Life Cycle Assessment of Acrylic Fibre and
Garment in Thailand
Thai Acrylic Fibre Co. Ltd., Aditya Birla Group, India
Dr Jagadish Barik, Chief Sustainability Officer, Thai Acrylic Co. Ltd, Thailand
Dr Rajesh K Singh, Managing Director, thinkstep Sustainability Solutions Pvt. Ltd., India
Session TU-303: Improving the life cycle performance of chemical products
and materials through data exchange along the value chain
LCM 2017, 5th Sept Luxembourg
Aditya Birla Group
• 41 billion USD Indian Multinational, operating in 36
countries, 120000 employee with 42 nationals
• India largest and most reputed and league of fortune 500
• Metal, Mining, Carbon black, textile, chemicals, acrylic,
Insulators, financial services, VSF, Cement, telecom,
fashion and Retail sector
• World largest aluminum rolling company and Novelis being
world largest aluminum recycling facility
• World largest in Carbon black and Viscose Staple Fibre
• Among the top 5 cement players globally
• Globally 4th largest in acrylic fibre and insulators
229.11.2017
Goal and Scope
Quantification of environmental impacts for:
• One tonne of Acrylic Fiber (3 denier regular birlacril bright
and semidull Staple Acrylic Fibre )
• Manufactured at Thai Acrylic Fibre Co. Ltd., Saraburi,
Thailand (cradle to gate)
• One piece of Acrylic Garment entire life cycle i.e. cradle to
grave (450 grams), 100 washes
• Life Cycle Assessment’ as per ISO 14040/44 standard.
• Hot-spot analysis in the value chain (raw materials,
manufacturing, transport, packaging, use nd end of life)
across the various identified environmental impacts
• Development of LCA Report for Communication to
stakeholders
329.11.2017
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System Boundary
Acrylic Fibre (Cradle to Gate)
5
System Boundary
Acrylic Garment (Cradle to Grave)
6
(Cradle to Gate)Source wise environmental impacts breakup
Environmental Impacts1 tonne of Acrylic Fibre
7
(Cradle to Gate)
Environmental Impacts1 tonne of Acrylic Fibre
Unit process wise environmental impacts breakup
Life Cycle Impacts (CML) Total Dope Making Polymerization Solvent
Recovery
Textile- Wet
Spinning
Abiotic Depletion (ADP elements)
[kg Sb-Equiv.]
0.001 - 0.001 - -
Acidification Potential (AP) [kg
SO2-Equiv.]
32.7 1.6 17.7 4.1 9.0
Eutrophication Potential (EP) [kg
Phosphate-Equiv.]
3.2 0.09 2.3 0.2 0.6
Global Warming Potential (GWP
100 years) [kg CO2-Equiv.]
9428.8 389.3 5889.5 990.3 2159.6
Human Toxicity Potential (HTP
inf.) [kg DCB-Equiv.]
156.4 4.2 112.2 11.3 28.5
Photochem. Ozone Creation
Potential (POCP) [kg Ethene-
Equiv.]
2.6 0.08 1.9 0.2 0.4
Terrestric Ecotoxicity Potential
(TETP inf.) [kg DCB-Equiv.]
5.2 0.04 1.4 0.1 3.6
Primary energy demand (net cal.
value) [MJ]
164421.5 4731.8 121048.2 12015.9 26625.5
Blue water consumption [kg] 38924.1 1005.1 26727.7 3921.3 7269.9
8
(Cradle to Gate)
Environmental Impacts1 tonne of Acrylic Fibre
Electricity; 315,62 Electricity; 362,04 Electricity; 453,81Steam ; 322,13
Steam ; 1442,80
Steam ; 619,19
Steam ; 1652,01
Acrylonitrile; 3859,00
Vinyl acetate; 186,10
-1000
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
Dope Making Polymerization Solvent Recovery Textile- Wet Spinning
Life phase wise GWP breakup for 1 ton of fibre [kg CO2-Equiv.]
9
(Cradle to Grave)
Environmental Impacts1 pc of Acrylic Garment
Source wise environmental impacts breakup
74,39%
32,43%
57,28%
68,67%
68,26%
44,84%
11,13%
91,49%
14,90%
57,09%
18,64%
28,91%
20,56%
93,41%
37,80%
84,29%
10,35%
7,93%
22,97%
10,86%
16,77%
-20% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
Abiotic Depletion (ADP elements) [kg Sb-Equiv.]
Acidification Potential (AP) [kg SO2-Equiv.]
Eutrophication Potential (EP) [kg Phosphate-Equiv.]
Global Warming Potential (GWP 100 years) [kg CO2-Equiv.]
Human Toxicity Potential (HTP inf.) [kg DCB-Equiv.]
Photochem. Ozone Creation Potential (POCP) [kg Ethene-…
Terrestric Ecotoxicity Potential (TETP inf.) [kg DCB-Equiv.]
Primary energy demand (net cal. value) [MJ]
Blue water consumption [kg]
Abiotic Depletion(ADP elements)[kg Sb-Equiv.]
AcidificationPotential (AP) [kg
SO2-Equiv.]
EutrophicationPotential (EP) [kg
Phosphate-Equiv.]
Global WarmingPotential (GWP100 years) [kgCO2-Equiv.]
Human ToxicityPotential (HTPinf.) [kg DCB-
Equiv.]
Photochem.Ozone CreationPotential (POCP)
[kg Ethene-Equiv.]
