abstract: Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a powerful framework for environmental decision making because the broad boundaries called for prevent shifting of burden from one life-cycle phase to another. Numerous experts and policy setting organizations call for the application of LCA to developing nanotechnologies. Early application of LCA to nanotechnology may identify environmentally problematic processes and supply chain components before large investments contribute to technology lock in, and thereby promote integration of environmental concerns into technology development and scale-up (enviro-technical integration). However, application of LCA to nanotechnology is problematic due to limitations in LCA methods (e.g., reliance on data from existing industries at scale, ambiguity regarding proper boundary selection), and because social drivers of technology development and environmental preservation are not identified in LCA. This thesis proposes two methodological advances that augment current capabilities of LCA by incorporating knowledge from technical and social domains. Specifically, this thesis advances the capacity for LCA to yield enviro-technical integration through inclusion of scenario development, thermodynamic modeling, and use-phase performance bounding to overcome the paucity of data describing emerging nanotechnologies. With regard to socio-technical integration, this thesis demonstrates that social values are implicit in LCA, and explores the extent to which these values impact LCA practice and results. There are numerous paths of entry through which social values are contained in LCA, for example functional unit selection, impact category selection, and system boundary definition - decisions which embody particular values and determine LCA results. Explicit identification of how social values are embedded in LCA promotes integration of social and environmental concerns into technology development (socio-enviro-technical integration), and may contribute to the development of socially-responsive and environmentally preferable nanotechnologies. In this way, tailoring LCA to promote socio-enviro-technical integration is a tangible and meaningful step towards responsible innovation processes. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Engineering 2013

abstract: A methodology is developed that integrates institutional analysis with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to identify and overcome barriers to sustainability transitions and to bridge the gap between environmental practitioners and decisionmakers. LCA results are rarely joined with analyses of the social systems that control or influence decisionmaking and policies. As a result, LCA conclusions generally lack information about who or what controls different parts of the system, where and when the processes' environmental decisionmaking happens, and what aspects of the system (i.e. a policy or regulatory requirement) would have to change to enable lower environmental impact futures. The value of the combined institutional analysis and LCA (the IA-LCA) is demonstrated using a case study of passenger transportation in the Phoenix, Arizona metropolitan area. A retrospective LCA is developed to estimate how roadway investment has enabled personal vehicle travel and its associated energy, environmental, and economic effects. Using regional travel forecasts, a prospective life cycle inventory is developed. Alternative trajectories are modeled to reveal future "savings" from reduced roadway construction and vehicle travel. An institutional analysis matches the LCA results with the specific institutions, players, and policies that should be targeted to enable transitions to these alternative futures. The results show that energy, economic, and environmental benefits from changes in passenger transportation systems are possible, but vary significantly depending on the timing of the interventions. Transition strategies aimed at the most optimistic benefits should include 1) significant land-use planning initiatives at the local and regional level to incentivize transit-oriented development infill and urban densification, 2) changes to state or federal gasoline taxes, 3) enacting a price on carbon, and 4) nearly doubling vehicle fuel efficiency together with greater market penetration of alternative fuel vehicles. This aggressive trajectory could decrease the 2050 energy consumption to 1995 levels, greenhouse gas emissions to 1995, particulate emissions to 2006, and smog-forming emissions to 1972. The potential benefits and costs are both private and public, and the results vary when transition strategies are applied in different spatial and temporal patterns. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Sustainability 2014

abstract: Industrial activities have damaged the natural environment at an unprecedented scale. A number of approaches to environmentally responsible design and sustainability have been developed that are aimed at minimizing negative impacts derived from products on the environment. Environmental assessment methods exist as well to measure these impacts. Major environmentally responsible approaches to design and sustainability were analyzed using content analysis techniques. The results show several recommendations to minimize product impacts through design, and dimensions to which they belong. Two products made by a manufacturing firm with exceptional commitment to environmental responsibility were studied to understand how design approaches and assessment methods were used in their development. The results showed that the company used several strategies for environmentally responsible design as well as assessment methods in product and process machine design, both of which resulted in reduced environmental impacts of their products. Factors that contributed positively to reduce impacts are the use of measurement systems alongside environmentally responsible design, as well as inspiring innovations by observing how natural systems work. From a managerial perspective, positive influencing factors included a commitment to environmental responsibility from the executive level of the company and a clear vision about sustainability that has been instilled from the top through every level of employees. Additionally, a high degree of collaboration between the company and its suppliers and customers was instrumental in making the success possible. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Environmental Design and Planning 2014

Face à l’émergence des problématiques environnementales issues des activités humaines, l’écoconception s’attache à offrir une réponse satisfaisante dans le domaine de la conception de produits et services. Cependant, lorsque les produits considérés deviennent des systèmes industriels complexes, caractérisés entre autres par un grand nombre de composants et sous-systèmes, un cycle de vie extrêmement long et incertain, ou des interactions complexes avec leur environnement géographique et industriel, un manque évident de méthodologies et d’outils se fait ressentir. Ce changement d’échelle apporte en effet des contraintes différentes aussi bien dans l’évaluation des impacts environnementaux générés au cours du cycle de vie du système (gestion et qualité des données, niveau de détail de l’étude par rapport aux ressources disponibles…) que dans l’identification de réponses adaptées (gestion de la multidisciplinarité et des ressources disponibles, formation des acteurs, inclusion dans un contexte de R&D très amont…). Cette thèse vise donc à développer une méthodologie de mise en œuvre d’une démarche d’éco-conception de systèmes industriels complexes. Une méthodologie générale est tout d’abord proposée, basée sur un processus DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control). Cette méthodologie permet de définir de manière formalisée le cadre de la démarche (objectifs, ressources, périmètre, phasage…) et d’accompagner rigoureusement l’approche d’écoconception sur le système considéré. Une première étape d’évaluation environnementale basée sur l’Analyse du Cycle de Vie (ACV) à haut niveau systémique est ainsi réalisée. Etant donnée la complexité du cycle de vie considéré et la variabilité d’exploitation d’un système industriel d’un site à l’autre, une approche par scénario est proposée afin d’appréhender rapidement l’étendue possible des impacts environnementaux. Les scénarios d’exploitation sont définis à l’aide de la matrice SRI (Stranford Research Institute) et intègrent de nombreux éléments rarement abordés en ACV, comme la maintenance préventive et corrective, la mise à niveau des sous-systèmes ou encore la modulation de la durée de vie du système en fonction du contexte économique. A l’issue de cette ACV les principaux postes impactants du cycle de vie du système sont connus et permettent d’entreprendre la seconde partie de la démarche d’éco-conception centrée sur l’amélioration environnementale. Un groupe de travail multidisciplinaire est réuni lors d’une séance de créativité centrée autour de la roue de la stratégie d’éco-conception (ou roue de Brezet), un outil d’éco-innovation peu consommateur de ressources et ne nécessitant qu’une faible expertise environnementale. Les idées générées en créativité sont alors traitées par trois filtres successifs, qui permettent : (1) de présélectionner les meilleurs projets et de les approfondir ; (2) de constituer un portefeuille de projets de R&D par une approche multicritère évaluant leur performance environnementale, mais également technique, économique et de création de valeurs pour les clients ; (3) de contrôler l’équilibre du portefeuille constitué en fonction de la stratégie de l’entreprise et de la diversité des projets considérés (aspects court/moyen/long terme, niveau systémique considéré…). L’ensemble des travaux a été appliqué et validé chez Alstom Grid sur des sous-stations de conversion électrique utilisées dans l’industrie de l’aluminium primaire. Le déploiement de la méthodologie a permis d’initier une démarche solide d’écoconception reconnue par l’entreprise et de générer au final un portefeuille de 9 projets de R&D écoinnovants qui seront mis en œuvre dans les prochains mois. / Face to the growing awareness of environmental concerns issued from human activities, eco-design aims at offering a satisfying answer in the products and services development field. However when the considered products become complex industrial systems, there is a lack of adapted methodologies and tools. These systems are among others characterised by a large number of components and subsystems, an extremely long and uncertain life cycle, or complex interactions with their geographical and industrial environment. This change of scale actually brings different constraints, as well in the evaluation of environmental impacts generated all along the system life cycle (data management and quality, detail level according to available resources…) as in the identification of adapted answers (management of multidisciplinary aspects and available resources, players training, inclusion in an upstream R&D context…). So this dissertation aims at developing a methodology to implement ecodesign of complex industrial systems. A general methodology is first proposed, based on a DMAIC