dodecanol production, ziegler process, UPR, ecoinvent 3.6, Allocation, cut-off
Reference product: dodecanol [kg]
Location: GLO - Global
Dodecanol CH3(CH2)10CH2OH (also C12H26O) is a fatty alcohol. It is a solid with a floral odor, without taste and color. It is used in a wide range of application such as the making of surfactants, lubricating oils, pharmaceuticals, monolithic polymers. The food industry uses dodecanol as flavoring agent. The cosmetic industry uses it as an emollient and as an intermediate in the production of dodecanal, which is a fragrance (OECD, 2006).
Reference(s):
OECD. 2006. SIDS Initial Assessment Profile, 1-dodecanol, CAS N°: 112-53-8. Online from http://www.inchem.org/documents/sids/sids/112538.pdf, accessed 29 June 2017
For more information on the model please refer to the dedicate ecoinvent report, access it in the Report section of ecoQuery (http://www.ecoinvent.org/login-databases.html)
[This dataset has been generated using the system model "Allocation, cut-off by classification". A system model describes how activity datasets are linked to form product systems. The allocation cut-off system model subdivides multi-product activities by allocation, based on a physical properties, economic, mass or other properties. By-products of waste treatment processes are cut-off, as are all by-products classified as recyclable. Markets in this model include all activities in proportion to their current production volume.
Version 3 of the ecoinvent database offers three system models to choose from. For more information, please visit: https://www.ecoinvent.org/database/system-models-in-ecoinvent-3/system-…)]
In this activity dodecanol is produced through the Ziegler process (Ziegler-Alfol synthesis). It is a method to make fatty alcohols from ethylene in the presence of an organoaluminium catalyst and hence provides an alternative production route to the making of fatty alcohols from natural fats and oils (Noweck & Grafahrend, 2006). The synthesis route was first described and named after Karl Ziegler in 1955. It comprises 5 consecutive steps (hydrogenation, ethylation, growth reaction, oxidation, hydrolysis) and uses an aluminum catalyst in order to oligomerize ethylene as well as to oxygenate alkyls (Noweck & Grafahrend, 2006). Commonly targeted are linear primary C12 – C14 alcohols (Noweck & Grafahrend, 2006).
Chemical Reaction: 6 C2H4 + 3 H2 + 2 H2O → C12H26O
A process efficiency of 95% is assumed.
This inventory representing production of a particular chemical compound is at least partially based on a generic model on the production of chemicals. The data generated by this model have been improved by compound-specific data when available.
The model on production of chemicals is using specific industry or literature data wherever possible and more generic data on chemical production processes to fill compound-specific data gaps when necessary. The basic principles of the model have been published in literature (Hischier 2005, Establishing Life Cycle Inventories of Chemicals Based on Differing Data Availability). The model has been updated and extended with newly available data from the chemical industry.
In the model, unreacted fractions are treated in a waste treatment process, and emissions reported are after a waste treatment process that is included in the scope of this dataset. For volatile reactants, a small level of evaporation is assumed. Solvents and catalysts are mostly recycled in closed-loop systems within the scope of the dataset and reported flows are for losses from this system.
The main source of information for the values for heat, electricity, water (process and cooling), nitrogen, chemical factory is industry data from Gendorf. The values are a 5-year average of data (2011 - 2015) published by the Gendorf factory (Gendorf, 2016, Umwelterklärung, www.gendorf.de), (Gendorf, 2015, Umwelterklärung, www.gendorf.de), (Gendorf, 2014, Umwelterklärung, www.gendorf.de). The Gendorf factory is based in Germany, it produces a wide range of chemical substances. The factory produced 1657400 tonnes of chemical substances in the year 2015 (Gendorf, 2016, Umwelterklärung, www.gendorf.de) and 740000 tonnes of intermediate products.
Reference(s):
Hischier, R. (2005) Establishing Life Cycle Inventories of Chemicals Based on Differing Data Availability (9 pp). The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, Volume 10, Issue 1, pp 59–67. 10.1065/lca2004.10.181.7
Gendorf (2016) Umwelterklärung 2015, Werk Gendorf Industriepark, www.gendorf.de
Klaus Noweck, Wolfgang Grafahrend, 2006, 'Fatty Alcohols' in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, Vol 14, pp. 123-126, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim.
For more information on the model please refer to the dedicate ecoinvent report, access it in the Report section of ecoQuery (http://www.ecoinvent.org/login-databases.html)
ecoinvent EULA