Process information
| Key Data Set Information | |
| Location | GLO |
| Geographical representativeness description | Global dataset. Global data has been used for the foreground and global and European data for the background systems. The DQI has been adjusted to declare the achieved quality of the data set. |
| Reference year | 2012 |
| Name |
Base name
; Treatment, standards, routes
; Mix and location types
Diatomite (diatomaceous silica), not dried; Technology mix; Production mix, at plant
|
| Use advice for data set | Notice: this data set supersedes the EF3.0-compliant version (see link under "preceding data set version" below calculated with the EF3.0). The life cycle inventory is not changed from the original EF3.0 data set. The LCIA results are calculated based on the EF3.1 methods which provide updated characterisation factors in the following impact categories: Climate Change, Ecotoxicity freshwater, Photochemical Ozone Formation, Acidification, Human Toxicity non-cancer, and Human Toxicity cancer. The review report and the data quality ratings refer to the original results. The data set has been updated by the European Commission on the basis of the original EF3.0 data set delivered by the data provider. |
| Technical purpose of product or process | Chemical substance used in the production of decorative coatings |
| Complementing processes | |
| Classification |
Class name
:
Hierarchy level
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| General comment on data set | The dataset represents the manufacture of raw materials for the paint industry. It is based on the models created for the CEPE Raw Material database, version 3 (European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink and Artists' Colours Industry; limited access), which have been updated with PEF-compliant background sources based on Ecoinvent 3.3 and process-based EF-compliant LCI datasets for energy and transport. The inventory is based on literature and background sources, following general assumptions for the paint industry. Biogenic carbon content 0%. Water content 0% |
| Copyright | Yes |
| Owner of data set | |
| Quantitative reference | |
| Reference flow(s) | |
| Time representativeness | |
| Data set valid until | 2024 |
| Time representativeness description | Annual average data. No intra-annual or intra-daily differences have been made. Representative data for the year 2012 has been used. Data set valid until end of 2024. |
| Technological representativeness | |
| Technology description including background system | In the technology description below, specific dataset names refer to the original modelling based on Ecoinvent 3.3. They might have been updated using the names of the equivalent EF-compliant datasets (In particular transport, infrastructure, water, heat, energy and waste datasets). No specific data available. Model based on information from similar process, IMA and industry/calculated data for post mining related processes for beneficiation of diatomite from open pit mining. The production steps are mining, crushing, drying and grinding. Process description: • Mining operation based on “CH: Limestone, at mine” (Ecoinvent Centre, 2007). • Crushing, drying and grinding operations based on industry/calculated data for energy demand. Infrastructure excluded. Background Processing of minerals The LCA models include general process data for mining, crushing, grinding and flotation. It has not been possible to obtain specific data for these operations, but the general data sets used can be said to represent typical process data. Mining data apply to open pit. Crushing data include two steps, primary and secondary crusher with an assumed overall particle size reduction from 125 mm to 12.5 mm. Grinding operation for flotation include particle reduction from 12.5 mm to less than 0.1 mm. A general flotation process has been assumed concerning energy use. No specific flotation chemicals have been included. Each process operation has been applied in separate modules. Each module has been used where applicable e.g. only grinding. Yield The yield of a chemical process has been based on literature data for the specific reaction where available. If no such data were available, a default value was used. This default value is based on yields of chemical processes in general, which often range between 90-100%. There are also other losses during the production, such as residues in the production facility etc. A conservative estimation of the overall yield when producing chemicals can thus be around 90%. The unreacted input material has been assumed to end up as waste. Use of heat If no specific information was available regarding type of heat used for a production process, the process “RER: market for heat, in chemical industry” has been used (Ecoinvent 3.3), for which the background datasets were replaced with EF-compliant datasets from the node. This process consists mainly of heat from combustion of natural gas, but also some fuel oil, hard coal and electricity. To calculate the amount of heat needed in a process, two different approaches were used. Two different assumptions have been made regarding the energy use of chemical reactions, depending on whether the reactions are exothermic or endothermic. The classification of chemical reactions into these two categories is based on standard enthalpy of reaction. The main sources of information regarding standard enthalpies of formation were chemistry literature and textbooks, such as NIST (2012) and Atkins & Jones (2005). For exothermic reactions, it has been assumed that no additional energy is needed to produce the chemical of interest. This is a simplification as some energy input is likely needed to start a reaction and to maintain it through mixing, etc. The energy generated through the exothermic reaction could also be used in other chemical processes, but this has also been assumed to be non-existent due to lack of data from a specific site. For endothermic reactions, two methods have been used; • It has been assumed that the total energy consumption for the production of a chemical is 30% higher than the standard enthalpy of reaction. • To calculate the required heat, heat losses were assumed to be 20%, and the specific heat capacity for the polymer to be 2.5 [kJ/kg·K], a default value based on that of common organic substances. 2.5 kJ/kg·K is a conservative estimate of the overall heat use for a production process step. For all condensation reactions, it is assumed some energy is required for distillation of the water, therefore 2.26 MJ/kg water (specific heat of evaporation for water) is assumed to be necessary. Electricity use If no specific information was available regarding type of electricity used for a production process, the process “EU-28+3: Electricity grid mix 1kV-60kV” has been used (EF-compliant datasets). |
| Flow diagram(s) or picture(s) | |
Modelling and validation
Administrative information
Inputs and Outputs
LCIA results