FineChem tool

If the product is not registered in LCA databases, estimations from similar processes can be used or tools calculating LCA metrics on the basis of the molecular structure of the product Pr. The Finechem tool [55] is a unique, state-of-the-art tool of this kind. A more detailed appHcation of this approach is presented in Case Study 1 for the solvent-based CO2 capture process. 

While there are available databases (e.g., Ecoinvent) for obtaining cradle-to-process gate data of a substantial number of chemicals including solvents, these should not be considered as the sole source of information, especially for innovative processes or chemicals. Fig. 13.3 presents an illustrative example for a number of conventional solvents that have been proposed for CO2 capture, a very small percentage of which is available in the Ecoinvent database. In this case the alternative would be to use a tool such as FineChem to fiU in the cradle-to-gate gaps for the solvent production or to construct flowsheets for the production of each solvent and derive from there the necessary LCIs. It is clear that the second choice, although perhaps more accurate, may be inefficient in... 

Lack of estimation methods FineChem Estimation Tool... 

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