Environmental effects and economic analysis of adhesives: a review of life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA)

Abstract

In this paper, adhesives made either from fossil fuels or biological sources were examined. The purpose of this review was to investigate the development, processing, and production of bio-adhesives, especially key information about environmental and economic impacts of these types of adhesives. Specifically, the literature was reviewed in terms of life cycle assessment (LCA) and techno-economic analysis (TEA) in order to evaluate the environmental effects, economic performance and potential market acceptance. Several key parameters for life cycle analysis will be compared, such as resource consumption, ecosystem quality and human health; As for TEA, capital costs, operational costs, and unit costs will be explored, as well as the breakeven points. Underlying issues in LCA and TEA will be discussed, and we will examine areas needed for improvement for emerging biobased adhesives.