Techno-economic risk assessment, life cycle analysis and life cycle costing for poly(butylene succinate) and poly(lactic acid) production using renewable resources

• Published in: The Science of the total environment 2022-02, Vol.806 (Pt 4), p.150594-150594, Article 150594
• Main Authors: Ioannidou, Sofia Maria, Ladakis, Dimitrios, Moutousidi, Eleni, Dheskali, Endrit, Kookos, Ioannis K., Câmara-Salim, Iana, Moreira, María Teresa, Koutinas, Apostolis
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Butylene Glycols; Humans; Life cycle assessment; Life cycle costing; Life Cycle Stages; Poly(butylene succinate); Poly(lactic acid); Polyesters; Polymers; Process design; Risk Assessment; Sugar beet pulp
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150594

The sustainable production of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) or poly(butylene succinate) (PBS) from corn glucose syrup, corn stover and sugar beet pulp (SBP) have been assessed via process design, preliminary techno-economic evaluation, life cycle assessment and life cycle costing (LCC). Cost-competitive PLA and PBS production can be achieved in a SBP-based biorefinery, including separation of crude pectin-rich extract as co-product, leading to minimum selling prices of $1.14/kgPLA and $1.37/kgPBS. Acidification Potential, Eutrophication Potential and Human Toxicity Potential are lower when SBP is used. The LCC of PLA ($1.42/kgPLA) and PBS ($1.72/kgPBS) production from SBP are lower than biaxial oriented polypropylene (BOPP, $1.66/kg) and general purpose polystyrene (GPPS, $2.04/kg) at pectin-rich extract market prices of $3/kg and $4/kg, respectively. Techno-economic risk assessment via Monte-Carlo simulations showed that PLA and PBS could be produced from SBP at the market prices of BOPP ($1.4/kg) and GPPS ($1.72/kg) with 100% probability to achieve a positive Net Present Value at pectin-rich extract market prices of $3/kg and $4/kg, respectively. This study demonstrated that SBP-based biorefinery development ensures sustainable production of PLA and PBS as compared to fossil-derived counterparts and single product bioprocesses using glucose syrup and corn stover. [Display omitted] •Biorefinery development using sugar beet pulp for sustainable PBS/PLA production•Techno-economic and LCA impact indicators were estimated.•Profitable biopolymer production at selling price equal to fossil counterparts•The life cycle cost of biopolymers was compared with their fossil counterparts.