process (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve, Control). This methodology allows defining in a structured way the framework (objectives, resources, perimeter, phasing…) and rigorously supporting the ecodesign approach applied on the system. A first step of environmental evaluation based on Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) is thus performed at a high systemic level. Given the complexity of the system life cycle as well as the exploitation variability that may exist from one site to another, a scenario-based approach is proposed to quickly consider the space of possible environmental impacts. Scenarios of exploitation are defined thanks to the SRI (Stanford Research Institute) matrix and they include numerous elements that are rarely considered in LCA, like preventive and corrective maintenance, subsystems upgrading or lifetime modulation according to the economic context. At the conclusion of this LCA the main impacting elements of the system life cycle are known and they permit to initiate the second step of the eco-design approach centred on environmental improvement. A multidisciplinary working group perform a creativity session centred on the eco-design strategy wheel (or Brezet wheel), a resource-efficient eco-innovation tool that requires only a basic environmental knowledge. Ideas generated during creativity are then analysed through three successive filters allowing: (1) to pre-select and to refine the best projects; (2) to build a R&D projects portfolio thanks to a multi-criteria approach assessing not only their environmental performance, but also their technical, economic and customers’ value creation performance; (3) to control the portfolio balance according to the company strategy and the projects diversity (short/middle/long term aspect, systemic level…). All this work was applied and validated at Alstom Grid on electrical conversion substations used in the primary aluminium industry. The methodology deployment has allowed initiating a robust eco-design approach recognized by the company and finally generating a portfolio composed of 9 eco-innovative R&D projects that will be started in the coming months.

Dada a complexidade da interação entre o construído e o ambiente natural, a ACV (Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida) representa uma abordagem de máxima precisão para analisar os impactos ambientais de todo o edifício. Esta técnica além de considerar os materiais e consumo de energia, deve incluir em sua avaliação a produção e transporte de materiais de construção, e até mesmo o material de reciclagem e gestão de resíduos na fase de desativação. A ACV é a técnica que melhor se enquadra na avaliação de medidas de desempenho ambiental, pois tem a possibilidade de ser integrada aos sistemas de certificação ambiental. Neste contexto, este trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a aplicabilidade da técnica de ACV para os sistemas de CAE (Certificação Ambiental de Edificações) habitacionais no Brasil. Para alcançar este objetivo, utiliza-se a pesquisa exploratória por meio de revisão bibliográfica e documental. Observou-se que a utilização da técnica de ACV nas CAE ocorre em passos iniciais. Todas as CAE já iniciaram pelo menos o pensamento de ciclo de vida como base para conhecimento por parte dos agentes interessados. Algumas CAE possuem iniciativas com propósitos mais adequados ao uso da técnica, como é o caso do BREEAM e do LEED. O BREEAM classifica os materiais escolhidos por meio de abordagem de ACV e o LEED faz a ponderação dos créditos das categorias utilizando o método de caracterização de impacto TRACI. Outra questão relevante é o uso da tecnologia BIM para realizar avaliações de ciclo de vida, o sistema Casa Azul faz menção para no futuro a integração nas fases de projeto. Aponta-se projeções de aplicabilidade da técnica de ACV estar inserida nas categorias relacionadas aos materiais, categoria esta considerada como padrão para avaliação por todas as CAE. / Given the complexity of the interaction between the built and the natural environment, the LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) is a maximum precision approach to analyze the environmental impacts of the entire building. Besides considering the materials and energy consumption, this technique must include in its assessment the production and transport of building materials, and even the material recycling and waste management in the decommissioning phase. LCA is the technique that best fits the evaluation of environmental performance measures, it has able to be integrate with environmental certification systems. In this context, this study aims at analyzing the applicability of LCA technique for ECB systems (Environmental Certification of Buildings) housing in Brazil. To accomplish this, we use the exploratory research through literature and document review. It was observed that use of the CAE technique LCA showed up in the initial steps. All CAE have started at least the thought of life cycle as a basis for knowledge on the part of stakeholders. Some efforts have CAE more suitable for use in technical purposes, such as the BREEAM and LEED. BREEAM classifies chosen materials through LCA approach and LEED is the balance of credits in categories using the method of characterization TRACI impact. Another relevant issue is the use of BIM to perform life cycle assessments, which Casa Azul system makes reference to the future integration into project phases. It points applicability projections of LCA technique is inserted in the categories related to materials, a category regarded as a standard for evaluation by all CAE.

