# Acrylonitrile: Emissions

Most of the footprint arrives with propylene and ammonia

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/emissions/

What this tab covers The greenhouse-gas footprint per tonne, split by lifecycle phase (feedstock, production, movement, use, end of life), the global total, other environmental impacts, levers and low-carbon routes, India's position, and where the investment opportunity lies. Emission intensity 3.40 t CO2e per t range 2.2-4.5 · propylene about 1.5 t CO2e per t (propylene tile) x 1.1 t, ammonia about 2.4 t per t from gas x 0.48 t, plus off-gas incineration, less steam export credit Global emissions per year 24.0 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · 3.4 t x about 7 Mt

Per t of ACN, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: derived (indicative). Global total: derived (indicative).

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Feedstock 82% Production / process 13% Movement 5%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | about 2.8 t CO2e per t | 82% | propylene cracking or PDH and ammonia from gas or coal | coal-based ammonia in China raises this | derived (indicative) |
| **Production / process** | about 0.45 t CO2e per t | 13% | incineration of off-gas and waste streams; net of steam export | reaction heat makes steam that credits the plant | indicative |
| **Movement** | about 0.15 t CO2e per t | 5% | chemical tankers |  | indicative |
| **Use** | not applicable | – | ACN is polymerised into ABS, fibre and acrylamide | acrylic fibre sheds microfibres in washing | indicative |
| **End of life** | about 2.5 t CO2 per t ACN-equivalent if burned (stoichiometric) | – | incineration of ABS and acrylic textiles | nitrogen in the polymer can form NOx and HCN on poor combustion; ABS recycling exists but is small | stoichiometry (indicative) |

#### Other environmental impacts

Acute toxicity and carcinogenicity of ACN and HCN; microfibre shedding from acrylic textiles; acrylamide is a neurotoxin and residual monomer in polyacrylamide is regulated.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Low-carbon ammonia (electrolytic or with CCS)
- Bio-attributed or bio-based propylene
- Better catalysts (higher yield cuts feedstock per t)
- Electrify or capture CO2 at the off-gas incinerator
- Chemical recycling of ABS and carbon fibre

#### India

India carries no ACN production emissions; its imports embed Chinese and Korean feedstock footprints. Not published separately.
 Emission figures are indicative global averages from the life-cycle studies named; actual footprints vary widely by site, energy mix and method.

#### Low-carbon routes

| Route | Intensity | Cost premium | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Mass-balance bio-attributed ACN** | lower by the bio share (not published) | not published | offered by INEOS and Asahi Kasei under ISCC PLUS (indicative) | indicative |
| **Glycerol- or sugar-based ACN** | not published | not published | pilot scale (indicative) | indicative |

 For a climate investor ACN is in a deep cyclical trough with overcapacity, so new conventional plants are unattractive. The climate opportunity lies in low-carbon ammonia and bio-propylene feeding existing plants, and in carbon fibre and ABS recycling. In India, an ACN plant integrated with a refinery and green ammonia could replace imports, but only if a buyer such as a carbon fibre or ABS producer pays a premium.

## Other sections

- [Summary](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/index.md)
- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/correlation/index.md)
- [Production route](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/routes/index.md)
- [Production](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/production/index.md)
- [Feedstocks](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/feedstocks/index.md)
- [Cycles](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/cycles/index.md)
- [Trading](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/trading/index.md)
- [Movement](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/movement/index.md)
- [Regulation](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/regulation/index.md)
- [Characteristics](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/characteristics/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/acrylonitrile/links/index.md)