Cradle To Gate Life Cycle Analysis of Polypropylene PP Resin

CRADLE-TO-GATE LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS OF
POLYPROPYLENE (PP) RESIN

Final Report
Submitted to:
American Chemistry Council (ACC) Plastics Division
Submitted by:
Franklin Associates, A Division of ERG
February, 2021
PREFACE
This life cycle assessment of polypropylene (PP) resin was commissioned and funded by the
American Chemical Council (ACC) Plastics Division to update the original data in the 2011
report, Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Inventory of Nine Plastic Resins and Four
Polyurethane Precursors, as well as the U.S. LCI plastics database. The report was made
possible through the cooperation of ACC member companies, who provided data for the
production of olefins and PP resin.
This report was prepared for ACC by Franklin Associates, A Division of Eastern Research
Group, Inc. as an independent contractor. This project was managed by Melissa Huff, Senior
LCA Analyst and Project Manager. Anne Marie Molen assisted with data collection tasks and
appendix preparation. Mariya Absar aided with modeling and report writing. Ben Young
assisted with research.
Franklin Associates gratefully acknowledges the significant contribution to this project by

Mike Levy, Keith Christman, and Prapti Muhuri of ACC in leading this project. Also
acknowledged are the following companies: ExxonMobil Corporation, Lyondellbasell
Industries, and INEOS, who graciously provided primary Life Cycle Inventory data for PP
resin production. Their effort in collecting data has added considerably to the quality of this
LCA report.
Franklin Associates makes no statements other than those presented within the report.
February, 2021
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 1
STUDY GOAL AND SCOPE ....................................................................................................................................... 2
STUDY GOAL AND INTENDED USE ................................................................................................................................ 3
FUNCTIONAL UNIT .................................................................................................................................................. 3
SCOPE AND BOUNDARIES.......................................................................................................................................... 3
Technological Scope ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Temporal and Geographic Scope ................................................................................................................... 5
Exclusions from the Scope.............................................................................................................................. 6
INVENTORY AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT RESULTS CATEGORIES ............................................................................................ 7
DATA SOURCES ...................................................................................................................................................... 9
DATA QUALITY ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................................................................... 9
DATA ACCURACY AND UNCERTAINTY ......................................................................................................................... 11
METHOD ............................................................................................................................................................ 11
Raw Materials Use for Internal Energy in Steam Crackers............................................................................. 12
Coproduct Allocation ................................................................................................................................... 12
Electricity Grid Fuel Profile ........................................................................................................................... 14
Electricity/Heat Cogeneration ...................................................................................................................... 14
LIFE CYCLE INVENTORY AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT RESULTS ............................................................................... 16
ENERGY DEMAND ................................................................................................................................................. 16
Cumulative Energy Demand......................................................................................................................... 16
Energy Demand by Fuel Type ....................................................................................................................... 19
SOLID WASTE ...................................................................................................................................................... 20
WATER CONSUMPTION .......................................................................................................................................... 22
GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL ................................................................................................................................ 24
ACIDIFICATION POTENTIAL ...................................................................................................................................... 25
EUTROPHICATION POTENTIAL .................................................................................................................................. 26
OZONE DEPLETION POTENTIAL................................................................................................................................. 28
PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG FORMATION ........................................................................................................................ 29
COMPARISON OF 2021 AND 2011 LCI AND LCIA PP RESULTS ............................................................................... 30
ENERGY COMPARISON ........................................................................................................................................... 32
SOLID WASTE COMPARISON .................................................................................................................................... 33
GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL COMPARISON .............................................................................................................. 34
APPENDIX: POLYPROPYLENE (PP) MANUFACTURE .............................................................................................. 35
POLYPROPYLENE (PP) PRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 36
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................................................................ 39
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LIST OF ACRONYMS
(Alphabetical)
ACC AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL
AP ACIDIFICATION POTENTIAL
API AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE
BOD BIOCHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND
BTEX BENZENE, TOLUENE, ETHYLBENZENE, AND XYLENE
COD CHEMICAL OXYGEN DEMAND
CFC CHLOROFLUOROCARBON
EGRID EMISSIONS & GENERATION RESOURCE INTEGRATED DATABASE
EIA ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION
EP EUTROPHICATION POTENTIAL
ERG EASTERN RESEARCH GROUP, INC
EQ EQUIVALENTS
GHG GREENHOUSE GAS
GHGRP GREENHOUSE GAS REPORTING PROGRAM
GJ GIGAJOULE
GREET GREENHOUSE GASES, REGULATED EMISSIONS, AND ENERGY USE IN
TRANSPORTATION
GWP GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL
IPCC INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE
ISO INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION
LCA LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
LCI LIFE CYCLE INVENTORY
LCIA LIFE CYCLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT
LPG LIQUEFIED PETROLEUM GAS
MJ MEGAJOULE
MM MILLION
NAICS NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
NAPAP NATIONAL ACID PRECIPITATION ASSESSMENT PROGRAM
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NGL NATURAL GAS LIQUID
NMVOC NON-METHANE VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
NREL NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY
ODP OZONE DEPLETION POTENTIAL
POCP PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG FORMATION (HISTORICALLY PHOTOCHEMICAL
OXIDANT CREATION POTENTIAL)
PP POLYPROPYLENE
RCRA RESOURCE CONSERVATION AND RECOVERY ACT
SI INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM OF UNITS
TRACI TOOL FOR THE REDUCTION AND ASSESSMENT OF CHEMICAL AND OTHER
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
TRI TOXIC RELEASE INVENTORY
WTE WASTE-TO-ENERGY INCINERATION
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CRADLE-TO-GATE LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT OF POLYPROPYLENE
(PP) RESIN
INTRODUCTION
This study provides the American Chemical Council (ACC), their members, users of the U.S.
LCI Database, and the public at large with information about the life cycle inventory and
impacts for the production of polypropylene (PP) resin, which is used in a variety of end use
applications, including injection molded packaging, automotive/appliance parts, fibers used
in upholstery fabrics and carpeting, and films. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is recognized as a
scientific method for making comprehensive, quantified evaluations of the environmental
benefits and tradeoffs commonly for the entire life cycle of a product system, beginning with
raw material extraction and continuing through disposition at the end of its useful life as
shown in Figure 1 below. This cradle-to-gate LCA includes the life cycle stages shown in the
dashed box including the “Raw Materials Acquisition” and “Materials Manufacture” boxes in
the figure.
Figure 1. General materials flow for “cradle-to-grave” analysis of a product system.

The dashed box indicates the boundaries of this analysis.
The results of this analysis are useful for understanding production-related impacts and are
provided in a manner suitable for incorporation into full life cycle assessment studies. The
information from an LCA can be used as the basis for further study of the potential
improvement of resource use and environmental impacts associated with product systems.
It can also pinpoint areas (e.g., material components or processes) where changes would be
most beneficial in terms of reducing energy use or potential impacts.
A life cycle assessment commonly examines the sequence of steps in the life cycle of a
product system, beginning with raw material extraction and continuing through material
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production, product fabrication, use, reuse, or recycling where applicable, and final
disposition. This cradle-to-gate life cycle inventory (LCI) and life cycle impact assessment
(LCIA) quantifies the total energy requirements, energy sources, water consumption,
atmospheric pollutants, waterborne pollutants, and solid waste resulting from the
production of PP resin. It is considered a cradle-to-gate boundary system because this
analysis ends with the PP resin production. The system boundaries stop at the PP resin
production so that the resin data can be linked to a fabrication process where it is an input
material, and end-of-life data to create full life cycle inventories for a variety of applications,
such as injection molded products, fibers and film. The method used for this inventory has
been conducted following internationally accepted standards for LCI and LCA methodology
as outlined in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14040 and 14044
standard documents1.
This LCA boundary ends at material production. An LCA consists of four phases:
• Goal and scope definition