O presente estudo apresenta a construção de uma ferramenta para avaliação do ciclo de vida - ACV das edificações durante a fase de construção. A princípio, é realizada uma vasta pesquisa, visando à contextualização do tema, por meio da elaboração do estado da arte da ACV na construção civil, que abrange estudos diversos (nacionais e internacionais), focados na pesquisa do consumo de energia - Eprim e fator de emissão de CO2 - FE. Posteriormente, parte-se para a elaboração dos métodos, que envolve a definição dos principais insumos materiais, cálculo de consumo de Eprim e FE dos insumos energéticos e materiais, e dos equipamentos usados durante a fase de obra. O método contempla a descrição da construção da ferramenta propriamente dita. Nesta etapa, observa-se que há uma variação considerável nos valores de Eprim e FE para um mesmo insumo material, como por exemplo, a madeira usada na obra, cujo consumo de energia primária variou entre 5 GJ e 48 GJ, e seu fator de emissão entre 0,07 kgCO2/t e 4.199 kgCO2/t, isso porque há diferenças entre os estudos analisados, que envolvem a matriz energética do país de origem do material, seu processo produtivo e o escopo adotado pelo autor. O trabalho apresenta os principais materiais da obra em termos de massa, e também a representatividade deles em relação ao consumo de energia primária e a emissão de CO2, assim o concreto isoladamente representa no edifício, 61% de massa, 68% do consumo de energia primária e 60% das emissões de CO2. A análise do uso do edifício por meio de dados genéricos de consumo de eletricidade, de gás natural e de água/esgoto, indica que a maior representatividade em termos de consumo de energia primária, se dá pela eletricidade com quase 85%, enquanto a emissão de CO2 representada pelo gás natural é de 43%. Já nas etapas de construção, 93% do consumo total de energia primária estão associadas aos insumos materiais, e esta fase representa 81% do total das emissões de CO2. / This study presents the construction of a life cycle assessment - LCA tool of buildings, with spetial focus on the construction phase. Initial an extensive research is carried out in order to contextualise the issue, through the development of state of the art of LCA in construction, covering several studies (national and international), research focused on primary energy consumption - Eprim and CO2 emission factor - EF. Later, we proceed to the elaboration of methods, involving the definition of key material inputs, calculations of Eprim and FE of materials and energy inputs, and equipment used during the construction phase. The method includes the description of the tool construction itself. In this step, it is observed that there is considerable variation among the values of Eprim and EF for the same input material, such as wood used in the work, whose primary energy consumption varied between 5 GJ and 48 GJ, and its factor emission between 0.07 kgCO2/t and 4.199 kg CO2/ t, this is because there are differences between the analyzed studies involving the energy matrix of the country of origin of the material, its production process, and the scope adopted by the author. The master thesis indentifies the main material in terms of mass, and also the representativeness of the materials in relation to primary energy consumption and CO2 emissions. Concrete represents 61% by weight, 68% of primary energy consumption and 60% of CO2 emissions. The analysis of the use phase of the building through generic consumption data of electricity, natural gas and water / sewer, indicates that utilities are important in terms of primary energy consumption, electricity is almost 85%, while the CO2 emission represented by the natural gas is 43%. Already in the construction stages, 93% of the consumption of primary energy are associated with material inputs, this phase represents 81% of total CO2 emissions.

A Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV) é uma ferramenta de gestão ambiental que permite avaliar os aspectos ambientais e impactos potenciais associados a um produto, analisando diversas etapas que vão desde a extração de matérias-primas da natureza que adentram no sistema produtivo (berço), até a disposição do produto final no meio ambiente (túmulo). O conjunto organizado dos aspectos ambientais do produto estudado é chamado de inventário de ciclo de vida, sendo constituído por valores referentes a consumo energético, emissões atmosféricas, efluentes líquidos e resíduos sólidos, entre outros. O Grupo de Prevenção da Poluição (GP2) do Departamento de Engenharia Química da Escola Politécnica da USP, utilizando a metodologia de Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV), propõe-se ao estudo do desempenho ambiental do biodiesel, combustível produzido a partir de óleos vegetais e álcoois primários de cadeias curtas como o metanol. Portanto, além de contribuir para a execução da ACV do biodiesel, a realização do inventário de ciclo de vida do metanol para as condições brasileiras, proposto neste trabalho, possibilitará a ampliação do banco de dados de ACV no Brasil e no mundo, sendo igualmente utilizado em diversas análises de desempenho ambiental nas quais o metanol esteja inserido. Devido a dificuldade em se coletar dados primários diretamente dos fabricantes, este trabalho adota algumas considerações e hipóteses com o intuito de complementar os dados nacionais não disponíveis por dados secundários, concretizando assim o inventário final. Os resultados do inventário foram confrontados com os resultados oriundos de um modelo simplificado construído a partir da base de dados Ecoinvent, sendo posteriormente comparados e discutidos. Em uma análise simplificada do inventário, podemos concluir que o aspecto ambiental referente ao consumo energético se sobressai perante os demais aspectos devido principalmente em virtude da utilização do gás natural como fonte de energia, refletindo assim em outras categorias de aspectos, como emissões atmosféricas, por exemplo. / Life Cycle Assessment is a tool for environmental management which allows for the assessment of potential impacts and other environmental aspects associated to a product. This is done through the analysis of several steps since the extraction of raw materials from nature which go into the productive system (cradle) to the disposal of the final product in the environment (grave). The organized set of environmental aspects of the product under study is called \"life cycle inventory\", being comprised of values referring to energy consumption, air emissions, liquid effluents and solid residues, among others. The Pollution Prevention Group (Grupo de Prevenção da Poluição - GP2) of the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Polytechnic School, University of São Paulo, Brazil (Departamento de Engenharia Química da Escola Politécnica da USP), making use of Life Cycle Assessment methods (LCA), is set to study the environmental performance of biodiesel, a type of fuel made from vegetal oils and short chain primary alcohols, such as methanol. Therefore, besides contributing to LCA of biodiesel, the inventory of the life cycle of methanol under conditions in Brazil, object of the present study, should allow for the enhancement of Brazilian and worldwide databases, being also useful for several environmental performance analysis in which methanol is inserted. Due to the difficulty in collecting primary data directly from suppliers, the present study assumes some hypothetical considerations with the aim to complement unavailable national data with secondary data, thus completing the final inventory. Results of the inventory were confronted with those of a simplified model constructed from the Ecoinvent database, which led to comparison and discussion. A simplified analysis of the inventory leads to the conclusion that the environmental aspect referring to energy consumption is prominent in relation to other aspects, mainly due to the use of natural gas as energy source, thus reflecting in other classes of aspects, such as air emissions.

A Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV) é uma ferramenta da gestão ambiental que identifica aspectos ambientais e avalia os impactos ambientais de um produto ao longo de todo o seu ciclo de vida. O ciclo de vida considera todas as atividades que vão desde a extração e processamento das matérias-primas, manufatura, transporte, distribuição, uso, reuso, manutenção e disposição final. Através da ACV são obtidas todas as entradas de massa e energia e as respectivas saídas na forma de emissões atmosféricas, efluentes líquidos e resíduos sólidos para cada atividade que compõe o ciclo de vida do produto estudado. No desenvolvimento da ACV, durante a fase de coleta de dados existe uma enorme quantidade de informações que necessita ser coletada. Para sanar essa dificuldade, vêm sendo desenvolvidos bancos de dados de insumos de grande importância os quais possuem características regionais, tornando o estudo mais completo e confiável. A utilização de bancos de dados tem caráter apenas regional, visto que as condições técnicas e ambientais podem variar de uma região para outra. Dependendo da região, a utilização de bancos de dados internacionais tende a distorcer os resultados dos estudos de ACV, conduzindo a resultados não adequados, os quais não representam a realidade da região em estudo. Neste contexto, o Grupo de Prevenção da Poluição do Departamento de Engenharia Química da Escola Politécnica da USP tem desenvolvido estudos que visam à obtenção de Inventários do Ciclo de Vida (ICVs) para auxiliar na construção de um banco de dados brasileiro. O presente estudo, inserido nessa linha de pesquisa, visa à construção do inventário do ciclo de vida do biodiesel etílico do óleo de girassol produzido no Brasil. O