential for sustainable polymer development.