Region-Specific Sourcing of Lignocellulose Residues as Renewable Feedstocks for a Net-Zero Chemical Industry.

Biobased chemicals, crucial for the net-zero chemical industry, rely on lignocellulose residues as a major feedstock. However, its availability and environmental impacts vary greatly across regions. By 2050, we estimate that 3.

Economic and Environmental Competitiveness of Ethane-Based Technologies for Vinyl Chloride Synthesis.

The synthesis of the vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), employed to manufacture poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) plastic, primarily relies on oil-derived ethylene, resulting in high costs and carbon footprint. Natural gas-derived ethane in VCM synthesis has long been considered a transformative feedstock to lower emissions and expenses. In this work, we evaluate the environmental potential and economics of recently developed catalytic ethane chlorination technologies for VCM synthesis.

Reaction-Induced Formation of Stable Mononuclear Cu(I)Cl Species on Carbon for Low-Footprint Vinyl Chloride Production.

Copper catalysts are attractive candidates for Hg-free vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) production via acetylene hydrochlorination due to their non-toxic nature and high stability. However, the optimal architecture for Cu-based catalysts at the nanoscale is not yet fully understood. To address this gap, the metal precursor and the annealing temperature are modified to prepare copper nanoparticles or single atoms, either in chlorinated or ligand-free form, on an unmodified carbon support.

Navigating within the Safe Operating Space with Carbon Capture On-Board.

Despite the global pandemic that recently affected human and cargo transportation, the emissions of the maritime sector are projected to keep growing steadily. The International Maritime Organization focused on boosting the fleets' efficiency to improve their environmental performance, while more sustainable fuels are currently under investigation. Here, we assess the economic, technical, and environmental feasibility of an interim solution for low-carbon shipping using state-of-the-art CO capture technology, namely, chemical absorption, on-board cargo ships.

Economic and Environmental Barriers of CO-Based Fischer-Tropsch Electro-Diesel.

Electro-fuels are seen as a promising alternative to curb carbon emissions in the transport sector due to their appealing properties, similar to those of their fossil counterparts, allowing them to use current infrastructure and state-of-the-art automotive technologies. However, their broad implications beyond climate change remain unclear as previous studies mainly focused on analyzing their carbon footprint. To fill this gap, here, we evaluated the environmental and economic impact of Fischer-Tropsch electro-diesel (FT e-diesel) synthesized from electrolytic H and captured CO.