• Life cycle inventory (LCI)
• Life cycle impact assessment (LCIA)
• Interpretation of results
The LCI identifies and quantifies the material inputs, energy consumption, water
consumption, and environmental emissions (atmospheric emissions, waterborne wastes,
and solid wastes) over the defined scope of the study. The LCI data for the PP unit process is
shown separately in the attached Appendix. The LCI data for the olefins system is shown in
the appendix of a separate report, Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Analysis of Olefins2. All unit
processes will be made available to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) who
maintains the U.S. LCI Database.
In the LCIA phase, the inventory of emissions is classified into categories in which the
emissions may contribute to impacts on human health or the environment. Within each
impact category, the emissions are then normalized to a common reporting basis, using
characterization factors that express the impact of each substance relative to a reference
substance.
STUDY GOAL AND SCOPE
In this section, the goal and scope of the study is defined, including information on data
sources used and methodology.
1
International Standards Organization. ISO 14040:2006 Environmental management—Life cycle
assessment—Principles and framework, ISO 14044:2006, Environmental management – Life cycle
assessment – Requirements and guidelines.
2
Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Analysis of Olefins. Franklin Associates. Submitted to the Plastics Division of the
American Chemistry Council. April, 2020.
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STUDY GOAL AND INTENDED USE
The purpose of this LCA is to document the LCI data and then evaluate the environmental
profile of PP resin. The intended use of the study results is twofold:
• To provide the LCA community and other interested parties with average North
American LCI data for PP resin and
• To provide information about the environmental burdens associated with the
production of PP resin. The LCA results for PP production can be used as a benchmark
for evaluating future updated PP results for North America.
According to ISO 14040 and 14044 standards, a peer review is not required as no
comparative assertions of competing materials or products are made in this study.
This report is the property of ACC acting on behalf of its Plastics Division and may be used
by the trade association or members of ACC’s Plastics Division or the general public at ACC’s
discretion.
FUNCTIONAL UNIT
The function of PP resin is its forming into various products, for example, carpet or food
containers. As the study boundary concludes at the PP resin, a mass functional unit has been
chosen. Results for this analysis are shown on a basis of both 1,000 pounds and 1,000
kilograms of PP produced.
SCOPE AND BOUNDARIES
This LCA quantifies energy and resource use, water consumption, solid waste, and
environmental impacts for the following steps in the life cycle of the PP resin manufacture:
• Raw material extraction (e.g., extraction of petroleum and natural gas as feedstocks)
through olefins production, and incoming transportation for each process, and
• PP resin manufacture, including incoming transportation for each material.
Because upstream olefin manufacture impacts the results for the production of PP, some
discussion of propylene data and meta-data is included throughout this report. However,
the LCI data for the olefins system is provided in the appendix of a separate report, Cradle-
to-Gate Life Cycle Analysis of Olefins3. This report presents LCI results, as well as LCIA results,
for PP resin manufacture. Figure 2 presents the flow diagram for the production of PP resin.
A unit process description and tables for each box shown in the flow diagram can be found
in the attached appendix or in the olefins report previously released.
3
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Petroleum Fuel Gas*
Refining
Crude Oil
(Distillation/
Production
Desalting/
Hydrotreating) Naphtha
Propylene Polypropylene PP Resin
Olefins
(PP) Resin
Production
Production
Ethane
Propane
Natural Gas Natural Gas Butane
Production Processing
Nitrogen**
Figure 2. Flow diagram for the Production of Polypropylene (PP) Resin.
* Fuel gas used for energy is created from off-gas produced in the process.
** Nitrogen data is from ecoinvent and is adapted to U.S. conditions. Nitrogen is an ancillary material input.
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Technological Scope
The two main technologies used to manufacture polypropylene are the bulk slurry and the
gas-phase processes. Spheripol, a type of bulk slurry technology, and Unipol, a type of gas-
phase technology are used by the data providers. According to an article on Plastics
Insight4, of the world production of PP resin, 39 percent of PP resin manufacturers used
Spheripol, while 16 percent of PP manufacturers used the Unipol technology. A number of
other patented technologies are used at a lower percentage. No information was found
about the representativeness of those percentages within North America.
In the bulk slurry technology, polymerization is carried out in liquid propylene in tubular
loop reactors5.Catalysts and liquid propylene are continually fed into a prepolymerization
reactor, then sent to a series of bulk loop reactors to form PP granules. Small amounts of
hydrogen are added to control PP properties. Any excess propylene monomer is removed
from the polymer granules using vaporization operations6. The monomer stream is purified
and recycled to the reactor. The remaining PP granules are then sent to extrusion for
pelletization.
The gas-phase technology uses a fluidized bed reactor framework7 (Chem Eng, May, 2013).
The propylene feedstock is degassed to rid it of any oxygen or other unwanted materials.
The feedstock is then cooled and sent to a dryer before it is sent to the gas-stage
polymerization reactor. Small amounts of hydrogen are added to control the properties of
the PP. The polymer is taken out intermittently from the reactor using separators. The
excess monomer propylene is recycled back to the reactor. The polypropylene is removed
from the separators as a powder. These PP granules are sent to extrusion for pelletization.
Temporal and Geographic Scope
To assess the quality of the data collected for PP, the collection method, technology, industry
representation, time period, and geography were considered. The data collection methods
for PP include direct measurements, information provided by purchasing and utility records,
and estimates. The technology represented by the PP data represents a combination of the
liquid monomer and gas phase processes. All data submitted for PP represent the years
2015-2016 and production in U.S.
For the PP resin primary data, companies were requested to provide data for the year 2015,
the most recent full year of PP resin production prior to the project initiation date.
Companies providing data were given the option to collect data from the year preceding or
following 2015 if either year would reflect more typical production conditions. Two
companies provided data for the year 2015, and one company provided data for the year
4
Plastics Insight. All About Polypropylene (PP): Production, Price, Market & its Properties. Available at
https://www.plasticsinsight.com/resin-intelligence/resin-prices/polypropylene/
5
Chem Eng (Sept 2013). Propylene Bulk Phase Process. Chemical Engineering. September 1, 2013
6
Lyondellbasell. Lyondellbasell brochure from www.lyondellbasell.com/technology. Accessed 2020.
7
Chem Eng (May 2013) Propylene Production via Gas-Phase Process. Chemical Engineering. May 1, 2013
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2016. After reviewing individual company data in comparison to the average, each
manufacturer verified data from 2015-2016 was representative of an average year for PP
resin production at their company.
The geographic scope of the analysis is the manufacture of PP resin in North America. All PP
resin data collected were from plants in the United States and some input materials were
modeled using North American databases such as the U.S. LCI database and Franklin
Associates’ private database, as well as ecoinvent. All datasets from ecoinvent were adapted
to U.S. conditions to the extent possible (e.g., by using U.S. average grid electricity to model
production of process electricity reported in the European data sets). The U.S. electricity grid
from 2016 was taken from information in Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated
Database (eGRID) 2016 database.
Exclusions from the Scope
The following are not included in the study:
• Miscellaneous materials and additives. Selected materials such as catalysts,

pigments, ancillary materials, or other additives which total less than one percent by
weight of the net process inputs are typically not included in assessments. Omitting
miscellaneous materials and additives keeps the scope of the study focused. It is
possible that production of some substances used in small amounts may be energy
and resource intensive or may release toxic emissions; however, the impacts would
have to be very large in proportion to their mass in order to significantly affect overall
results and conclusions. For this study, no use of resource-intensive or high-toxicity
chemicals or additives was identified. Therefore, the results for the resin are not
expected to be understated by any significant amount due to substances that may be
used in small amounts.
• Capital equipment, facilities, and infrastructure. The energy and wastes
associated with the manufacture of buildings, roads, pipelines, motor vehicles,
industrial machinery, etc. are not included. The energy and emissions associated with
production of capital equipment, facilities, and infrastructure generally become
negligible when averaged over the total output of product or service provided over
their useful lifetimes.
• Space conditioning. The fuels and power consumed to heat, cool, and light
manufacturing establishments are omitted from the calculations when possible. For
manufacturing plants that carry out thermal processing or otherwise consume large
amounts of energy, space conditioning energy is quite low compared to process
energy. The data collection forms developed for this project specifically requested
that the data provider either exclude energy use for space conditioning or indicate if
the reported energy requirements included space conditioning. Energy use for space
conditioning, lighting, and other overhead activities is not expected to make a
significant contribution to total energy use for the resin system.
• Support personnel requirements. The energy and wastes associated with research
and development, sales, and administrative personnel or related activities have not
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been included in this study. Similar to space conditioning, energy requirements and
related emissions are assumed to be quite small for support personnel activities.
INVENTORY AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT RESULTS CATEGORIES
The full inventory of emissions generated in an LCA study is lengthy and diverse, making it
difficult to interpret emissions profiles in a concise and meaningful manner. LCIAs helps to
interpret of the emissions inventory. LCIA is defined in ISO 14044 Section 3.4 as the “phase
of life cycle assessment aimed at understanding and evaluating the magnitude and
significance of the potential environmental impacts for a product system throughout the life
cycle of the product.” In the LCIA phase, the inventory of emissions is first classified into
categories in which the emissions may contribute to impacts on human health or the
environment. Within each impact category, the emissions are then normalized to a common
reporting basis, using characterization factors that express the impact of each substance
relative to a reference substance.
The LCI and LCIA results categories and methods applied in this study are displayed in Table
1. This study addresses global, regional, and local impact categories. For most of the impact
categories examined, the TRACI 2.1 method, developed by the United States Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) specific to U.S. conditions and updated in 2012, is employed.8 For
the category of Global Warming Potential (GWP), contributing elementary flows are
characterized using factors reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
(IPCC) in 2013 with a 100 year time horizon.9 In addition, the following LCI results are
included in the results reported in the analysis:
• Energy demand: this method is a cumulative inventory of all forms of energy used for
processing energy, transportation energy, and feedstock energy. This analysis reports
both total energy demand and non-renewable energy demand. Renewable and non-
renewable energy demand are reported separately to assess consumption of fuel
resources that can be depleted, while total energy demand is used as an indicator of
overall consumption of resources with energy value. Energy is also categorized by
individual fuel types, as well as by process/fuel vs. feedstock energy.
• Total solid waste is assessed as a sum of the inventory values associated with this
category. This category is also broken into hazardous and non-hazardous wastes and
their end-of-life (e.g. incineration, waste-to-energy, or landfill).
• Water consumption is assessed as a sum of the inventory values associated with this
category and does not include any assessment of water scarcity issues.
8 Bare, J. C. Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts
(TRACI), Version 2.1 - User’s Manual; EPA/600/R-12/554 2012.
9 IPCC, 2013: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fifth
Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Stocker, T.F., D. Qin, G.-K. Plattner,
M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley (eds.)]. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 2013.
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Table 1. Summary of LCI/LCIA Impact Categories
Impact/Inventory LCIA/LCI
Description Unit
Category Methodology
Measures the total energy from point of Million (MM) Cumulative

Total energy
extraction; results include both renewable Btu and energy
demand
and non-renewable energy sources. megajoule (MJ) inventory
Cumulative
Non-renewable Measures the fossil and nuclear energy from
MM Btu and MJ energy
energy demand point of extraction.
inventory
Cumulative
LCI Categories
Renewable Measures the hydropower, solar, wind, and

MM Btu and MJ energy
energy demand other renewables, including landfill gas use.
inventory
Measures quantity of fuel and process waste

Cumulative
Solid waste by to a specific fate (e.g., landfill, waste-to-
Lb and kg solid waste
weight energy (WTE)) for final disposal on a mass
inventory
basis
Freshwater withdrawals which are Cumulative

Water evaporated, incorporated into products and Gallons and water
consumption waste, transferred to different watersheds, or Liters consumption
disposed into the land or sea after usage inventory
Lb CO 2
Represents the heat trapping capacity of the
Global warming equivalents (eq) IPCC (2013)
greenhouse gases. Important emissions: CO 2
potential and kg CO 2 GWP 100a*
fossil, CH4, N2O
equivalents (eq)
Quantifies the acidifying effect of substances

