Carbon Footprint Assessment of Both a Novel Household Pyrolysis Reactor with Six Series-Connected Condensers and Pyrolysis Oil Derived from Plastic Waste

Sommai Saramath; Jutaporn Chanathaworn; Chindamanee Pokson

doi:10.55003/ETH.420303

Authors

Sommai Saramath School of Renewable Energy, Maejo University, Thailand
Jutaporn Chanathaworn School of Renewable Energy, Maejo University, Thailand
Chindamanee Pokson School of Renewable Energy, Maejo University, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.55003/ETH.420303

Keywords:

Carbon footprint of product, Thermal decomposition, Greenhouse gases, Life cycle inventory

Abstract

The greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions assessment for the product life cycle was conducted within a Business–to–Customer (B2C) system boundary, covering all stages from raw material acquisition to end–of–life disposal. The study focused on a pyrolysis reactor and pyrolysis oil, with the functional unit defined as one pyrolysis reactor (302 kg) and 1 kg of pyrolysis oil. Total GHG emissions over the reactor’s life cycle reached 3,100.72 kgCO₂e, with the usage phase, assuming six years of operation, accounting for the majority at 2,973.24 kgCO₂e, mainly due to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) combustion as the primary fuel. Emissions from raw material acquisition amounted to 125.55 kgCO₂e, while the manufacturing phase contributed a minimal 1.10 kgCO₂e, primarily from electricity used in component assembly. The life cycle GHG emissions for pyrolysis oil totaled 6.08 kgCO₂e. The highest GHG emissions occurred during the usage phase, where pyrolysis oil replaced fuel oil in stationary combustion, contributing 56.13% of total emissions with 3.42 kgCO₂e. The second-largest source was raw material preparation, involving compression of polypropylene (PP) waste into densified form, which emitted 33.43% or 2.03 kgCO₂e, mainly due to electricity use. The pyrolysis process accounted for 10.44% or 0.63 kgCO₂e, primarily from LPG combustion. A small amount of CO₂ was also emitted from burning non-condensable combustible gases, which served as supplementary fuel in the process.

References

S. S. Hassan, G. A. Williams and A. K. Jaiswal, “Moving towards the second generation of lignocellulosic biorefineries in the EU: Drivers, challenges, and opportunities,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 101, pp. 590–599, 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2018.11.041.

P. Morone, A. Strzalkowski and A. Tani, “Biofuel transitions: An overview of regulations and standards for a more sustainable framework,” in Biofuels for a More Sustainable Future, Cambridge, MA, USA: Elsevier Inc., 2020, ch. 2, pp. 21–46.

M. Filonchyk, M. P. Peterson, L. Zhang, V. Hurynovich and Y. He, “Greenhouse gases emissions and global climate change: Examining the influence of CO2, CH2, and N2O,” Science of The Total Environment, vol. 935, 2024., Art. no. 173359, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173359.

Z. Liu, Z. Deng, S. J. Davis and P. Ciais, “Global carbon emissions in 2023,” nature reviews earth & environment, vol. 5, pp. 253–254, 2024, doi: 10.1038/s43017-024-00532-2.

P. Friedlingstein, M. O. Sullivan, M. W. Jones, R. M. Andrew, D. C. E. Bakker, J. Hauck, P. Landschützer, C. L. Quere, I. T. Luijkx, G. Peters, et al., “Global Carbon Budget 2023,” Earth System Science Data, vol. 15, no. 12, pp. 5301–5371, 2023, doi: 10.5194/essd-15-5301-2023.

S. Saramath and J. Chanathaworn, “Assessing GHG Emission Reductions for Organization Through the Installation of Solar PV Rooftop On–Grid System,” Engineering and Technology Horizons, vol. 41, no. 4, 2024, Art. no. 410401, doi: 10.55003/ETH.410401.

Y. Son, W. Ko, P. Ulrich, R. Sarilmis and H. Ehm, “Transportation Product Carbon Footprint: A Framework for Semiconductor Supply Chain,” in 2024 Winter Simulation Conference (WSC), San Diego, CA, USA, Dec. 15–18, 2024, pp. 1841–1852, doi: 10.1109/WSC63780.2024.10838806.

K. C. Khaire, V. S. Moholkar and A. Goyal, “Bioconversion of sugarcane tops to bioethanol and other value added products: An Overview,” Materials Science for Energy Technologies, vol. 4, pp. 54–68, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.mset.2020.12.004.

E. Kovacs, M. A. Hoaghia, L. Senila, D. A. Scurtu, C. Varaticeanu, C. Roman and D. E. Dumitras, “Life Cycle Assessment of Biofuels Production Processes in Viticulture in the Context of Circular Economy,” agronomy, vol. 12, no. 6, 2022, Art. no. 1320, doi: 10.3390/agronomy12061320.

