SACMI technology for a sustainable ceramic process

Claudio Ricci
Tile R&D Coordinator

May 2021
The LCA method

⚫ In recent times, the acknowledgement of environment

value led to the development of instruments for study
SOCIAL the environmental impact.
Social Life Cycle Assessment
SLCA ⚫ The LCA method (1990) established itself as efficient
instrument for verifying the environmental
performances of industrials products and processes.
⚫ LCA allows to quantify the environmental impact of
BEARABLE EQUITABLE
the production of an asset, evaluating the entire
production chain and considering the effects over a
SUSTAINABLE very long time.
ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIC ⚫ The impact is expressed by the evaluation of specific
Life Cycle Assessment Life Cycle Costing damage categories.
VIABLE
LCA LCC ⚫ In a higher and overall vision, when we talk about
sustainability we must consider not only the
environmental aspect, but also the economic and
social one.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainability

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The LCA of the ceramic tile

“Ideal” LCA “Actual” LCA

⚫ As to the ceramic
industry, 4 damage Focus on
categories are Resource Use
considered in the LCA
studies 25% 25%
27,2%
37,1%

25% 25%
28,5%
7,2%

Human Health Focus on Human Health

Ecosystem Quality CO2 Emissions Ecosystem Quality
Climate Change Climate Change
Resources Resources
Confindustria Ceramica - UniMoRe (2012)

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 Focus on CO2 Emissions

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The mechanisms opposing Global Warming

⚫ The Kyoto Protocol (1997) and the next deliberations in contrast to

Global Warming impose a progressive «decrease» of CO2 emissions
originated using fossil energy sources (not carbon-neutral).
⚫ The international Organisations and the single national Governments are
dealing with this problem, even if with different strength and speed. The
EU has established the ETS (Emission Trading System) for controlling
and reducing industrial emissions, since 2005.
⚫ In addition, the increased sensitivity of the public opinion (especially
among young people) to environmental subjects and global warming
must be considered.
⚫ The closest official target for the EU set by the Paris Agreement (2015)
was to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030 (compared to 1990
values).
⚫ The European Green Deal has brought the reduction to 55% by 2030,
with the final goal of climate neutrality by 2050 (net-zero GHG
emissions).

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Emissions control systems around the world (2019)

Carbon emission trading

implemented or scheduled
Carbon tax
implemented or scheduled
Carbon emission trading
or carbon tax
under consideration

Share of GHG emissions

covered (2020):

20%

State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2019. © World Bank

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Emissions Trading System carbon market price

EUA price (Euro)

50
◼ The ETS sets an authorized
45 cap for «large emitters» (like
ceramic industries). Besides,
40
such authorizations are
35
+94% progressively reduced
(-2,2% per year).
30 ◼ This involves a trend increase
of the emission allowance price
25
(1 EUA = 1 ton CO2eq).
20 ◼ In the last year, increase was
+94%
15 (excluding first COVID effect).
10 ◼ With this trend, the emissions
COVID effect
cost in Europe will become
5 unbearable for most of
emitting industries.
0
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
https://ember-climate.org/carbon-price-viewer

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SACMI proposal for CO2eq emissions reduction

3 2

In order to reduce CO2 emissions, caused by the use 1. Body preparation

of fossil fuels and non-renewable electrical energy, 2. Forming
solutions have been studied with reference to those 3. Drying
depts. which require more energy (representing 85%
4. Firing
of total emissions):

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SACMI proposal for CO2eq emissions reduction

⚫ As to each department, three scenarios are presented:

2015 ⚫ represents the present state of the art of the existing plants (some years life)

⚫ represents the level of emissions control as best as possible today

2021

2025 ⚫ represents a reasonable future target, which SACMI is already working on,
with important innovations especially in «green» fuels and renewable energy
⚫ Even the mix at the power station (for electrical energy production) was taken into
account for each scenario Electrical energy
Scenario Fossil amount
⚫ The indicated variations (in %) are calculated with respect to the scenario of 2015,
1990 120% (*)
taken as reference
2015 100%
⚫ Of course, it deals with a simulation carried out for a certain plant/product typology. 2021 60%
Therefore, the values must be considered as indicative and may vary case by case. 2025 50%
(*) mix with coal and oil,
larger CO2 emissions

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1. Body preparation

CO2eq

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The modular continuous grinding MMC

allows a considerable reduction of the
electrical energy for grinding ceramic
bodies, besides better quality and process
control.
In addition, a thermal recovery is
possible, for warming up grinding water
and decreasing total energy consumption.
As to spray-drying, the study of solutions
for using hydrogen (*) as partial
replacement of natural gas (up to 50%) is
in progress. This will involve a
2015 2021 2025 considerable reduction of CO2 emissions.
Emissions reduction CO2eq - -20% -47% (*)
(*) H2 availability to be verified
The reported values must be considered as indicative
and liable to variations in function of the adopted specific production process.