Acidification Lb SO 2 eq and kg
on their environment. Important emissions: TRACI v2.1
potential SO 2 eq
SO 2, NO x, NH3, HCl, HF, H2S
Assesses impacts from excessive load of

macro-nutrients to the environment.
LCIA Categories
Eutrophication Lb N eq and kg N
Important emissions: NH 3, NO x, chemical TRACI v2.1
potential eq
oxygen demand (COD) and biochemical
oxygen demand (BOD), N and P compounds
Measures stratospheric ozone depletion. Lb CFC-11 eq

Ozone depletion
Important emissions: chlorofluorocarbon and kg CFC-11 TRACI v2.1
potential
(CFC) compounds and halons eq
Determines the formation of reactive
substances (e.g. tropospheric ozone) that
cause harm to human health and vegetation.
Smog formation Important emissions: NO x, benzene, toluene, Lb kg O 3 eq and
TRACI v2.1
potential ethylbenzene, xylene (BTEX), non-methane kg O 3 eq
volatile organic compound (NMVOC), CH 4,
C2H6, C4H10, C3H8, C6H14, acetylene, Et-OH,
formaldehyde
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DATA SOURCES
The purpose of this study is to develop a life cycle profile for PP resin using the most recent
data available for each process. A weighted average was calculated for the PP resin data
(production for the year 2015-2016) collected for this analysis. The propylene data was also
calculated from an average of primary datasets for 2015. Secondary data was researched in
2017 for crude oil extraction and refining and natural gas production and processing. All
included processes are shown in Figure 2.
LCI data for the production of PP resin were collected from three producers (three plants) in
North America –the United States and Canada. All companies provided data for the years
2015-2016. A weighted average was calculated from the data collected and used to develop
the LCA model. The captured PP resin production amount is approximately 16 percent10 of
the PP resin production in the U.S. in 2015. Only small amounts of off-spec and trim product
are coproducts of PP resin production, and a mass basis was used to allocate environmental
burdens among the coproducts.
LCI data for the production of olefins, including propylene, were collected from three
producers (ten plants) in North America – all in the United States. All companies provided
data for the year 2015. A weighted average was calculated from the data collected and used
to develop the LCA model. Propylene is a coproduct of ethylene production, and a mass basis
was used to allocate the environmental burdens among these coproducts.
DATA QUALITY ASSESSMENT
ISO 14044:2006 lists a number of data quality requirements that should be addressed for
studies intended for use in public comparative assertions. The data quality goals for this
analysis were to use data that are (1) geographically representative for the PP resin is based
on the locations where material sourcing and production take place, and (2) representative
of current industry practices in these regions. As described in the previous section, three
companies each provided current, geographically representative data for all primary PP data
collected for this LCA.
The incoming material and fuel datasets for PP manufacture were either updated using
geographical and technologically relevant data from government or privately available
statistics/studies within the US or drawn from either The Greenhouse Gases, Regulated
Emissions, and Energy Use in Transportation (GREET) Model or ecoinvent11. Datasets from
ecoinvent were adapted to U.S. conditions to the extent possible (e.g., by using U.S. average
grid electricity to model production of process electricity reported in the European data
sets). The nitrogen input for PP resin is the only process from secondary sources. The data
10
American Chemistry Council, Resin Review 2016. Franklin Associates calculations.
11 Wernet, G., Bauer, C., Steubing, B., Reinhard, J., Moreno-Ruiz, E., and Weidema, B., 2016. The ecoinvent
database version 3 (part I): overview and methodology. The International Journal of Life Cycle
Assessment, [online] 21(9), pp.1218–1230. Available at: <http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11367-
016-1087-8> [Accessed Sept, 2018].
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sets used were the most current and most geographically and technologically relevant data
sets available during the data collection phase of the project.
Consistency, Completeness, Precision: Data evaluation procedures and criteria were

applied consistently to all primary data provided by the participating producers for all data
collected. All primary data obtained specifically for this study were considered the most
representative available for the systems studied. Data sets were reviewed for completeness
and material balances, and follow-up was conducted as needed to resolve any questions
about the input and output flows, process technology, etc. The aggregated averaged datasets
were also reviewed by the providing companies as compared to the provided dataset.
Companies were requested to review whether their data were complete and to comment
about their or the average dataset.
Representativeness: PP resin manufactured in North America is produced using either a

bulk slurry process or gas process within the United States. The three companies provided
data from their facilities using technology ranging from average to state-of-the-art.
Approximately two-thirds of the total PP resin produced by the data providers come from
the solution technology. According to 2015 PP resin capacity statistics by IHS Markit12, 16
percent of the PP capacity globally is accounted to gas-phase technology with solution
technology making up 39 percent, while other technologies are used in smaller amounts;
however, it is unknown if this is representative of North America specifically.
The LCI data for the olefins system is shown in the appendix of a separate report, Cradle-to-
Gate Life Cycle Analysis of Olefins13. Primary data were collected from propylene
manufacturers from the year 2015. Companies providing data were given the option to
collect data from the year preceding or following 2015 if either year would reflect more
typical production conditions. After reviewing individual company data in comparison to
the average, each manufacturer verified data from 2015 was a representative year for
propylene production in North America.
LCI data from the sources of input materials specific to each company providing data was
not available for this analysis. Average U.S. statistics were used for refined petroleum
products and processed natural gas to develop the average olefins unit process data. As
impacts from crude oil and natural gas may vary depending on transportation requirements
some variability in data and impact on LCA results should be expected.
The average PP resin unit process data was based on the best available data at the time the
study was conducted. As in all LCA studies, the ability to develop a representative average
is determined by the number of companies willing to participate. Data from this analysis was
12 Plastics Insight. All About Polypropylene (PP): Production, Price, Market & its Properties. 2016 data.
https://www.plasticsinsight.com/resin-intelligence/resin-prices/polypropylene/
13
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used to develop the most representative average for PP resin production in 2015-2016 as
was possible.
Reproducibility: To maximize transparency and reproducibility, the report identifies

specific data sources, assumptions, and approaches used in the analysis to the extent
possible; however, reproducibility of study results is limited to some extent by the need to
protect certain data sets that were judged to be high quality and representative data sets for
modeling purposes but could not be shown due to confidentiality.
Order of Magnitude: In some cases, emissions data were reported by fewer than three
companies. To indicate known emissions while protecting the confidentiality of individual
company responses, the emission is reported only as an order of magnitude. An order of
magnitude of a number is the smallest power of 10 used to represent that number. For
example, if the average of two data points for a particular emission is 2.5E-4, the amount
would be shown as 1.0E-4 to ensure confidentiality of the data providers but allow the
impact assessment tool to include a close estimate of the amount within any pertinent impact
categories. When order of magnitude is used in the LCI data shown in the Appendix of this
report, it is clearly noted by an asterisk next to the amount.
Uncertainty: Uncertainty issues and uncertainty thresholds applied in interpreting study

results are described in the following section.
DATA ACCURACY AND UNCERTAINTY
In LCA studies with thousands of numeric data points used in the calculations, the accuracy
of the data and how it affects conclusions is truly a complex subject, and one that does not
lend itself to standard error analysis techniques. Techniques such as Monte Carlo analysis
can be used to assess study uncertainty, but the greatest challenge is the lack of uncertainty
data or probability distributions for key parameters, which are often only available as single
point estimates. However, steps are taken to ensure the reliability of data and results, as
previously described.
The accuracy of the environmental results depends on the accuracy of the numbers that are
combined to arrive at that conclusion. For some processes, the data sets are based on actual
plant data reported by plant personnel, while other data sets may be based on engineering
estimates or secondary data sources. Primary data collected from actual facilities are
considered the best available data for representing industry operations. In this study,
primary data were used to model the PP resin and steam cracking of the olefins. All data
received were carefully evaluated before compiling the production-weighted average data
sets used to generate results. Supporting background data were drawn from credible, widely
used databases including the US LCI database, GREET, and ecoinvent.
METHOD
The LCA has been conducted following internationally accepted standards for LCA as
outlined in the ISO 14040 and 14044 standards, which provide guidance and requirements
2.28.21 4031.00.002
for conducting LCA studies. However, for some specific aspects of LCA, the ISO standards
have some flexibility and allow for choices to be made. The following sections describe the
approach to each issue used in this study. Many of these issues are specific to the olefins
produced at the steam crackers.
Raw Materials Use for Internal Energy in Steam Crackers
Some of the raw material inputs to the steam cracker create gases that are combusted to
provide energy for the steam cracker, decreasing the amount of purchased energy required
for the reaction. Data providers listed this energy as fuel gas or off-gas and, in many cases,
supplied the heating value of this gas. Using this information, Franklin Associates calculated
the amount of raw material combusted within the steam cracker to produce this utilized
energy source.
This internally-created energy is included in the analysis by including the production of the
raw materials combusted to produce the energy as well as the energy amount attributed to
the combustion of those raw materials. Unlike the raw materials that become part of the
product output mass, no material feedstock energy is assigned to the raw materials inputs
that are combusted within the process.
Coproduct Allocation
An important feature of life cycle inventories is that the quantification of inputs and outputs
are related to a specific amount of useful output from a process. However, it is sometimes
difficult or impossible to identify which inputs and outputs are associated with individual
products of interest resulting from a single process (or process sequence) that produces
multiple useful products. The practice of allocating inputs and outputs among multiple
products from a process is often referred to as coproduct allocation.
Environmental burdens are allocated among the coproducts when raw materials and
emissions cannot be directly attributed to one of several product outputs from a system. It
has long been recognized that the practice of allocating the environmental burdens among
the coproducts is less desirable than being able to identify which inputs lead to specific
outputs. In this study, co-product allocations are necessary because of multiple useful
outputs from the “upstream” chemical process involved in producing PP resin and olefins.
Franklin Associates follows the guidelines for allocating the environmental burdens among
the coproducts as shown in the ISO 14044:2006 standard on life cycle assessment
requirements and guidelines14. In this standard, the preferred hierarchy for handling
allocation is (1) avoid allocation where possible, (2) allocate flows based on direct physical
relationships to product outputs, (3) use some other relationship between elementary flows
and product output. No single allocation method is suitable for every scenario. As described
14
International Standards Organization. ISO 14044:2006, Environmental management – Life cycle
assessment – Requirements and guidelines.
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in ISO 14044 section 4.3.4.2, when allocation cannot be avoided, the preferred partitioning
approach should reflect the underlying physical relationships between the different
products or functions.
Material Coproducts
Some processes lend themselves to physical allocation because they have physical
parameters that provide a good representation of the environmental burdens of each co-
product. Examples of various allocation methods are mass, stoichiometric, elemental,
reaction enthalpy, and economic allocation. Simple mass and enthalpy allocation have been
chosen as the common forms of allocation in this analysis. However, these allocation
methods were not chosen as a default choice but made on a case by case basis after due
consideration of the chemistry and basis for production.
Material coproducts were created in all the intermediate chemical process steps collected
for this analysis, as well as the primary PP resin production. The material coproducts from
ethylene production for all plants included propylene, pyrolysis gasoline, butadiene, ethane,
hydrogen, acetylene, crude benzene, and small amounts of various heavy end products. The
material coproducts from PP resin production include off-spec and trim scrap.
A portion of the inputs and outputs calculated for the coproducts were removed from the
total inputs and outputs, so that the remaining inputs and outputs only represented the main
product in each unit process. The ratio of the mass of the coproduct over the total mass
output was removed from the total inputs and outputs of the process, and the remaining
inputs and outputs are allocated over the material products (Equation 1).
𝑀𝐶𝑃
[𝐼𝑂] × (1 − ) = [𝐼𝑂] 𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑏𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡𝑠 (Equation 1)
𝑀𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙
where
IO = Input/Output Matrix to produce all products/coproducts
MCP = Mass of Coproduct
MTotal = Mass of all Products and Coproducts
Energy Coproducts Exported from System Boundaries
Some of the unit processes produce energy either as a fuel coproduct or as steam created
from the process that is sent to another plant for use. To the extent possible, system
expansion to avoid allocation was used as the preferred approach in the ISO 14044:2006
standard. Fuels or steam exported from the boundaries of the system would replace
purchased fuels for another process outside the system. System expansion credits were
given for avoiding the energy-equivalent quantity of fuel production and combustion
displaced by the exported coproduct energy.
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Electricity Grid Fuel Profile
Electricity production and distribution systems in North America are interlinked. Users of
electricity, in general, cannot specify the fuels used to produce their share of the electric
power grid. Data for this analysis was collected from plants in the United States. The U.S.
average fuel consumption by electrical utilities was used for the electricity within this
analysis. This electricity data set uses the Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated
Database (eGRID) 2016 database 15.
Electricity generated on-site at a manufacturing facility is represented in the process data by

