# Phenol and acetone: Emissions

Splitting the carbon bill between two products

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/chemicals/phenol/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 1.81 t CO2e per t range 1.5-2.5 (indicative; allocation with acetone matters) · cradle-to-gate, Europe, data year 2015 Global emissions per year 23.0 Mt CO2e per year (phenol only) 2024 · 1.81 t CO2e/t x 12.5 Mt (indicative); acetone adds more

Per t of phenol, cradle-to-gate. Intensity: Plastics Europe Public LCI Database via Climatiq. Global total: derived.

#### Share of footprint by lifecycle phase
 Feedstock 70% Production / process 26% Movement 4%

#### Footprint by lifecycle phase

| Phase | Intensity | Share | Main sources of emissions | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Feedstock** | about 1.3 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 70% | Benzene and propylene footprints |  | indicative split |
| **Production / process** | about 0.45 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 26% | Steam for distillation, oxidation | Cumene oxidation is exothermic | indicative |
| **Movement** | about 0.05-0.1 t CO2e per t (indicative) | 4% | Heated tanker shipping |  | indicative |
| **Use** | not applicable | – | Intermediate | Acetone solvent use releases VOCs | n/a |
| **End of life** | depends on derivative | – | Polycarbonate, epoxy, phenolic resins, nylon | Phenolic resins and epoxies are thermosets and hard to recycle | n/a |

#### Other environmental impacts

Phenol is toxic to aquatic life; wastewater from phenol plants needs treatment.

#### Levers to cut emissions

- Lower-carbon benzene and propylene
- Electrified steam
- Integration to use acetone on site
- Lignin-based phenols replacing fossil phenol in resins
- Recycling polycarbonate back to BPA

#### India

New Indian capacity (Deepak, Haldia) will replace imports; no product-specific footprint is published.
 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 or mass-balance phenol (bio-naphtha feed)** | not published | not published | certified mass-balance volumes sold in Europe (indicative) | indicative |
| **Lignin-derived phenols for phenolic resins** | not published | not published | pilot to small commercial (indicative) | indicative |

 For a climate investor The decarbonisation lever is mostly upstream benzene and propylene. In India, the opportunity is to build new phenol, BPA and polycarbonate chains with efficient utilities and renewable power from the start, and to develop lignin-based resins for India's large plywood and laminates sector. Deepak and Haldia are the named builders.

## Other sections

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