Isopropanol: Emissions
A solvent that ends up in the air
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 1.80 t CO2e per t range about 1.5-2.5 · cradle-to-gate, propylene and acetone routes (indicative) Global emissions per year 5.40 Mt CO2e per year 2025 · about 1.8 t x about 3 Mt (indicative)Per t of IPA, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: indicative (basis: propylene tile and ecoinvent-type process data). Global total: derived (indicative).
Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
Feedstock 64% Production / process 31% Movement 5%Footprint by lifecycle phase
| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feedstock | about 1.15 t CO2e per t | 64% | Propylene (about 0.75 t) or acetone | indicative | |
| Production / process | about 0.55 t CO2e per t | 31% | Distillation steam, hydrogen, acid reconcentration | indicative | |
| Movement | about 0.1 t CO2e per t | 5% | Shipping and drums | indicative | |
| Use | VOC emissions; oxidises to about 2.2 t CO2 per t over time | – | Solvent and disinfectant evaporation | contributes to ground-level ozone | stoichiometric (IPA is 60% carbon) |
| End of life | about 2.2 t CO2 per t if incinerated or biodegraded | – | Solvent recovery, incineration, wastewater treatment | solvent recovery is common in pharma | stoichiometric |
Other environmental impacts
VOC and ozone formation; wastewater load in pharma.
Levers to cut emissions
- Solvent recovery and recycling in pharma and electronics.
- Bio-IPA from fermentation or bio-acetone.
- Low-carbon hydrogen in acetone hydrogenation.
- Substitution with recovered ethanol where specs allow.
India
India's IPA footprint is small; the biggest lever is solvent recovery in pharma clusters such as Hyderabad, Vapi and Ankleshwar (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fermentation-derived IPA (engineered microbes) | not published | not published | pilot and early commercial (e.g. LanzaTech gas fermentation research; indicative) | indicative |
| Solvent recovery | avoids most of virgin footprint (indicative) | often cheaper than virgin | widespread in pharma and fabs | indicative |