the fuels used to produce it. If a portion of on-site generated electricity is sold to the
electricity grid, credits for sold on-site electricity are accounted for in the calculations for the
fuel mix.
Electricity/Heat Cogeneration
Cogeneration is the use of steam for generation of both electricity and heat. The most
common configuration is to generate high temperature steam in a cogeneration boiler and
use that steam to generate electricity. The steam exiting the electricity turbines is then used
as a process heat source for other operations. Significant energy savings occur because in a
conventional operation, the steam exiting the electricity generation process is condensed,
and the heat is dissipated to the environment.
For LCI purposes, the fuel consumed and the emissions generated by the cogeneration boiler
need to be allocated to the two energy-consuming processes: electricity generation and
subsequent process steam. An energy basis was used for allocation in this analysis.
In order to allocate fuel consumption and environmental emissions to both electricity and
steam generation, the share of the two forms of energy (electrical and thermal) produced
must be correlated to the quantity of fuel consumed by the boiler. Data on the quantity of
fuel consumed and the associated environmental emissions from the combustion of the fuel,
the amount of electricity generated, and the thermal output of the steam exiting electricity
generation must be known in order to allocate fuel consumption and environmental
emissions accordingly. These three types of data are discussed below.
1. Fuels consumed and emissions generated by the boiler: The majority of

data providers for this study reported natural gas as the fuel used for
cogeneration. According to 2016 industry statistics, natural gas accounted for
75 percent of industrial cogeneration, while coal and biomass accounted for
the largest portion of the remaining fuels used16.
15
Online database found at: https://www.epa.gov/energy/emissions-generation-resource-integrated-
database-egrid
16
U.S. Department of Energy. Combined Heat and Power (CHP) Technical Potential in the United States. March
2016.
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2. Kilowatt-Hours of Electricity Generated: In this analysis, the data providers
reported the kilowatt-hours of electricity from cogeneration. The Btu of fuel
required for this electricity generation was calculated by multiplying the
kilowatt-hours of electricity by 6,826 Btu/kWh (which utilizes a thermal to
electrical conversion efficiency of 50 percent). This Btu value was then divided
by the Btu value of fuel consumed in the cogeneration boiler to determine the
electricity allocation factor.
The 50 percent conversion efficiency was an estimate after reviewing EIA fuel
consumption and electricity net generation data from cogeneration plants in
2016.17 The straight average conversion efficiency for 2016 for electricity
production in cogeneration plants within this database is a little more than 55
percent; however, the range of efficiency calculated per individual
cogeneration plant was 23% to 87%. The 50 percent estimate of conversion
efficiency was used previously in the 2011 database and so was estimated for
continued use within this analysis, due to the variability of the individual
cogeneration plants. Unit process data for cogeneration of electricity is
provided by kWh, so that a change of efficiency could easily be applied during
modeling.
3. Thermal Output of Steam Exiting Electricity Generation: In this analysis,

the data providers stated the pounds and pressure of steam from
cogeneration. The thermal output (in Btu) of this steam was calculated from
enthalpy tables (in most cases steam ranged from 1,000 to 1,200 Btu/lb). An
efficiency of 80 percent was used for the industrial boiler to calculate the
amount of fuel used. This Btu value was then divided by the Btu value of fuel
consumed in the cogeneration boiler to determine the steam allocation factor.
The 80 percent efficiency used is common for a conventional natural gas
boiler, which should not change when considering the steam portion of the
cogeneration system. Pounds of steam, temperature and pressure were
provided by participating plants. Steam tables were used to calculate energy
amounts, which was divided by the efficiency and converted to natural gas
amounts in cubic feet.
17
U.S. Department of Energy, The Energy Information Administration (EIA). EIA-923 Monthly Generation and
Fuel Consumption Time Series File, 2016 Final Revision
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LIFE CYCLE INVENTORY AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT RESULTS
This section presents baseline results for the following LCI and LCIA results for both 1,000
pounds and 1,000 kilograms of PP:
Life cycle inventory results:

• Cumulative energy demand
• Non-renewable energy demand
• Renewable energy demand
• Total energy by fuel type
• Solid waste by weight
• Water consumption
Life cycle impact assessment results:

• Global warming potential
• Acidification potential
• Eutrophication potential
• Ozone depletion potential
• Smog formation potential
Throughout the results sections, the tables and figures break out system results into the
following unit processes, for PP:
• Cradle-to-incoming materials – includes the raw materials through the production of

propylene inputs
• PP resin production – is the gate-to-gate unit process and includes the production of fuels
& nitrogen used in the process.
Tables and figures are provided for PP in each inventory and impact category section in this
report. The phrases “cradle-to- “and “system” are defined as including all of the raw and
intermediate chemicals required for the production of the chemical/resin stated in the term
(e.g. cradle-to-PP and PP system are interchangeable). The phrase “gate-to-gate” is defined
as including only the onsite process/fuels/nitrogen.
ENERGY DEMAND
Cumulative Energy Demand
Cumulative energy demand results include all renewable and non-renewable energy sources
used for process and transportation energy, as well as material feedstock energy. Process
energy includes direct use of fuels, including the use of fossil fuels, hydropower, nuclear,
wind, solar, and other energy sources to generate electricity used by processes. Fuel energy
is the energy necessary to create and transport the fuels to the processes. The feedstock
energy is the energy content of the resources removed from nature and used as material
2.28.21 4031.00.002
feedstocks for the olefins production (e.g., the energy content of oil and gas used as material
feedstocks), which is the main input to PP resin.
The average total energy required to produce PP is 32.5 million Btu per 1,000 pounds of PP
resin or 75.5 GJ per 1,000 kilograms of PP resin. Table 2 shows total energy demand for the
life cycle of PP resin production. The PP resin production energy has been split out from the
energy required for incoming materials, including the production of propylene, natural gas
production and processing, and petroleum extraction and refining. Only 6 percent of the total
energy is required to produce the PP resin itself. The remaining 94 percent is used to create
the incoming materials and their raw materials.
Table 2. Total Energy Demand for PP Resin
Basis: 1,000 pounds