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2. Forming

CO2eq

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Forming is a basic phase of the ceramic

process, even if it requires rather limited
energy (very high forces, but reduced
movements).
CONTINUA+ technology, exclusive
innovation by SACMI, already allows an
outstanding reduction of the electrical
energy employed for compacting the
ceramic powders, compared to hydraulic
presses of equal capacity.
All this occurs under conditions of very
high quality of the final product and
2015 2021 2025
maximum throughput.
Emissions reduction CO2eq - -88% -90%

The reported values must be considered as indicative

and liable to variations in function of the adopted specific production process.

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3. Drying

CO2eq

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The drying phase requires great amounts

of thermal energy for eliminating residual
water from the ceramic piece, under
controlled conditions.
The traditional driers, equipped with natural
gas burners, generate a considerable waste
of energy and emissions.
The innovative Zero Fuel drier, which
provides for total recovery of hot air from
the firing kiln, does not employ fossil
fuels and already allows a great energy
(and emissions) saving.
2015 2021 2025
Emissions reduction CO2eq - -75% -79%

The reported values must be considered as indicative

and liable to variations in function of the adopted specific production process.

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4. Firing

CO2eq

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

The firing phase shows the greatest

consumption of thermal energy in the
process and is the biggest in terms of
emissions.
The new range of kilns MAESTRO,
equipped with innovative solutions,
allows reducing energy consumption
and optimising combustion (digital
control of combustion ratio).
In the near future, the partial conversion
from fossil fuels to electrical energy
2015 2021 2025 and/or hydrogen will allow replacing up
to 50% natural gas, with considerable
Emissions reduction CO2eq - -8% -33% (*) benefits in terms of emissions.

The reported values must be considered as indicative

(*) H2 availability to be verified
and liable to variations in function of the adopted specific production process.

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The control of CO2eq emissions in the ceramic industry
Gres porcellanato
Porcelain stoneware60x60
60x60--10
10mm
mm

Baseline (1990) EU 2020 (-20%) EU 2030 (-55%)

12,0

10,0
10,8
-20%

1 m2 = 23 kg
8,0
kg CO2eq/m2

-55% -80%
7,1 Electrical energy
6,0
Scenario Fossil amount
5,1 1990 120% (*)
4,0
2015 100%
3,8

2,0
(**)
? 2021
2025
60%
50%
< 2,0 (*) mix with coal and oil,
(**) larger CO2 emissions
0,0
1990 2015 2021 2025 2030
The reported values must be considered as indicative (**) H2 availability to be verified
and liable to variations in function of the adopted specific production process.

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 Focus on Resource use

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Material recovery from the production process
Solid wastes are generated during the process. In general, Ceramics requires the use of water. It is important to treat
they can all be re-used inside the process itself, restoring it in order to recover it, for avoiding wastes and for
them upstream by means of opportune treatments. managing natural resources responsibly.
Filtering powders is essential for the healthy of the working
environment and for preserving the functionalities of the machines
and product’s quality. It allows saving on raw materials.

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Material recovery from the production process

⚫ The waste can be estimated in about 3% of the total material

(about 300 kg/h solid and 300 lt/h liquid per production line, indicatively)
⚫ The ceramic industrial process is already characterized today by high percentages of internal recycling (> 65%)
⚫ The recovery intensity can be further improved by focused actions in the whole production process.
Two scenarios, of medium and long term, are supposed:

2021 (*) 2025 2030 D 2021-30

Solid waste recovery 65% 81% 91% +26%
Liquid waste recovery 68% 80% 86% +19%
Evaporated water recovery 0% 25% 50% +50%

⚫ The recovery of evaporated water (spray-drier and drier) requires a substantial modification of the machines and
relevant engineering, which involves an increase of plant complexity and cost.
By now, it could be financially sustainable in the countries where water is a precious good (i.e. Middle East, Northern
Africa, …).
It is expected that the attention to these solutions will increase even in Europe.

(*) average data of this industry The reported values must be considered as indicative
and liable to variations in function of the adopted specific production process.

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 The whole picture

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The whole picture

Damage Categories LCA cradle to grave

0,5%
⚫ The LCA method provides for the 8,6%
analysis of 4 damage categories
27,2% ⚫ The categories Climate Change and 25,7%
37,1% Resources affect for about 50% of 15,7%
total amount (ceramic industry)
⚫ The analysis gate to gate (Production)
concerns about 40% of total impact 14,0%
(ceramic industry)
28,5% 35,5%
7,2% ⚫ The presented actions refer to
about 20% of total impact
for the tile system
Human Health
Materie prime
Raw materials Produzione
Production
Ecosystem Quality ⚫ A lot still needs to be done
Distribuzione
Distribution Installazione
Installation
Climate Change
Uso
Use Fine vita
End of Life
Resources
Confindustria Ceramica - UniMoRe (2012) Gresmalt - UniMoRe (2018)

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Conclusions

Ceramic innovation cannot leave the

environmental issue out of consideration

SACMI is committed next to its

Customers to ensure an efficient and
sustainable production process

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION