Grantee Research Project Results
2004 Progress Report: Life Cycle Analysis of Biolubricants for Aluminum Rolling
EPA Grant Number: R831521Title: Life Cycle Analysis of Biolubricants for Aluminum Rolling
Investigators: Theis, Thomas L. , Scheff, Peter , Kosobud, Richard
Current Investigators: Theis, Thomas L.
Institution: University of Illinois at Chicago
EPA Project Officer: Aja, Hayley
Project Period: November 1, 2003 through October 31, 2006
Project Period Covered by this Report: November 1, 2003 through October 31, 2004
Project Amount: $249,944
RFA: Technology for a Sustainable Environment (2003) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
The objective of this research project is to examine issues associated with the substitution of pertroleum-based lubricants with biobased (i.e., plant-derived) lubricants for industrial applications. Such an approach would appear to be an attractive material substitution: biolubricants are renewable, relatively nontoxic, biodegradable, and more easily extracted and processed than petrolubricants. There are, however, several aspects of the use of biolubricants that must be addressed further to estimate the societal, environmental, and technological benefits and impacts of the widespread use of these substitutes. These fall into three areas: performance, regulatory, and life cycle.
Performance
Knowledge of the lubrication properties of biolubricants formulated for various applications must be measured and compared with their petro-based counterparts to determine such factors as material wear, lubricant stability, and quantitative needs.
Regulatory
There is reason to suggest that volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and solid waste issues for biolubricants will be less severe than for petrolubricants. In addition to lower toxicity and higher biodegradability, the composition of biolubricants tends to consist of higher molecular weight/lower vapor pressure components. There is a need, however, to measure emission rates and compositions, again in comparison with petro-based lubricants intended for similar uses.
Life Cycle
The extent to which they can be reused (either directly or for secondary uses) and the degree to which their production is itself dependent on petroleum products are important matters that must be addressed before it becomes clear that biolubricants are the preferable choice. Given the heavy dependence of U.S. agriculture on petroleum products, a significant quantity of petrochemicals will be used to produce plant feed stocks. In addition, widespread expansion of agricultural production of plants dedicated as feedstocks for biolubricants may have implications for elemental cycling (particularly nitrogen), carbon sequestration, and soil erosion.
Progress Summary:
This report summarizes the results of comparative life cycle inventory analyses for mineral oil and soybean oil. The boundaries for the life cycles of the mineral oil and soybean lubricants modeled are comparable and include all primary and secondary inputs related to upstream manufacturing, although the contributions from the manufacture of capital equipment are assumed to be negligible. It also is assumed that nonmodified soybean oil is used in the process; applications using chemically modified soybean oil would require incorporation of additional inventory data. Because biolubricants currently are not used in aluminum rolling, scenario-based predictions are used to evaluate the use-phase in this analysis. These predictions derive from assumptions regarding amount of lubricant needed, productivity, oxidative stability, and VOC emissions. Figure 1 presents the inventory data for mineral oil and soybean lubricants on a mass of emission/mass of lubricant basis, showing cradle-to-gate inventories. The contributions of each stage of the life cycle to total process emissions are shown with variability bars indicating the values within a 10-90 percent probability range, with the median value of the total indicated above each emission.
Figure 1. Inventory Data for Mineral Oil and Soybean Lubricants on a Mass of Emission/Mass of Lubricant Basis
The findings of this study indicate that the relationship between mineral and soybean oil inventory data largely is dependent on the relative amount of material consumed by the aluminum rolling process. A comparison on a per mass basis indicates that soybean oil generates more life cycle emissions of VOC, NOx, SOx, N2O, NO3‾, and total P, and fewer emissions of CO2, CH4, and particulate matter (PM10) and significantly less fossil energy consumption as compared to mineral oil. It is assumed, however, that less soybean oil will be required in the rolling process, resulting in lower life cycle emissions proportional to the reduction in the total amount of oil consumed.
Future Activities:
Because the impacts associated with each emission are different, inventory flows cannot be compared directly, and the life cycle analysis procedure cautions against direct emissions comparisons. Future work will focus on translating the inventory data shown here into various impact categories.
Journal Articles on this Report : 2 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 2 publications | 2 publications in selected types | All 2 journal articles |
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Miller SA, Theis TL. Comparison of life-cycle inventory databases: a case study using soybean production. Journal of Industrial Ecology 2006;10(1-2):133-147. |
R831521 (2004) R831521 (Final) |
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Miller SA, Landis AE, Theis TL. Use of Monte Carlo analysis to characterize nitrogen fluxes in agroecosystems. Environmental Science & Technology 2006;40(7):2324-2332. |
R831521 (2004) R831521 (Final) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
life cycle assessment, life cycle inventory, bio-based production, soybean oil, aluminum rolling, metal working, life cycle comparison, inventory analysis, soybean agriculture, product substitution, sustainable engineering,, Sustainable Industry/Business, RFA, Scientific Discipline, Air, POLLUTANTS/TOXICS, Technology for Sustainable Environment, Chemical Engineering, Ecological Risk Assessment, Sustainable Environment, Atmosphere, Environmental Chemistry, Air Pollution Effects, cleaner production/pollution prevention, Chemicals, climate change, petrolubricant substitutes, biolubricants, pollution prevention, environmentally conscious manufacturing, metal casting industry, aluminum rolling, environmental monitoring, life cycle analysis, VOC removal, life cycle assessment, Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), carbon emissions credit tradingProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.