Non-
Renewable
Total Energy Renewable
Energy
Energy
MM Btu MM Btu MM Btu
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 30.6 30.6 0.031
Virgin PP Resin Production 1.86 1.81 0.050
Total 32.5 32.4 0.081
Basis: 1,000 kilograms
Non-
Renewable
Energy
Energy
GJ GJ GJ
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 71.2 71.1 0.073
Virgin PP Resin Production 4.33 4.21 0.12
Total 75.5 75.3 0.19
Percentage
Non-
Renewable
Energy
Energy
% % %
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 94.3% 94.2% 0.1%
Virgin PP Resin Production 5.7% 5.6% 0.2%
Total 100% 99.8% 0.2%
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Non-renewable energy demand includes the use of fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, and
coal) for process energy, transportation energy, and as material feedstocks (e.g., oil and gas
used as feedstocks for the production of the propylene), as well as use of uranium to generate
the share of nuclear energy in the average U.S. kWh. For the PP resin, 99.8 percent of the total
energy comes from non-renewable sources. The renewable energy demand consists of
landfill gas used for process energy in olefins production and electricity derived from
renewable energy sources (primarily hydropower, as well as wind, solar, and other sources).
The renewable energy (0.19 GJ/1000 kg) used at the PP resin plant comes solely from
nuclear, hydropower and other renewable sources (geothermal, solar, etc.) from electricity
production.
The energy representing natural gas and petroleum used as raw material inputs for the
production of propylene used to produce PP resin are included in the cradle-to-incoming
material amounts in Table 2. The energy inherent in these raw materials are called material
feedstock energy. Of the total energy (75.5 GJ) for 1,000 kg of PP resin, 51.2 GJ is material
feedstock energy. Figure 3 provides the breakdown of the percentage of total energy
required for material feedstock energy versus the process and fuel energy amounts needed
to produce the PP resin. Approximately 68 percent of the total energy is inherent energy in
the natural gas and petroleum used as a feedstock to create propylene, which in turn is used
to create PP resin. Of the feedstock sources for propylene, 87 percent come from natural gas,
while 13 percent of the feedstock sources come from oil.
Figure 3. Process/Fuel and Material Feedstock Percentages for PP Resin
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Energy Demand by Fuel Type
The total energy demand by fuel type for PP is shown in Table 3 and the percentage mix is
shown in Figure 4. Natural gas and petroleum together make up almost 98 percent of the
total energy used. As shown in Figure 3, this is partially due to the material feedstock energy
used to create the propylene, which is the main input to PP resin. These material feedstock
fuels are part of the energy shown in the natural gas and petroleum split out in the following
table and figure. The gate-to-gate production energy for PP resin in the following table and
figure represents the energy required for transportation of raw materials to PP
manufacturers, the energy required to produce the PP resin, and the production of the fuels
and nitrogen needed to manufacture the PP.
Petroleum-based fuels (e.g. diesel fuel) are the dominant energy source for transportation.
Natural gas, coal, and other fuel types, such as hydropower, nuclear and other (geothermal,
wind, etc.) are used to generate purchased electricity. Other renewables include a small
amount of landfill gas used for process energy in olefins production.
Of the results for PP resin production shown in Table 3 and Figure 4, 87 percent of the energy
used (65.9 GJ/75.5 GJ) is from natural gas. At the PP resin plant, 70 percent of the energy
used (3.03 GJ/4.33 GJ) comes from natural gas. Of that natural gas used at the PP resin plant,
over 40 percent is combusted on-site, while more than 50 percent is required to create
electricity either through the grid or through a nearby cogeneration plant. Petroleum
comprises approximately 10 percent (7.76 GJ/75.5 GJ) of the fuel used for the PP resin
production system. Three-quarters of the petroleum for the PP plant is combusted to create
electricity, while much of the remainder is used to produce the nitrogen used in the process.
Most of the coal use shown is combusted for electricity use. The 2016 U.S. electricity grid is
used for this study. In this grid, approximately 30 percent of the electricity production in the
US uses coal as a fuel source, while a third of the grid comes from natural gas and 20 percent
from uranium. The hydropower, nuclear, and other energy are all used to create electricity,
with the exception of a small amount of landfill gas used in the olefins production shown
within other renewables.
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Table 3. Energy Demand by Fuel Type for PP Resin
Basis: 1,000 pounds
Other
Total Energy Natural Gas Petroleum Coal Nuclear Hydropower
Renewable
MM Btu MM Btu MM Btu MM Btu MM Btu MM Btu MM Btu
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 30.6 27.0 3.32 0.14 0.092 0.0097 0.022
Virgin PP Resin Production 1.86 1.30 0.016 0.29 0.20 0.021 0.029
Total 32.5 28.3 3.33 0.43 0.29 0.031 0.051
Other
Renewable
GJ GJ GJ GJ GJ GJ GJ
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 71.2 62.9 7.72 0.32 0.21 0.023 0.051
Virgin PP Resin Production 4.33 3.03 0.038 0.68 0.46 0.049 0.069
Total 75.5 65.9 7.76 1.00 0.67 0.071 0.12
Percentage of Total
Other
Renewable
% % % % % % %
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 94.3% 83% 10% 0.4% 0.3% 0.03% 0.07%
Virgin PP Resin Production 5.7% 4.0% 0.1% 0.9% 0.6% 0.06% 0.09%
Total 100% 87% 10% 1.3% 0.9% 0.1% 0.2%
Figure 4. Percentage of Energy Separated by Fuel Type for PP Resin
SOLID WASTE
Solid waste results include the following types of wastes:
• Process wastes that are generated by the various processes from raw material
acquisition through production of the olefins (e.g., sludges and residues from chemical
reactions and material processing steps)
• Fuel-related wastes from the production and combustion of fuels used for process
energy and transportation energy (e.g., refinery wastes, coal combustion ash)
2.28.21 4031.00.002
No postconsumer wastes of the PP resin are included in this analysis as no product is made
from the material in the analysis boundaries.
The process solid waste, those wastes produced directly from the production of materials,
includes wastes that are incinerated both for disposal and for waste-to-energy, as well as
landfilled. Some wastes that are recycled/reused or land applied are not included as solid
wastes, and no credit is given. The categories of disposal type have been provided separately
where possible. Solid wastes from fuel combustion (e.g. ash) are assumed to be landfilled.
Results for solid waste by weight for the PP resin system are shown in Table 4 and Figure 5.
The solid wastes have been separated into hazardous and non-hazardous waste categories,
as well as by the cradle-to-incoming materials and the PP plant. As shown in Figure 5, only
21 percent of the total solid waste is created during the PP resin unit process. Three-quarters
of this amount comes from fuels combusted for the electricity used in the plant or for
nitrogen production, while only 4 percent of the gate-to-gate PP plant amount is process
solid waste.
The majority of solid waste, 79 percent, comes from the production of incoming materials
used to produce PP resin. Approximately 87 percent of the raw materials used to create
olefins are a product of natural gas processing, with the remaining 13 percent of those raw
materials from crude oil refining products. Overall, the solid wastes associated with oil and
natural gas extraction make up almost 60 percent of the total solid wastes. The olefins plant
process wastes make up approximately 12 percent of the total solid wastes.
Solid wastes are shown separated by hazardous and non-hazardous wastes in Table 4. This
separation was done only where primary data was collected, or if a secondary data source
was clear that the solid waste was of a hazardous nature. The process solid wastes from oil
and natural gas were classified as non-hazardous due to exclusions found in RCRA hazardous
wastes regulations or other EPA hazardous wastes regulations. No solid wastes were stated
as hazardous in the data sources for oil and gas. Only 2.3 percent of the total solid wastes
were considered hazardous wastes. Of that percentage, about half comes from the olefins
plant and half comes from the PP plant.
Table 4 also provides a breakout of the total solid wastes by the disposal fate. Of the
hazardous waste, 92 percent is incinerated without energy capture, while much of the
remainder is sent to waste-to-energy. Focusing specifically on the non-hazardous solid waste
produced, 91 percent of the non-hazardous solid waste is landfilled, while much of the
remainder is incinerated without energy capture.
2.28.21 4031.00.002
Table 4. Total Solid Wastes for PP Resin
Basis: 1,000 pounds
Hazardous Wastes Non-Hazardous Wastes
Waste-to- Hazardous Waste-to- Non-Hazardous

Total Solid Waste Incineration Landfill Incineration Landfill
Energy Waste Total Energy Waste Total
lb lb lb lb lb lb lb lb lb
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 50.7 0 1.35 0.0035 1.35 5.9E-04 5.78 43.6 49.3
Virgin PP Resin Production 13.5 0.12 0.005 0.0010 0.13 0 0 13.4 13.4
Total 64.2 0 1.35 0.0045 1.48 5.9E-04 5.78 57.0 62.8

kg kg kg kg kg kg kg kg kg
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 50.7 0 1.35 0.0035 1.35 5.9E-04 5.78 43.6 49.3
Virgin PP Resin Production 13.5 0.12 0.005 0.0010 0.13 0 0 13.4 13.4
Total 64.2 0.12 1.35 0.0045 1.48 5.9E-04 5.78 57.0 62.8
Percentage of Total

% % % % % % % % %
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 79% 0% 2.1% 0.006% 2.1% 0.001% 9.0% 68% 77%
Virgin PP Resin Production 21% 0.2% 0.0% 0.002% 0.2% 0% 0% 21% 21%
Total 100% 0.2% 2.1% 0.01% 2.3% 0.001% 9.0% 89% 98%
Figure 5. Percentage of Total Solid Wastes for PP Resin System
WATER CONSUMPTION
Consumptive use of water in this study includes freshwater that is withdrawn from a water
source or watershed and not returned to that source. Consumptive water use includes water
consumed in chemical reactions, water that is incorporated into a product or waste stream,
water that becomes evaporative loss, and water that is discharged to a different watershed
or water body than the one from which it was withdrawn. Water consumption results shown
for each life cycle stage include process water consumption as well as water consumption
associated with production of the electricity and fuels used in that stage. Electricity-related
water consumption includes evaporative losses associated with thermal generation of
electricity from fossil and nuclear fuels, as well as evaporative losses due to establishment
of dams for hydropower.
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Water consumption results for PP resin production are shown in Table 5 and Figure 6. The
greatest portion of consumption of water within the PP resin comes from the cradle-to-
incoming materials (58 percent). When looking at the individual unit processes, about 37
percent of the total is consumed at the olefins plant. The primary water consumption data
for olefins does include some plants that release water to a different watershed than the
initial water source, which is considered consumption in the methodology used. The PP resin
average data also includes some plants that release water to a different watershed. The PP
resin plant water consumption makes up one-third of the total and the water consumed
during natural gas extraction and processing comprises almost 14 percent of the total.
Another large contributor for water consumption is the electricity used during all processes
due to evaporative losses in the use of hydropower, which makes up approximately 12
percent of the total water consumption. The remaining water consumption comes from the
refining of crude oil and production of other fuels used.
Table 5. Water Consumption for PP Resin
Total Water Consumption

