Table 1.
Life cycle inventory for PLA production.
| Technology Stage | Process | Amount | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Input | |||
| Plum waste | Transportation and cutting | 5000 | kg/km |
| Pressurized hot water pretreatment | Water | 700 | L |
| Cellulose | 38.4 | kg | |
| Hemicellulose | 26.8 | kg | |
| Lignin | 28.6 | kg | |
| Others (ash + protein) | 6.2 | kg | |
| Electricity (Parr reactor) | 71.0 | kWh | |
| SSF process | Cellulose | 31.5 | kg |
| Hemicellulose | 1.36 | kg | |
| Lignin | 23.3 | kg | |
| Enzymes | 51.37 | kg | |
| Nutrients and yeast | 35.23 | kg | |
| Inoculum + L. rhamnoses | 3.52 | kg | |
| Water | 297 | L | |
| Electricity | 250 | kWh | |
| Lactic acid purification | Ammonium sulfate | 10.0 | kg |
| Butanol | 50.0 | L | |
| Polymerization and microwave | Lactic acid | 29.2 | kg |
| SnCl2 | 11.68 | kg | |
| o-xylene | 38.54 | kg | |
| Electricity (microwave) | 100.0 | kWh | |
| Output | |||
| Pressurized hot water pretreatment (liquid phase) | Hemicellulose | 18 | kg |
| By-products | 17 | kg | |
| Water | 600 | kWh | |
| Pressurized hot water pretreatment (solid phase) | Cellulose | 31.5 | kg |
| Hemicellulose | 1.36 | kg | |
| Lignin | 23.3 | kg | |
| SSF process | Lactic acid | 29.2 | L |
| Waste | 423.28 | L | |
| Lactic acid purification | Waste | 60.0 | L |
| Polymerization and microwave | SnCl2 | 10.2 | kg |
| Waste | 52.62 | kg | |
| PLA | 26.8 | kg | |