ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Life cycle environmental assessment of LDPE hydrocracking: energy use and electricity-related CO₂ emissions

Abdulrahman Bin Jumah, Abdulaziz Bentalib, Maher M Alrashed, and Chun-Yang Yin

Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

E-mail: abinjumah@ksu.edu.sa

Received: 16 December 2025  Accepted: 18 February 2026

Abstract:

This study presents the evaluation of environmental impacts on a hydrocracking process of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) using life cycle assessment (LCA) with emphasis on energy use and electricity-related CO₂ emissions. A gate-to-gate boundary was used whereby two impact assessment methods, i.e., ILCD 2011 Midpoint + and BEES+ methods, were employed to evaluate the environmental impacts. The OpenLCA software (version 2.4) integrated with the LCIA Methods v2.0.2 database was used in the study. The ILCD 2011 Midpoint+ method was used as the primary assessment framework while BEES + was employed as a complementary approach. Normalization results indicated discrepancies between the two methods which reflected the influence of regional weighting factors on impact assessment. Energy and emissions analysis showed that the Shredder and Extruder were the most carbon-intensive unit operations while the Reactor also contributed substantial carbon emission. Our findings accentuate the need for process optimization, energy recovery and cleaner energy sources to lessen environmental burdens. It also demonstrates the significance of methodological choices in LCIA and the need for sustainable process enhancements in plastic waste-to-fuel conversion.

Keywords: Life cycle assessment; carbon emissions; hydrocracking; low-density polyethylene

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04753-1

Chemical Papers 80 (6) 6117–6127 (2026)