Basis: 1,000 Percentage of
Basis: 1,000 Pounds
kilograms Total
Gallons Liters %
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 635 5,300 58%
Virgin PP Resin Production 459 3,826 42%
Total 1,094 9,126 100%
Figure 6. Water Consumption for PP Resin
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GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL
The primary atmospheric emissions reported in this analysis that contribute over 99 percent
of the total global warming potential for each system are fossil fuel-derived carbon dioxide,
methane, and nitrous oxide. Other contributors include some HCFCs and CFCs, but these
contribute less than 1 percent of the total shown. Greenhouse gas emissions are mainly from
combustion. In the primary data collected for olefins and PP resin, combustion emissions
from flare have been included as process emissions and so their totals may be overstated by
small amounts due to the inclusion of combustion of fuel used during the flare. Data
providers were asked to estimate percentages of greenhouse gases from flare from that of
the combustion of fuels.
The 100-year global warming potential (GWP) factors for each of these substances as
reported in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 201318 are: fossil carbon
dioxide 1, fossil methane 28, and nitrous oxide 265. The GWP factor for a substance
represents the relative global warming contribution of a pound of that substance compared
to a pound of carbon dioxide. The weights of each greenhouse gas are multiplied by its GWP
factor to arrive at the total GWP results. Although normally GWP results are closely related
to the energy results, the feedstock energy is not associated with GWP due to the
sequestration of the feedstock material within the plastic. It is the potential energy
associated with the feedstock material, which is not combusted to create greenhouse gases.
In Table 6 and Figure 7, the life cycle GWP results for the PP resin system are displayed. Of
the total, 82 percent of the GWP are attributed to emissions from the incoming materials,
including natural gas and petroleum input materials and olefins (propylene) production,
with the remaining associated with the production of the PP resin. The largest amount of the
GWP is created by the production of propylene, which accounts for 45 percent of the total
GWP, which comes directly from the release of greenhouse gases at the olefins plant, much
of this from flares. About 19 percent of the total GWP are emissions associated with fuel use
and combustion of coal and natural gas in industrial and utility boilers. The natural gas
extraction, processing, and transport used as a material input to the olefins plant is one-
quarter of the total GWP. The process greenhouse gases released at the PP resin plants are
less than 1 percent of the total; this is due to flaring, which is considered a mix of process
and fuel-based emissions.
18
IPCC, 2013: Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to
the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Stocker, T.F., D.
Qin, G.-K. Plattner, M. Tignor, S.K. Allen, J. Boschung, A. Nauels, Y. Xia, V. Bex and P.M. Midgley
(eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 2013.
2.28.21 4031.00.002
Table 6. Global Warming Potential for PP Resin
Global Warming Potential

Basis: 1,000 Pounds
kilograms Total
lb CO2 eq kg CO2 eq %
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 1,275 1,275 82%
Virgin PP Resin Production 273 273 18%
Total 1,548 1,548 100%
Figure 7. Global Warming Potential for PP Resin
ACIDIFICATION POTENTIAL
Acidification assesses the potential of emissions to contribute to the formation and deposit
of acid rain on soil and water, which can cause serious harm to plant and animal life as well
as damage to infrastructure. Acidification potential modeling in TRACI incorporates the
results of an atmospheric chemistry and transport model, developed by the U.S. National
Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP), to estimate total North American
terrestrial deposition due to atmospheric emissions of NO x and SO2, as a function of the
emissions location.19,20
Acidification impacts are typically dominated by fossil fuel combustion emissions,

particularly sulfur dioxide (SO 2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Emissions from combustion of
fossil fuels, especially coal, to generate grid electricity is a significant contributor to
acidification impacts for the system. Also, emissions from the extraction and processing of
natural gas impact the AP category.
19
Bare JC, Norris GA, Pennington DW, McKone T. (2003). TRACI: The Tool for the Reduction and
Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts, Journal of Industrial Ecology, 6(3–4): 49–78.
Available at URL: http://mitpress.mit.edu/journals/pdf/jiec_6_3_49_0.pdf.
20
Bare JC. (2002). Developing a consistent decision-making framework by using the US EPA’s TRACI,
AICHE. Available at URL: http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/std/sab/traci/aiche2002paper.pdf.
2.28.21 4031.00.002
Table 7 shows total acidification potential (AP) results for the PP resin system. Results are
shown graphically in Figure 8. In the AP category, 18 percent of the AP is coming from PP
resin production and about 82 percent comes from the raw and intermediate material unit
processes. Most of the AP amount (69 percent) comes from the extraction and processing of
natural gas for materials and fuels, which is used to create 87 percent of the material inputs
to the propylene input. Sixteen percent, comes from the combustion of coal for electricity.
Almost 5 percent of the AP results come from emissions related to the production of
propylene. Less than 1 percent of the total AP comes directly from the PP resin production.
The greatest part of the 18 percent AP shown in Table 7 for virgin PP resin production comes
from electricity, fuel combustion or transport, with much of the rest coming from the
nitrogen production.
Table 7. Acidification Potential for PP Resin
Acidification Potential
Basis: 1,000 Pounds
kilograms Total
lb SO2 eq kg SO2 eq %
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 3.94 3.94 82%
Virgin PP Resin Production 0.87 0.87 18%
Total 4.81 4.81 100%
Figure 8. Acidification Potential for PP Resin
EUTROPHICATION POTENTIAL
Eutrophication occurs when excess nutrients (nitrates, phosphates) are introduced to

surface water causing the rapid growth of aquatic plants. Excess releases of these substances
2.28.21 4031.00.002
may provide undesired effects on the waterways.21 The TRACI characterization factors for
eutrophication are the product of a nutrient factor and a transport factor. 22 The nutrient
factor is based on the amount of plant growth caused by each pollutant, while the transport
factor accounts for the probability that the pollutant will reach a body of water. Atmospheric
emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) as well as waterborne emissions of nitrogen, phosphorus,
ammonia, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) are the
main contributors to eutrophication impacts.
Eutrophication potential (EP) results for PP resin are shown in Table 8 and illustrated in
Figure 9. The largest portion, over 90 percent, of the EP results come from the raw and
intermediate materials used to create PP resin. The extraction of natural gas for materials
and fuels releases approximately 69 percent of the emissions related to the EP impact. The
propylene plant process emissions comprise 14 percent of the EP impact results. The gate-
to-gate PP resin production generates 10 percent of the EP impact, with more than half of
that percentage representing the combustion of fuels for electricity and over 20 percent from
the combustion of natural gas in boilers. Only 1 percent of the total EP impact comes from
process emissions released at the PP plant.
Table 8. Eutrophication Potential for PP Resin
Eutrophication Potential
Basis: 1,000 Pounds
kilograms Total
lb N eq kg N eq %
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 0.24 0.24 90%
Total 0.26 0.26 100%
Figure 9. Eutrophication Potential for PP Resin

21
Bare, J. C. Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts
22
Bare JC, Norris GA, Pennington DW, McKone T. (2003). TRACI: The Tool for the Reduction and
Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts, Journal of Industrial Ecology, 6(3–4): 49–78.
Available at URL: http://mitpress.mit.edu/journals/pdf/jiec_6_3_49_0.pdf.
2.28.21 4031.00.002
OZONE DEPLETION POTENTIAL
Stratospheric ozone depletion (ODP) is the reduction of the protective ozone within the
stratosphere caused by emissions of ozone-depleting substance (e.g. CFCs and halons). The
ozone depletion impact category characterizes the potential to destroy ozone based on a
chemical’s reactivity and lifetime. Effects related to ozone depletion can include skin cancer,
cataracts, material damage, immune system suppression, crop damage, and other plant and
animal effects. For the PP resin system, the main sources of emissions contributing to ODP
are minute amounts of a few CFCs, HCFCs, and halons are emitted during the extraction of
petroleum, which is used as fuel and material in the production of olefins.
Table 9 shows total ODP results for the PP resin system, which are also shown graphically in
Figure 10. Ozone depletion results for the PP resin system are dominated by the crude oil
extraction and refining system at the propylene plant, contributing 99.4 percent of the total
ozone depletion impacts. The amount of the ODP shown as PP resin production is from the
production of petroleum-based fuels used within the plant. No emissions impacting ODP are
released at the PP plants. The 0.6 percent impact coming from PP resin production is for the
production of the petroleum fuels used in electricity and transport.
Table 9. Ozone Depletion Potential for PP Resin
Ozone Depletion Potential

Basis: 1,000 Pounds
kilograms Total
lb CFC-11 eq kg CFC-11 eq %
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 1.7E-06 1.7E-06 99.4%
Virgin PP Resin Production 1.0E-08 1.0E-08 0.6%
Total 1.8E-06 1.8E-06 100%
Figure 10. Ozone Depletion Potential for PP Resin
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PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG FORMATION
The photochemical smog formation (POCP) impact category characterizes the potential of
airborne emissions to cause photochemical smog. The creation of photochemical smog
occurs when sunlight reacts with NO x and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), resulting in
tropospheric (ground-level) ozone and particulate matter. Endpoints of such smog creation
can include increased human mortality, asthma, and deleterious effects on plant growth.23
Smog formation impact are generally dominated by emissions associated with fuel
combustion, so that impacts are higher for life cycle stages and components that have higher
process fuel and transportation fuel requirements. In this case, NOx makes up 96 percent of
the smog formation emissions, with VOCs consisting of over 3 percent.
Smog formation potential results for PP resin are displayed in Table 10 and illustrated in
Figure 11. Approximately 89% of the POCP impact results comes from the raw and
intermediate materials (cradle-to-propylene). The olefins plant releases just 6 percent of the
total emissions resulting the POCP. Three-quarters of the remainder of the total POCP impact
results are from the natural gas extraction and processing. Smaller amounts are also created
from the combustion of coal and the extraction of oil.
The remaining 11 percent of the POCP impact results is released from the PP resin
production process. Of that percentage, almost 60 percent of the POCP for the PP resin plant
comes from the use of electricity in the plant, which includes the combustion of natural gas
and coal at power plants and cogeneration plants. Approximately 1 percent of the total
emissions resulting in the POCP impact results are released at the PP resin plant as process
emissions. The remaining percentage in the PP resin production comes from combustion of
natural gas, production of nitrogen, or transport of incoming materials.
Table 10. Photochemical Smog Formation Potential for PP Resin
Photochemical Smog Potential

