„Simulation based Life Cycle Assessment of Circular Economy Systems”

The ISO 14000 norm provides a framework in which a continuous improvement of the environmental performance of a process may be realised. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) forms an integral part of ISO 14000, however, ist inventory analysis presently often simplifies process routes for metals processing to simple averaging black-boxes that represent whole process. This approach hardly makes it possible to capture the detail of complex interconnected material processing systems as found in metals processing.

• HSC Chemistry platform may be used to create process flowsheet models and link them to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools.
• Environmental footprints - which are based on the physical process models – will meet element and energy balances.
• Process models make it possible to optimize process yields and profits, and the connection to LCA will also optimize environmental footprints.
• Outotec Silver refining process is used to demonstrate this procedure.
• Exergy analysis of a power plant will show the thermodynamic basis.