P. Steele, M. E. Puettmann, V. K. Penmetsa and J. E. Cooper, “Life–Cycle Assessment of Pyrolysis Bio–Oil Production,” Forest Products Journal, vol. 62, no. 4, pp. 326–334, 2012.

H. Xu, L. Ou, Y. Li, T. R. Hawkins and M. Wang, “Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Biodiesel and Renewable Diesel Production in the United States,” Environmental Science & Technology, vol. 56, no. 12, p. 7512–7521, 2022, doi: 10.1021/acs.est.2c00289.

X. Luan, X.P. Kou, X. Cui, L. Chen, W.L. Xue, W. Liu and Z. Cui, “Greenhouse gas emissions associated with plastics in China from 1950 to 2060,” Resources, Conservation and Recycling, vol. 197, 2023, Art. no. 107089, doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2023.107089.

A. S. Pottinger, R. Geyer, N. Biyani, C. Martinez, N. Nathan, M. R. Morse, C. Liu, S. Hu, M. de Bruyn, C. Boettiger, et al., “Pathways to reduce global plastic waste mismanagement and greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” Science, vol. 386, no. 6726, pp. 1168–1173, 2024, doi: 10.1126/science.adr3837.

J. Petrik, H. C. Genuino, G. J. Kramer and L. Shen, “Pyrolysis of Dutch mixed plastic waste: Lifecycle GHG emissions and carbon recovery efficiency assessment,” Waste Management & Research, vol. 43, no. 8, pp. 1219–1233, 2025, doi: 11.1177/0734242X241306605.

T. Suchocki, “Sustainable Energy Application of Pyrolytic Oils from Plastic Waste in Gas Turbine Engines: Performance, Environmental, and Economic Analysis,” sustainability, vol. 16, no. 19, 2024, Art. no. 8566, doi: 10.3390/su16198566.

S. Saramath and J. Chanathaworn, “Influence of Waste Plastic Types on Product Yields through Pyrolysis Process Using a Novel Batch Reactor with a Fractional Condensation System,” Chiang Mai Journal of Science, vol. 51, no. 6, 2024, Art. no. e2024091, doi: 10.12982/CMJS.2024.091.

S. Saramath, J. Chanathaworn, C. Jaisin and S. Polvongsri, “Effect of Residence Time on Liquid Product Yield through a Designed Pyrolysis Reactor with Six Series–Connected Condensers,” Engineering and Technology Horizons, vol. 41, no. 4, 2024, Art. no. 410407, doi: 10.55003/ETH.410407.

M. Z. Hauschild, “Introduction to LCA Methodology,” in Life Cycle Assessment, M. Z. Hauschild, R. K. Rosenbaum and S. Olsen, Eds. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2018, pp. 59–66.

I. V. Muralikrishna and V. Manickam, “Life Cycle Assessment,” in Environmental Management: Science and Engineering for Industry, Oxford, UK: Butterworth–Heinemann, 2017, ch. 5, pp. 57–75.

A. E. Fenner, C. J. Kibert, J. Woo, S. Morque, M. Razkenari, H. Hakim and X. S. Lu, “The carbon footprint of buildings: A review of methodologies and applications,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 94, pp. 1142–1152, 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2018.07.012.

S. Sampattagula, P. Nutongkaew and T. Kiatsiriroat, “Life Cycle Assessment of Palm Oil Biodiesel Production in Thailand,” Journal of Renewable Energy and Smart Grid Technology, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 1–14, 2011.

Greenhouse gases — Carbon footprint of products — Requirements and guidelines for quantification, ISO 14067:2018, International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switzerland, 2018.

R. Pan, M. F. Martins and G. Debenest, “Pyrolysis of waste polyethylene in a semi–batch reactor to produce liquid fuel: Optimization of operating conditions,” Energy Conversion and Management, vol. 237, 2021, Art. no. 114114, doi: 10.1016/j.enconman.2021.114114.

H. Khair, B. Listiany and R. Utami, “Pyrolysis of Polypropylene Plastic Waste: An Analysis of Oil Quantity, Density, Viscosity, and Calorific Value,” IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, vol. 1268, no. 1, 2023, Art. no. 012056, doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/1268/1/012056.

T. Tapanadilok, S. Tuprakay, C. Pooworakulchai, T. Snongtaweeporn and M. Ratcha, “Carbon Footprint Assessment of a Product: A Case Study of Oil Production Using Pyrolysis Technology Process,” Journal of Health and Environmental Education, vol. 8, no. 4, pp. 38–45, 2023.