Basis: 1,000 Pounds
kilograms Total
lb O3 eq kg O3 eq %
Cradle-to-Incoming Materials 114 114 89%
Total 128 128 100%
23
Bare, J. C. Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts
2.28.21 4031.00.002
Figure 11. Photochemical Smog Formation Potential for PP Resin
COMPARISON OF 2021 AND 2011 LCI AND LCIA PP RESULTS
This section provides a comparison of life cycle inventory and impact assessment category
results that were included in the original virgin PP resin system24 with the current update.
These categories include total energy, non-renewable energy, renewable energy, total solid
waste, and global warming potential. No comparisons are available for water consumption,
solid waste broken out as hazardous and non-hazardous categories, acidification potential,
eutrophication potential, photochemical smog formation, or ozone depletion potential.
These categories were not included in the original study.
Table 11 shows the comparable LCI and LCIA categories for the 2011 and 2021 PP resin
results in both English and SI units and includes the percent difference for each category.
Percent difference between systems, discussed further below, is defined as the difference
between energy totals divided by the average of the two system totals. The results in Table
11 show a decrease in all categories. Note that in some cases, the decrease is small enough
not to be considered significantly different. Comparisons of these results have been analyzed
in this section focusing on the main differences causing the change in each category. It should
be noted that all figures in this section provide a percent increase or decrease above the
comparable bars, which is calculated as the difference between the totals divided by the
2011 value.
Based on the uncertainties in LCI energy data, energy differences between systems are not
considered meaningful unless the percent difference between system results is greater than
10 percent. The threshold guidelines are not intended to be interpreted as rigorous
statistical uncertainty analysis, but rather are provided as general guidelines for readers to
use when interpreting differences in system results, to ensure that undue importance is not
24
American Chemistry Council, Plastics Division, Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Inventory of Nine Plastic Resins
and Four Polyurethane Precursors. Prepared by Franklin Associates, A Division of ERG. August, 2011.
2.28.21 4031.00.002
placed on small differences that fall within the uncertainties of the underlying data. The solid
waste and GWP, which includes factors used to weight and convert the GHG emissions
released to an impact category, require a minimum 25 percent difference to consider results
significantly different.
Broadly, results differences between the two averaged datasets are predominantly due to
the use of additional companies and manufacturing plants when updating the propylene and
PP primary data. Each plant producing the same resin or chemical varies by the amounts of
input materials used, fuel types and amounts used, amounts of emissions released, etc. The
amalgamation of these changes lead to differences affecting the results. In the updated data,
PP resin and propylene are representative of the years 2015 and 2016. For propylene and
PP, some of the same plants provided data; however, some of the plants in the current
average were not included in the original data collection in 2004-2006. Additional plants
participated in the data collection for this update for the olefins. Also, the number of
companies participating in this update for the PP resin remained at 3; however, only one
plant that participated in collecting data for the previous analysis provided data for 2015-
2016.
Table 11. Comparison of 2011 and 2021 LCI and LCIA Results for Virgin PP Resin
1000 pounds of Virgin

Polypropylene Resin
LCI Results LCIA Results
Non-
Total Renewable Total Solid Global
Renewable
Energy Energy Waste* Warming
Energy
MM Btu MM Btu MM Btu lb lb CO 2 eq
PP 2021 32.5 32.4 0.08 62.8 1,548
PP 2011 33.1 33.0 0.12 85.0 1,860
1000 kilograms of Virgin
Polypropylene Resin
LCI Results LCIA Results
Non-
Total Renewable Total Solid Global
Renewable
Energy Energy Waste* Warming
Energy
GJ GJ GJ kg kg CO 2 eq
PP 2021 75.5 75.3 0.19 62.8 1,548
PP 2011 77.0 76.6 0.28 85.0 1,860
Percent Difference 2% 2% 39% 30% 18%
*Total Solid Waste excludes hazardous solid waste for 2021 as this category was not
included as Solid Waste in 2011.
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ENERGY COMPARISON
Overall, the total energy for PP resin has decreased 1.5 GJ on a 1,000 kg basis (0.6
MMBtu/1,000 lb). There is a 2 percent difference in total energy as compared to the original
results. This percentage is small and would not be considered significantly different due to
differences in the plants. When comparing the PP resin unit process average energy data,
data from the plant that were collected for both studies did decrease on this same magnitude
with some energy sources increasing by small amounts while others decreased by about the
same amount. Certainly, the addition of different plants into the analysis affected the change
in energy. Figure 12 provides a graphical perspective of the unit processes associated with
this energy decrease from the original energy amounts.
Figure 12. Decrease in Energy by Stage per 1,000 kg (GJ)
The energy of material resource, which pertains to the amount of inherent energy from the
raw materials increased by a small amount for PP resin due to the slight increased amount
of propylene input to the PP process compared to the data in the 2011 report. As the amount
of material resource energy increased, but the total energy still decreased, it can be
concluded that the difference in process energy decreased more than the 2 percent shown
in the total. It can also be concluded that this decrease is due to the energy decreases in the
energy requirements for the olefins plants, as well as the oil and natural gas extraction and
processing/refining. The energy for converting propylene to PP resin increased by 0.1
percent compared to the 2004-2006 energy for this process. This does not mean that
efficiency has not improved, since 2 of the 3 plants in the current analysis were not in the
original analysis. The fact that the current average energy usage is very similar to the
previous average energy usage, even with different plants participating, suggests that the
data provide a good representation of average North American production.
2.28.21 4031.00.002
The difference in renewable energy decreased about 33 percent from the original results.
Although this seems quite large, the renewable energy makes up less than one percent of the
total energy. Almost all of the renewable energy comes from the production of electricity.
The U.S. average electricity grid was used for both the original study and the current update.
Of the 2006 electricity grid, approximately 8 percent was created by renewable energy,
whereas this renewable energy percentage has almost doubled in 2015 to 15.7 percent.
Even though renewable source use has increased in the U.S. average electricity grid, the use
of electricity in all processes required to manufacture PP has decreased. This decrease in the
use of renewable energy is mainly due to decreases in the use of electricity (hydropower and
other renewable resources for energy) within all processes required to manufacture PP.
SOLID WASTE COMPARISON
When compared to the 2011 PP resin total solid waste amount, the current PP resin study
shows 22 kg per 1000 kg PP resin less solid waste, which is a 30 percent difference and is
considered a lower amount from the original study. Much of this decrease is due to the
differences in propylene and PP plant data collected between the 2011 and 2021 reports.
Figure 13 provides a visual of the total solid waste amount split out by the PP unit process
and cradle-to-incoming materials. A decrease occurs for both cradle-to-incoming materials
and at the PP plant. Comparing the current process solid waste at the PP plant to the 2011
solid waste, a decrease is seen, but the largest decrease in solid waste at the PP plant comes
from the fuel use. This is possibly due to the decrease in coal use in the electricity grid used
in 2016 as compared to the previous grid used. The decrease in cradle-to-incoming materials
(olefins) is also mainly due to an overall decrease in the electricity use of the olefins plant
while the split of cogeneration and grid electricity remained very close to the earlier analysis.
Process solid wastes from the natural gas and crude oil production also decreased by small
amounts.
Figure 13. Decrease in Solid Waste Weight by Unit Process

(kg Per 1,000 kg)
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GLOBAL WARMING POTENTIAL COMPARISON
The global warming potential decreased by 312 kg CO2 equivalents/1000 kg PP resin, which
calculates to an 18 percent difference. This percent difference is lower than the 25 percent
limit and is not considered sizable enough to signify a definite difference in results. Figure
14 displays a column chart with the PP resin and cradle-to-incoming materials results that
makeup the decrease when comparing the 2011 and 2021 GWP results. Although this seems
like a large decrease compared to the decrease in energy, this overall decrease follows the
trend shown in total energy, since much of the greenhouse gases are created from fuel
production. The total energy amount includes the material resource energy, which has no
greenhouse gases associated with it as it is not combusted.
Looking at the process/transport energy only, the percent decrease is about 16 percent. The
GWP specific to the PP resin plant decreases by 1 percent, while the energy for the plant
actually increased by a fraction of a percentage. This decrease is so small that it can be
considered as equivalent to the previous amounts due to higher uncertainty. This higher
uncertainty comes from the use of an order of magnitude in the updated GHG emissions
compared to calculated averages of GHG emissions in the original data. To clarify, in the 2011
report, carbon dioxide and methane were available as calculated average amounts due to the
provision of these data by all three PP plants. In the current PP LCI data, the amounts of
carbon dioxide and methane were not available for one of the plants and so an order of
magnitude was used for the average of each of these emissions. The decrease in GWP for
olefins comes from decreases in energy use for the raw materials and for the olefins plant.
The amount of coal combusted for the US average electricity grid has decreased over time
with an increase in natural gas combustion. Coal production and combustion releases higher
amounts of greenhouse gases compared to natural gas production and combustion.
Figure 14. Decrease in Global Warming Potential by Unit Process

(kg of CO2 eq. per 1,000 kg)
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APPENDIX: POLYPROPYLENE (PP) MANUFACTURE
This appendix discusses the manufacture of polypropylene (PP) resin. PP is used to

manufacture carpet, food containers, and parts for various industries. More than 17,153
million pounds of PP was produced in the U.S. and Canada in 2015 (ACC, 2016). The
material flow for PP resin is shown in Figure 15.
Individual unit process tables on the bases of 1,000 pounds and 1,000 kilograms are also
shown within this appendix. The following process is included in this appendix:
• Polypropylene resin production
LCI data for olefins (propylene) and PP production were collected for this update to the U.S.
LCI plastics database by member companies of the American Chemistry Council. Secondary
data was used for crude oil extraction and refining and natural gas production and processing,
and nitrogen. Results and LCI data for the production of olefins, oil, and natural gas can be
found in the report, Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Analysis of Olefins. LCI data for the ancillary
input material, nitrogen, were adapted from the ecoinvent 3 database. This dataset is not
available due to confidentiality issues of that database. The adaptation included the use of
the US electricity grid and US transportation.
Petroleum Fuel Gas*

