Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.3390/su14095393
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) A comparison of functional fillers – greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants from lignin-based filler, carbon black and silica
Author Meisel, K.; Röver, L.; Majer, S.; Herklotz, B.; Thrän, D.
Source Titel Sustainability
Year 2022
Department BIOENERGIE
Volume 14
Issue 9
Page From art. 5393
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Supplements https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/9/5393/s1?version=1651240057
Keywords lignin; filler; hydrothermal treatment (HTT); life cycle assessment (LCA); greenhouse gas emissions; air pollutants
Abstract The transformation from a fossil-based economy to a sustainable and circular bioeconomy is urgently needed to achieve the climate targets of the Paris Agreement, reduce air pollution and ensure a long-term competitive economy. Due to its carbonaceous and aromatic basic components, lignin has the potential for material valorization within bioeconomy. So far, lignin produced in the pulp and paper industry has mainly been used internally to generate thermal process energy, as it is difficult to extract it from biomass in a pure and unaltered form. The valorization of lignin to improve the economics of pulp mills is a current aim of the industry. Hydrothermal treatment (HTT) of a partial flow from the lignin stream to produce a functional filler for use in polymer blends is one valorization option. The environmental assessment of the lignin-based HTT filler, conducted using life cycle assessment (LCA), shows that substitution of the conventional fillers carbon black and silica could be associated with significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants. Depending on the allocation methodology and the reference filler considered, approx. 5 kg CO2 eq./kg filler, 80–93% SO2 emissions, 27–79% PM emissions, and 88–98% PAH emissions can be saved.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=25978
Meisel, K., Röver, L., Majer, S., Herklotz, B., Thrän, D. (2022):
A comparison of functional fillers – greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants from lignin-based filler, carbon black and silica
Sustainability 14 (9), art. 5393 10.3390/su14095393