Tsai-Wei WuAlexander Guzman-UrbinaHajime OhnoYasuhiro FukushimaHsin-Hao LiangSHIANG-TAI LIN2024-07-172024-07-172024-01978044328824115707946https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85196829031&origin=resultslisthttps://scholars.lib.ntu.edu.tw/handle/123456789/719882Diphenyl carbonate (DPC) plays a key role as a feedstock in the synthesis of polycarbonate (PC), a widely used plastic material. However, conventional DPC production routes are burdened by environmental concerns stemming from the use of toxic reagents, such as phosgene. Considering the urge to foster sustainability, this study undertakes a comprehensive evaluation of cradle-to-gate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with diverse industrial pathways for DPC synthesis, including: 1. Direct phosgenation of phenol (PhOH) as the base case. 2. Transesterification of CO2-based dimethyl carbonate (DMC) to yield DPC. 3. Transesterification of CO2-based diethyl carbonate (DEC) to yield DPC. 4. Transesterification of CO2-based dipropyl carbonate (DPrC) to yield DPC. While the emission inventory data of the first two pathways were extracted from comprehensive commercial reports, the latter two were simulated in Aspen Plus according to patented approaches due to limited process data availability. The simulations serve as a foundation for comparative analysis among these routes. Notably, the alternative pathways leverage CO2-derived carbonates as feedstock, offering greener alternatives to the conventional approach. Through cradle-to-gate GHG emissions assessment, this research aids in identifying the potentially most environmentally benign alternative route for DPC production. An analysis of alternative feedstocks contributes to the assessment of current developments and potential pathways towards emission-free DPC production. The central aim of this study is to leverage industry insights to propose optimal pathways for future development, guiding towards a carbon-neutral paradigm in PC manufacturing.falseCO2 conversionCradle-to-gate emissionsDiphenyl carbonate productionSustainable manufacturing[SDGs]SDG9[SDGs]SDG12[SDGs]SDG13book part10.1016/B978-0-443-28824-1.50344-62-s2.0-85196829031