Refining
Crude Oil
(Distillation/
Production
Desalting/
Hydrotreating) Naphtha
Propylene Polypropylene PP Resin
Olefins
(PP) Resin
Production
Production
Ethane
Propane
Natural Gas Natural Gas Butane
Production Processing
Nitrogen**
Figure 15. Flow diagram for the Production of Polypropylene (PP) Resin.
* Fuel gas used for energy is created from off-gas produced in the process.
** Nitrogen data is from ecoinvent and is adapted to U.S. conditions. Nitrogen is an ancillary material input.
2.28.21 4031.00.002
POLYPROPYLENE (PP) PRODUCTION
The two main technologies used to manufacture polypropylene are the bulk slurry and the
gas-phase processes. Spheripol, a type of bulk slurry technology, and Unipol, a type of gas-
phase technology are used by the data providers. According to an article on Plastics Insight,
of the world production of PP resin, 39 percent of PP resin manufacturers used Spheripol,
while 16 percent of PP manufacturers used the Unipol technology. A number of other
patented technologies are used at a lower percentage. No information was found about the
representative of those percentages within North America.
In the bulk slurry technology, polymerization is carried out in liquid propylene in tubular
loop reactors (Chem Eng, Sept, 2013). Catalysts and liquid propylene are continually fed
into a prepolymerization reactor, then sent to a series of bulk loop reactors to form PP
granules. Small amounts of hydrogen are added to control PP properties. Any excess
propylene monomer is removed from the polymer granules using vaporization operations
(Lyondellbasell). The monomer stream is purified and recycled to the reactor. The
remaining PP granules are then sent to extrusion for pelletization (Ind Contacts, 2018).
The gas-phase technology uses a fluidized bed reactor framework (Chem Eng, May, 2013).
The propylene feedstock is degassed to rid it of any oxygen or other unwanted materials.
The feedstock is then cooled and sent to a dryer before it is sent to the gas-stage
polymerization reactor. Small amounts of hydrogen are added to control the properties of
the PP. The polymer is taken out intermittently from the reactor using separators. The
excess monomer propylene is recycled back to the reactor. The polypropylene is removed
from the separators as a powder. These PP granules are sent to extrusion for pelletization
(Ind Contacts, 2018).
LCI data for the production of PP resin were collected from three producers (three plants) in
North America –all from the United States only. All companies provided data for the years
2015-2016. A weighted average was calculated from the data collected and used to develop
the LCA model. The captured PP resin production amount is approximately 16 percent of the
PP resin production in the U.S. in 2015 (ACC, 2016). Only small amounts of off-spec and trim
product are coproducts of PP resin production, and a mass basis was used to allocate the
environmental burdens among the coproducts.
PP resin producers from the United States provided data from their facilities using
technology ranging from average to state-of-the-art. Approximately two-thirds of the total
PP resin produced by the data providers come from the bulk slurry process, while the
remainder is gas phase.
Primary data were collected from PP manufacturers from the year 2015 and 2016.
Companies providing data were given the option to collect data from the year preceding or
following 2015 if either year would reflect more typical production conditions. After
reviewing individual company data in comparison to the average, each manufacturer
verified data from 2015 or 2016 was a representative year for their company for PP
production in North America.
2.28.21 4031.00.002
Data providers reviewed their data as well as the average PP LCI data and provided questions
on comments on the average, which Franklin Associates reviewed and responded until all
companies understood and accepted the average dataset.
Table 12 shows the averaged energy and emissions data for the production of 1,000 pounds
and 1,000 kilograms of PP resin. In the case of some emissions, data was provided by fewer
than the 3 producers. To indicate known emissions while protecting the confidentiality of
individual company responses, some emissions are reported only by the order of magnitude
of the average.
2.28.21 4031.00.002
Table 12. LCI Data for the Production of Polypropylene (PP)
1,000 lb 1,000 kg
Material Inputs
Propylene 1,014 lb 1,014 kg
Nitrogen 64.0 lb 64.0 kg
Energy
Process Energy
Electricity from grid 72.6 kWh 160 kWh
Electricity from cogen 63.5 kWh 140 kWh
3 3
Natural gas 545 ft 34.0 m
Avoided Energy
3 3
Natural gas avoided due to export of vent gas 43.3 ft 2.70 m
Transportation Energy
Pipeline -refinery products 11.8 ton·mi 38.0 tonne·km
Environmental Emissions
Atmospheric Emissions
Carbon dioxide, fossil 10.0 lb 10.0 kg *
NMVOC, non-methane volatile organic compounds, unspecified
0.11 origin
lb 0.11 kg
Particulates, unspecified 0.010 lb 0.010 kg *
Particulates, < 2.5 um 0.0090 lb 0.0090 kg
Particulates, > 2.5 um, and < 10um 0.016 lb 0.016 kg
Sulfur oxides 0.0010 lb 0.0010 kg *
Nitrous oxide 1.0E-04 lb 1.0E-04 kg *
Methane 0.0010 lb 0.0010 kg *
Aldehydes, unspecified 0.010 lb 0.010 kg *
Carbon monoxide 0.010 lb 0.010 kg *
Ammonia 0.0010 lb 0.0010 kg *
Nitrogen oxides 0.044 lb 0.044 kg
Waterborne Releases
BOD5, Biological Oxygen Demand 0.010 lb 0.010 kg *
COD, Chemical Oxygen Demand 0.010 lb 0.010 kg *
Suspended solids, unspecified 0.013 lb 0.013 kg
Zinc 1.0E-06 lb 1.0E-06 kg *
Fluoride 1.0E-06 lb 1.0E-06 kg *
Dissolved solids 1.0E-04 lb 1.0E-04 kg *
Cyanide 1.0E-06 lb 1.0E-06 kg *
Solid Wastes
Solid waste, process to landfill 0.42 lb 0.42 kg
Solid Waste Sold for Recycling or Reuse 0.70 lb 0.70 kg
Hazardous waste to landfill 0.0010 lb 0.0010 kg
Hazardous waste to incineration 0.0051 lb 0.0051 kg
Hazardous waste to WTE 0.12 lb 0.12 kg
Water Consumption 360 gal 3,000 l
* To indicate known emissions while protecting the confidentiality of individual company responses, the
emission is reported only by the order of magnitude of the average.
Source: Primary Data, 2020
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REFERENCES
American Chemistry Council (2016), Resin Review 2016.
Chem Eng (May 2013) Propylene Production via Gas-Phase Process. Chemical Engineering.
May 1, 2013.
Chem Eng (Sept 2013). Propylene Bulk Phase Process. Chemical Engineering. September 1,
2013
Ind Contacts (2018). Discussions of the process with PP data providers. 2018.
Lyondellbasell. Lyondellbasell brochure from www.lyondellbasell.com/technology.

Accessed 2020.
Plastics Insight. All About Polypropylene (PP): Production, Price, Market & its Properties.
Available at https://www.plasticsinsight.com/resin-intelligence/resin-
prices/polypropylene/
Primary Data (2020). Primary data from 2015-2016 collected from 3 PP producers by
Franklin Associates. 2017-2020
2.28.21 4031.00.002

Cradle To Gate Life Cycle Analysis of Polypropylene PP Resin

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CRADLE-TO-GATE LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS OF

POLYPROPYLENE (PP) RESIN

American Chemistry Council (ACC) Plastics Division

Franklin Associates, A Division of ERG

Franklin Associates gratefully acknowledges the significant contribution to this project by

Figure 1. General materials flow for “cradle-to-grave” analysis of a product system.

• Goal and scope definition

STUDY GOAL AND SCOPE

SCOPE AND BOUNDARIES

Figure 2. Flow diagram for the Production of Polypropylene (PP) Resin.

Temporal and Geographic Scope

Exclusions from the Scope

The following are not included in the study:

• Miscellaneous materials and additives. Selected materials such as catalysts,

INVENTORY AND IMPACT ASSESSMENT RESULTS CATEGORIES

Measures the total energy from point of Million (MM) Cumulative

Renewable Measures the hydropower, solar, wind, and

Measures quantity of fuel and process waste

Freshwater withdrawals which are Cumulative

Quantifies the acidifying effect of substances

Assesses impacts from excessive load of

Measures stratospheric ozone depletion. Lb CFC-11 eq

DATA QUALITY ASSESSMENT

Consistency, Completeness, Precision: Data evaluation procedures and criteria were

Representativeness: PP resin manufactured in North America is produced using either a

Reproducibility: To maximize transparency and reproducibility, the report identifies

Uncertainty: Uncertainty issues and uncertainty thresholds applied in interpreting study

DATA ACCURACY AND UNCERTAINTY

Raw Materials Use for Internal Energy in Steam Crackers

Energy Coproducts Exported from System Boundaries

Electricity generated on-site at a manufacturing facility is represented in the process data by

1. Fuels consumed and emissions generated by the boiler: The majority of

3. Thermal Output of Steam Exiting Electricity Generation: In this analysis,

Life cycle inventory results:

Life cycle impact assessment results:

• Cradle-to-incoming materials – includes the raw materials through the production of

Cumulative Energy Demand

Table 2. Total Energy Demand for PP Resin

Basis: 1,000 pounds

Figure 3. Process/Fuel and Material Feedstock Percentages for PP Resin

Figure 4. Percentage of Energy Separated by Fuel Type for PP Resin

Solid waste results include the following types of wastes:

Waste-to- Hazardous Waste-to- Non-Hazardous

Waste-to- Hazardous Waste-to- Non-Hazardous

Waste-to- Hazardous Waste-to- Non-Hazardous

Figure 5. Percentage of Total Solid Wastes for PP Resin System

Table 5. Water Consumption for PP Resin

Total Water Consumption

Figure 6. Water Consumption for PP Resin

Global Warming Potential

Figure 7. Global Warming Potential for PP Resin

Acidification impacts are typically dominated by fossil fuel combustion emissions,

Table 7. Acidification Potential for PP Resin

Figure 8. Acidification Potential for PP Resin

Eutrophication occurs when excess nutrients (nitrates, phosphates) are introduced to

Table 8. Eutrophication Potential for PP Resin

Figure 9. Eutrophication Potential for PP Resin

Table 9. Ozone Depletion Potential for PP Resin

Ozone Depletion Potential