Multi criteria decision analysis for screening carbon dioxide conversion products

The production of chemicals and fuels from carbon dioxide can lead to a sustainable low carbon pathway for the chemical industry. The use of carbon dioxide as feedstock poses a commercially challenge, which is to develop alternative raw materials at lower cost and also to lower manufacturing impacts. Many products can be developed from carbon dioxide as raw material through carboxylation or hydrogenation reactions. In carbon capture and utilization (CCU), a particular carbon dioxide utilization technology shows specific aspects for emission reduction potential, intrinsic thermodynamic restrictions and commercial maturity level. Each product brings some advantages and penalties, making it therefore important to define some criteria to evaluate and to choose the most attractive products. This study proposes an exploratory screening procedure to identify promising chemical targets to be produced from carbon dioxide conversion among a large number of candidates. In the methodological framework, a systematic literature search is conducted to point out important criteria to take into account, followed by the selection of a multicriteria decision analysis tool that best fits to the data under study. The final step applies a three-level screening, in which important factors, such as thermodynamic data, market size and growth, price of product and carbon dioxide utilization ratio are considered. The results of the evaluation demonstrate that dimethyl carbonate, acetic acid and dimethyl ether are promising products for further study. Such a procedure would accelerate the development into the chemical design process of novel CCU technologies.

Automated summary

The production of chemicals and fuels from carbon dioxide can provide a sustainable low carbon pathway for the chemical industry, but faces challenges in cost and manufacturing impacts. Important factors such as thermodynamic data, market size, product price, and carbon dioxide utilization ratio should be considered when selecting promising chemical targets for further study.