# CMP slurries and pads: Emissions

Where the carbon in a polishing slurry comes from

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/cmp_slurries/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 1.50 t CO2e per t range not published · indicative: mostly water, with a few percent of energy-intensive abrasives (ceria from rare-earth separation, fumed silica, alumina) and oxidisers; no producer LCA found

Per t of CMP slurry as delivered, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: indicative. Global total: not published.

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Feedstock 53% Production / process 27% Movement 20%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | about 0.8 t CO2e per t | 53% | rare-earth separation for ceria, silica and alumina production, polyurethane for pads | Indicative | Indicative |
| **Production / process** | about 0.4 t CO2e per t | 27% | particle synthesis, milling, filtration, cleanroom filling | Indicative | Indicative |
| **Movement** | about 0.3 t CO2e per t | 20% | shipping water-heavy slurry across Asia | Concentrates and local dilution cut this | Indicative |
| **Use** | small direct emissions | – | large ultra-pure water use and slurry wastewater in fabs | Indicative | Indicative |
| **End of life** | not published | – | spent slurry treated as wastewater; worn pads landfilled or incinerated | Slurry recycling and ceria recovery are possible (indicative) | Indicative |

#### Other environmental impacts

Nanoparticles and metals in fab wastewater; rare-earth mining impacts upstream of ceria; pad waste.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Ship concentrates and dilute at the fab
- Slurry reclaim and ceria recovery
- Fewer CMP steps through selective deposition (indicative)
- Lower-impact abrasive sourcing

#### India

No production; CMP use in India today is limited to advanced packaging and R&D.
 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| **On-site slurry reclaim and ceria recovery** | not published | not published | practised at some fabs (indicative) | Indicative |

 For a climate investor CMP consumables are a small, concentrated, high-margin market, not a decarbonisation lever. The relevant angles for a climate fund are resource security (ceria from rare earths, which China dominates) and water: slurry reclaim and abrasive recovery cut fab water and waste loads. In India the demand base arrives with hybrid-bonding packaging and the Tata-PSMC fab. Local slurry dilution or pad finishing with a Japanese or US partner (Fujifilm, Entegris, DuPont) is the realistic entry, not new chemistry.

## Other sections

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