Epoxy resins: Emissions
Epichlorohydrin's chlorine makes this a heavy resin
Epichlorohydrin's chlorine makes this a heavy resin 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 5.00 t CO2e per t range 4.5-7.0 · indicative (basis: 0.67 t BPA x 2.26 t CO2e/t (Plastics Europe), 0.55 t ECH x about 4.5 t CO2e/t, 0.24 t NaOH x 0.9, plus about 0.7 t for process energy and transport); ecoinvent-based values of about 6-7 t CO2e/t are often cited for Europe Global emissions per year 16.0 Mt CO2e per year 2023 · 5.0 t CO2e/t x 3.27 Mt (indicative)Per t of liquid epoxy resin, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: derived from BPA and caustic soda tiles; ECH footprint and range indicative. Global total: derived.
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 84% Production / process 14% Movement 2%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 4.2 t CO2e per t | 84% | BPA (about 1.5 t) and ECH (about 2.5 t); chlorine power on coal grids | GTE (glycerine) ECH lowers the ECH share | derived |
| Production / process | about 0.7 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 14% | Steam for ECH recovery and brine treatment | indicative | |
| Movement | about 0.1 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 2% | Container shipping from East Asia | indicative | |
| Use | not applicable to the resin | – | Cure is not combustion | Coatings extend steel life; blades enable wind power. Amine hardeners and solvents emit VOCs | n/a |
| End of life | about 2.7 t CO2 per t if incinerated (indicative) | – | Thermoset cannot be remelted; blades are landfilled, cut up or co-processed in cement kilns | Solvolysis and pyrolysis recycling are early stage | stoichiometry (about 75% carbon), indicative |
Other environmental impacts
Chlorinated wastewater and brine from the allyl chloride ECH route; ECH and BPA toxicity; wind blade waste (thermoset composite) as the first generation of blades retires.
Levers to cut emissions
- Glycerine-based ECH instead of the allyl chloride route
- Renewable power for the chlorine behind ECH
- Recyclable epoxy systems and blade recycling (solvolysis, pyrolysis, cement kiln co-processing)
- Mass-balance bio-based phenol and acetone for BPA
- Longer coating life to reduce repainting
India
India's epoxy footprint is tied to imported BPA and to coal-based power for chlorine. Grasim makes its own chlorine and caustic, so a renewable-power shift at its chlor-alkali sites would cut the ECH share. India's ageing wind fleet will create blade waste (indicative).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bio-based ECH from glycerine (GTE) | not published; lower than allyl chloride route (indicative) | small or none when glycerine is cheap (indicative) | commercial in Asia and Europe at 50-150 kt/yr scale (indicative) | indicative |
| Recyclable blade epoxy (Siemens Gamesa RecyclableBlade; Vestas solvolysis) | not published | not published | first commercial blades installed (indicative) | indicative |