Life cycle environmental performance of by-product coke production in China

The geographically representative and time-related life cycle inventory (LCI) for intermediate industrial products is critical for further life cycle assessment (LCA) of final consumer products. A cradle-to-gate LCA is presented in this study to provide a Chinese-specific LCI of coke production and to compare its environmental performance in alternative quenching modes. The LCI was compiled using site-specific investigation data from local independent coking enterprises, complemented by literature, databases, and expert judgement. The results show that coke production with the newly promoted coke dry quenching (CDQ) technology, which reduces air emissions and recovers heat during the on-site quenching process, is more environmentally friendly than that with the traditional coke wet quenching (CWQ) technology, with up to 15% decrease regarding the selected environmental impact categories. Coal preparation and on-site coke production turn out to be the determining factors of environmental performance for both scenarios. This study provides an LCI for coke production in China, which, as an important intermediate product, will improve the LCA of the steel and iron industries. The quantitative LCA will also provide a solid basis for the neutralization of international trade barriers and the successful promotion of CDQ technology in China from an environmental perspective. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.