# Isopropanol: Emissions

A solvent that ends up in the air

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/isopropanol/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 1.80 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 |

 For a climate investor Absolute emissions are small, so the climate angle is solvent recovery and electronic-grade supply. India's semiconductor fab and ATMP projects will need ultra-pure IPA that is currently imported, a localisation opportunity rather than a decarbonisation one. Solvent recovery businesses serving pharma clusters improve both cost and emissions.

## Other sections

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