EPD H2O2-Eka Chemicals
EPD H2O2-Eka Chemicals
EPD H2O2-Eka Chemicals
figures include all production processes but the results have been recalculated as 100% product and are given as an average for Eka Chemicals production in Sweden and Norway. The average is weighted according to production volumes from the plants. Since the product is sold as a water solution it is very important to notice the concentration referred to. Hydrogen peroxide from Eka Chemicals contains max 500 mg/kg stabiliser and 30-95 wt% water. Hydrogen peroxide (100%) is classified and labelled corrosive and oxidising.
Table 1 Declaration of content and labelling Category of Symbol danger letters Hydrogen Corrosive, C, O peroxide Oxidising Stabiliser Water R8: Contact with combustible material may cause fire R34: Causes burns
The company
Akzo Nobel serves customers throughout the world with healthcare products, coatings, and chemicals. Akzo Nobel run operations in 80 countries and has about 70,000 employees. Eka Chemicals, who manufactures hydrogen peroxide, is a Business Unit within Akzo Nobel and has 3000 employees in 30 countries. The headquarters are located in Bohus, just north of Gothenburg, Sweden. Eka Chemicals is a supplier of chemicals for pulp bleaching processes and paper manufacturing but also markets chemicals for certain speciality applications as well as fine chemicals.
The data used were collected for year 2000 and others are said to be valid for that time according to suppliers. Site-specific data have been retrieved for all major raw materials or have been guaranteed to correspond with site-specific data according to suppliers. In this study economical allocation has been the base for calculations, meaning the environmental load from a production has been divided according to economical value of the products produced. From the hydrogen peroxide production no by-products are produced and there is no need for any allocations in that specific process.
Table 3 Renewable resources Without energy kg With energy content content Hydro energy Biomass Wind energy
MJ 4400 50 1
The net electricity consumption is not a resource use since the resources used for, and emissions and waste derived from, electricity production are included in the other displayed figures. It simply displays how much electricity that has been consumed within the system studied. Within the system 1-2 MWh has been consumed.
Table 4 Electricity sources Electricity production source Hydro power Nuclear power Natural gas Biofuel Coal Unspecified % 64 35 <0,5 <0,5 <0,5 <0,5 Note that energy is not the same as electricity. For example nuclear energy is a measure of the total energy content in the uranium fuel in the same way as crude oil is a measure of energy content. Hence nuclear energy is not the same as nuclear electricity (here named Nuclear power), like crude oil is not the same as electricity produced from oil.
Unspecified means that the electricity grid is not known and is represented by a mix of electricity production sources.
In accordance with the guidelines for EPDs, the most important air and water emissions are expressed both as inventory data and as influence on different environmental impact categories. The result is displayed below.
Table 5 Emissions to air Emissions to air CO2 HC NOx SO2 Particles CH4 CO Hg g 371 000 640 400 180 90 70 50 0,002 Table 6 Emissions to water Emissions to water COD NaCl N total Hg g 190 80 0,5 3,1E-05
kg 116 0,14
Table 8 Emissions, expressed in terms of environmental impact Category of impact Equivalent unit Impact Global warming (GWP) g CO2 373200 + Acidification (AP) mole H 14 Ozone depletion (ODP) g CFC-11 0,004 Photochemical ozone g ethene 230 creation (POCP) Eutrophication (EP) g O2 2600
An explanation of these impact categories is found at the end of this EPD.
Some of the emissions presented as special parameters have indexes in the different impact categories and are therefore influencing them. The environmental flows shown are in some cases demanded by the ProductSpecific Requirements (PSR) for chemical products. In other cases they are displayed because they are considered to be significant for the production of hydrogen peroxide.
The means of transport are approximated with a train transport, a truck transport and a ship transport. 1. The train is a Swedish electric train. 2. The truck has a maximum weight of 60 ton, a Euro III engine and is using EC1-diesel. The loading factor is 50%. 3. The ship has a maximum weight of more than 8000 ton and a loading factor of 50-60%.
Other information
More information about environmental product declarations - the EPD system can be found on the Internet: http://www.environdec.com References LCA documentation for hydrogen peroxide, 2002 Product-Specific Requirements Chemical Products, (PSR 2000:5) Requirements for Environmental Product Declarations, EPD (MSR 1999:2) an application of ISO TR 14025.
Glossary Acidification potential, AP. Chemical alternation of the environment, resulting in hydrogen ions being produced more rapidly than they are dispersed or neutralised. Occurs mainly through fallout of sulphur and nitrogen compounds from combustion processes. Acidification can be harmful to terrestrial and aquatic life. Eutrophication potential, EP. Enrichment of bodies of water by nitrates and phosphates from organic material or the surface runoff. This increases the growth of aquatic plants and can produce alga blooms that deoxygenate water and smother other aquatic life. Global warming potential, GWP. The index used to translate the level of emissions of various gases into a common measure to compare their contributions to the absorption by the atmosphere of infrared radiation. GWPs are calculated as the absorption that would result from the emission of 1 kg of a gas to that from emission of 1 kg of carbon dioxide over 100 years. Life Cycle Assessment, LCA.. A management tool for appraising and quantifying the total environment impact of products or activities over their entire life cycle of particular materials, processes, products, technologies, services or activities. Ozone depletion potential, ODP. The index used to translate the level of emissions of various substances into a common measure to compare their contributes to the breakdown of the ozone layer. ODPs are calculated as the change that would result from the emission of 1 kg of a substance to that from emission of 1 kg of CFC-11 (a freon) Photochemical ozone creation potential, POCP. The index used to translate the level of emissions of various gases into a common measure to compare their contributions to the change of ground-level ozone concentration. POCPs are calculated as the change that would result from the emission of 1 kg of a gas to that from emission of 1 kg of ethene.