Angky Wahyu Putranto, Annisa Hayatun Nazmi Burhan, Nanang Masruchin, Riris Waladatun Nafi'ah, Yusuf Wibisono, Adeline Seak May Chua, Gek Cheng Ngoh, Sri Suhartini
Sustainable nanocellulose production, particularly cellulose nanocrystal (CNC), has been explored using oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs). However, an in-depth investigation into the role of solvent recovery is crucial to ensure the long-term sustainability, efficiency, and environmental viability of CNC production. This study investigates the role of DES recovery in enhancing the techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) of CNC production. The solvent recovered significantly reduced the production cost per unit from $4.75/kg to $3.56/kg and improved key economic indicators. Sensitivity analysis confirmed economic robustness even with 50 % increase in chemical and electricity costs. Environmentally, DES recovery lowered the global warming potential (GWP) from 64 to 18 kg CO2-eq per kg of CNC while reducing other impacts such as ecotoxicity, acidification, eutrophication, human toxicity, and ozone depletion. The LCA served as a pathway to improved carbon accounting, integration into carbon trading, and broader decarbonization strategies are discussed in the future outlook. These findings underscore not only the potential of DES recovery and its recyclability for CNC production from biomass waste but also contribute as a key enabler of decarbonization efforts in industrial sectors, contributing to long-term climate resilience and circular economy strategies. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd
Sustainable Process Engineering Centre (SPEC), Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia; Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Department of Accounting, Faculty of Business and Economics, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 50603, Malaysia; Department of Accounting, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, 55281, Indonesia; Research Centre for Biomass and Bioproducts, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong, 16911, Indonesia; Department of Agro-industrial Technology, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Centre of Excellence Bioenergy and Biorefinery, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Brawijaya, Malang, 65145, Indonesia; Research Collaboration Center for Biomass and Biorefinery Between BRIN and Universitas Padjadjaran, Jatinangor, 45363, Indonesia