TerrestricEcotoxicity
Potential (TETPinf.) [kg DCB-
Equiv.]
Primary energydemand (net cal.
value) [MJ]
Blue waterconsumption [kg]
Electricity 6,38% 74,39% 32,43% 57,28% 68,67% 68,26% 6,07% 44,84% 11,13%
EoL 0,13% 0,10% 0,89% 0,26% 0,06% 0,23% 0,26% 0,22% 0,00%
Packaging 0,05% 0,02% 0,02% 0,07% 0,02% 0,05% 0,03% 0,10% 0,01%
Process 0,00% 0,00% 0,33% 0,00% 0,00% 0,00% 0,00% 0,00% 1,49%
Raw Materials 91,49% 14,90% 57,09% 18,64% 28,91% 20,56% 93,41% 37,80% 84,29%
Steam 1,35% 10,35% 7,93% 22,97% 2,16% 10,86% 0,14% 16,77% 0,71%
Transport 0,00% 0,09% 0,14% 0,08% 0,04% -0,29% 0,00% 0,06% 0,00%
Waste Disposal 0,60% 0,14% 1,18% 0,69% 0,15% 0,33% 0,10% 0,23% 2,37%
Electricity EoL Packaging Process Raw Materials Steam Transport Waste Disposal
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(Cradle to Grave)
Environmental Impacts1 pc of Acrylic Garment
Unit process wise environmental impacts breakup
Life Cycle Impacts (CML) TOTAL
Acrylic
Garment
Production
Transport
(To Use)
Garment
Use
Transport
(To
Disposal)
Garment
Disposal
Abiotic Depletion (ADP elements) [kg Sb-
Equiv.]4.84E-06 1.48E-06 4.99E-11 3.35E-06 4.99E-11 6.28E-09
Acidification Potential (AP) [kg SO2-Equiv.] 9.33E-02 3.58E-02 2.73E-05 5.73E-02 2.73E-05 9.52E-05
Eutrophication Potential (EP) [kg
Phosphate-Equiv.]9.94E-03 3.14E-03 8.86E-05 6.70E-03 4.32E-06 4.32E-06
Global Warming Potential (GWP 100 years)
[kg CO2-Equiv.]12.67 7.76 3.29E-03 4.86 3.29E-03 0.03
Human Toxicity Potential (HTP inf.) [kg
DCB-Equiv.]1.80 0.46 2.11E-04 1.34 2.11E-04 0.00
Photochem. Ozone Creation Potential
(POCP) [kg Ethene-Equiv.]0.005185 0.002461 -4.8E-06 0.002722 -4.8E-06 1.18E-05
Terrestric Ecotoxicity Potential (TETP inf.)
[kg DCB-Equiv.]0.25 0.02 2.20E-06 0.23 2.20E-06 6.46E-04
Primary energy demand (net cal. value) [MJ] 238.2 133.3 0.05 104.2 0.05 0.52
Blue water consumption [kg] 547.1 39.4 7.77E-03 507.6 7.77E-03 1.35E-03
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(Cradle to Grave)
Environmental Impacts1 pc of Acrylic Garment
Value Chain Assessment
22,99%
1,52% 3,87%8,43%
5,74%
11,83%
5,26%1,65% 0,03%
38,39%
0,03% 0,26%0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
Global Warming Potential- 1 piece of Acrylic Garment (Cradle to grave) [kg CO2-Equiv.]
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(Cradle to Grave)
Environmental Impacts1 pc of Acrylic Garment
Electricity ; 0,16 Electricity ; 0,18
Electricity ; 0,22
Electricity ; 0,40
Steam ; 0,71
Steam ; 0,16Steam ; 0,31
Steam ; 0,82Landfill (plastics); 0,03
Electricity grid ; 0,70 Electricity
grid ; 0,46
Electricity grid ; 0,13
Electricity grid ; 4,97
Acrylonitrile (AN); 1,91
Tap water; 0,25
Steam (NG); 0,91
-1
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
Polymerization Dope Making SolventRecovery
Textile- WetSpinning (with
packaging)
Yarn Spinning Yarn Dyeing Knitting andLinking
Washing
Acrylic Garment Production Transport (ToUse)
Garment Use Transport (ToDisposal)
GarmentDisposal
Life phase wise GWP breakup for one pc of garment [kg CO2-Equiv.]
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Conclusion
• LCI profile of acrylic fibre for the specific process
has been developed using actual plant data
• Acrylonitrile, electricity and steam consumption are
major hot-spots
• Improvement in captive power plant efficiency
• Improvement in steam and electricity consumption
in polymerisation, solvent recovery and wet-
spinning processes.
• Use stage electricity and water consumption are
also hot-spots in cradle to grave
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Future Scope
Scenarios for usage of AN produced through propane
route will be analysed in future to understand the
following aspects :
• SOHIO process propylene ammoxidation route versus
Propane route.
• Yield of Propane based production route in comparison to
SOHIO process.
• Advantage over propylene (difference between propylene
and propane)
• Fractional distillation of petroleum versus propylene goes
through cracking or catalytic dehydrogenation.
• Ammonia and electricity consumption in both process
Thank you For Your Kind
Attention
thinkstep Sustainability Solutions Pvt Limited, a subsidiary of
thinkstep AG Germany
Andheri Kurla Road, Andheri East,
Mumbai, India 400059
Phone +91 22 42667693
Website: www.thinkstep.com
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