Contribution to the life cycle assessment of refractory through better energy consumption evaluation of involved unit operations

Abstract

Conducting a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) of magnesia refractories is complex because of the diverse production processes, additives and binders that contribute to varying environmental impacts across different applications. Additionally, the limited energy consumption data poses significant challenges, requiring improved energy inventories. Therefore, as a part of a Horizon Europe project, CESAREF (Concerted European action on Sustainable Applications of REFrcatories), this thesis addresses this gap by systemically compiling and evaluating the energy consumption data of magnesite ore beneficiation, magnesia production (light calcined magnesia, sintered magnesia, fused magnesia) and subsequent refractory production (including fired, non-fired, shaped and unshaped products). Through a detailed LCA and sensitivity analysis, this research quantifies the energy-related environmental impacts for different magnesia products across their entire value chain and identifies the major energy hotspots. The analysis concluded that the overall environmental profile of refractory products shows low sensitivity to the energy consumption of the beneficiation process, with magnesia production being the most environmentally impactful phase. Furthermore, a refractory produced in China can have up to three times higher environmental impacts compared to those produced in Austria and Brazil. Ultimately, these findings will help in the development of strategies that improve energy efficiency and promote circularity within the refractory industry.