Sustainable process index

These represent a simplification over a true LCA methodology, and include also aspects related to safety and risk, and economics. They thus could be a basis, which can be adapted for specific cases, for a sustainable chemical production metric, which should be integrated with other assessment tools such as LCA, Sustainable Process Index, and Risk Analysis and evaluation. 

Toluene recovery process Maximization of economic benefit and minimization of environmental indicator. In addition to these two objectives, Kheawhom and Hirao (2002) considered process robustness measures (failure probability and deviation ratio) also. Normal boundary intersection method Sustainable process index was used as environmental indicator. Product revenue less capital and operating costs was the economic indicator Kheawhom and Hirao (2002)... 

Krotscheck C, Narodoslawsky M. The sustainable process index—a new dimension in ecological evaluation. Ecol Eng 1996 6(4) 241—58. 

Narodoslawsky M. Sustainable process index. In Klemes J, editor. Assessing and measuring environmental impact and sustainability. Oxford Ebevier 2015. p. 73—84 [chapter 3]. 

Figure 4. The Sustainable Process Index of different scenarios for Biodiesel compared to Fossil Diesel...

As far as the impact assessment with the two different methods CML and SPI are concerned the results show concordant trends. The CML method addresses with its impact categories the various environmental problems in detail and is capable of highlighting the trade-offs between them. In contrast to this the Sustainable Process Index is aggregated across different impact categories and allows comparison of these effects based on natural flows and natural qualities. 

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