From mine to refrigeration: a life cycle inventory analysis of the production of HFC-134a

A life cycle inventory analysis has been conducted for the production of HFC-134a (1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, CH2FCF3) through from basic raw materials (crude oil, natural gas, sulphur and fluorspar) to the pure product delivered to industrial customers. The analysis was based on real industrial operations in Japan, USA and UK. It showed that production required limestone, water and transition metal catalysts, in addition to the basic raw materials, and that the energy required to provide these raw materials in a form that can be used at the plants and to process them through intermediates into HFC-134a is the equivalent of 4.52 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of product. Environmental releases associated with HFC-134a included waste salt brine (to the sea), mine tailings (mainly 'country' rock landfilled at the mine) and small quantities of calcium sulphate and spent catalyst (both sent to landfill). In addition, greenhouse gases amounting to the equivalent of 2.1 tonnes of CO2 per tonne of product were emitted to the atmosphere from the plants studied, an effect very much smaller than that estimated in previous studies mainly because the real release rates from current processes are very much less than those assumed in prior work. The global warming potential of HFC-134a is 1300, meaning that, during the first 100 years following the release of one tonne, the effect on climate change is equivalent to 1300 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Consequently, the 6.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, emitted during production in the form of energy required and other greenhouse gases, is of relatively little importance and the key requirement to reduce environmental impact is containment during use. (Author)