biodiesel é um combustível renovável constituído de uma mistura de monoalquilésteres de ácidos graxos de cadeia longa, derivados de óleos vegetais, gorduras animais ou óleos residuais. Neste estudo, definiu-se o sistema de produto para o biodiesel, o qual dividiu-se em subsistemas para facilitar a coleta de dados. Os dados coletados para cada um dos subsistemas foram predominantemente secundários, isto é, obtidos de publicações científicas e bases de dados estrangeiras. No entanto, os dados secundários foram adaptados à realidade brasileira, por meio de informações e considerações que consideraram as condições tecnológicas e de mercado existentes no Brasil. Como resultado verificou-se que 8 dentre todas as etapas do ciclo de vida do biodiesel, a produção dos grãos de girassol é a que demanda mais recursos materiais e energéticos e que provoca a maior quantidade de emissões para o meio ambiente. Deste modo, na produção do biodiesel deve ser dada atenção especial para a produção da oleaginosa, buscando soluções quanto ao seu alto consumo de recursos e emissões para o meio ambiente. / The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a tool of the environmental management which identifies environmental aspects and evaluates environmental impacts of products during its whole life cycle. The life cycle considers all the activities since the extraction and manufacture of the raw materials, transport, distribuction, use, reuse, maintenance and final disposal. Through the LCA are obtained all the inputs of mass and energy and the respective outputs of atmospheric emissions, liquid effluents and solid wastes for every activity of the product life cycle studied. In the development of the LCA, during the phase of data collection there is a vast quantity of information to be collected. To avoid this difficulty, have been in development databases of important inputs, who has regional characteristics, becoming the study more complete and reliable. The database utilization has only a regional character, since the technical and environmental conditions can change in different regions. Depending of the region, the utilization of international database tends to distort the results of an LCA study, leading non adequate results, which don´t represent the reality of the region in study. In this context, de Pollution Prevention Group (GP2) of the Chemical Engineering Department of Polytechnic School of USP have developed studies that aims to obtain Life Cycle Inventories (LCI) to assist the construction of a Brazilian database. The present study is inserted in such line of research and aims to the construction of the sunflower oil ethylic biodiesel LCI made in Brazil. The biodiesel is a renewable fuel, it is constituted of a mix of mono alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived of vegetable oils, animal fats or residual oils. In this study was defined the product system to biodiesel, which was divided in subsystems to assist the data collection. The data were collected for each one of the subsystems were in the majority secondary, obtained of scientific publications and foreign databases. However, the secondary data were adapted to the brazilian reality through informations and considerations that take into account the actual brazilian technological and market conditions. As a result it was verified that among all the steps of the biodiesel life cycle, the agricultural production of the sunflower is that one who demands more energetic and materials inputs and is responsible for the majority of the emissions to the environment. In this way, in the biodiesel production should 10 be given special attention to the agricultural production of the oilseed, searching for solutions to its high consumption of inputs and environmental emissions.

O aço é um insumo de usos diversos que variam desde a construção civil, até a confecção de bens de consumo. Sob a perspectiva ambiental, as transformações que ocorrem nessa cadeia produtiva se destacam pelos elevados consumos de insumos e de energia - nas formas elétrica e térmica -, e por emissões para o Meio Ambiente. Assim, o grande desafio das siderúrgicas é encontrar alternativas que reduzam os impactos ambientais associados aos seus processos. Esta busca requer porém, uma análise sistêmica e integrada que considere o produto final em todo seu ciclo de vida. Este estudo tem por finalidade a avaliação do desempenho ambiental da produção de aço líquido para um arranjo tecnológico médio no país. Para tanto, utilizou-se a ferramenta de Análise de Ciclo de Vida (ACV). Embora o diagnóstico tenha sido efetuado sobre todas as etapas de processamento, optou-se por evidenciar etapas que fossem inerentes do processamento do aço líquido. O diagnóstico inicial, então, revelou que as principais etapas responsáveis pelos impactos ambientais inerentes ao processo são: a) produção de energia elétrica do Grid brasileiro, b) a manufatura do aço e c) captação e transporte de água. A partir desta vistoria de etapas inerentes pôde-se propor cenários de melhoria de desempenho ambiental para o processo de produção do aço líquido, a saber: I) Aproveitamento de Gás de Aciaria para produção de Energia Elétrica e II) Instalação de Tecnologia de apagamento a seco do coque. Embora o Cenário III não esteja contemplado nas cargas inerentes de processo, o mesmo foi efetuado a partir de solicitação da empresa: III) Substituição do fornecimento de Minério de Manganês. A técnica de ACV foi novamente aplicada com o intuito de verificar a validade das ações propostas. O estudo concluiu que houve melhorias relevantes no desempenho ambiental principalmente nos modelos CED e USEtox, em todas a categorias de impacto apresentadas (Fósseis Não Renováveis, Nuclear Não Renovável, Biomassa Não Renovável, Biomassa Renovável, Energia decorrente de efeitos naturais, Água Renovável, Toxidade Humana a Câncer, Toxidade Humana Não Câncer e Ecotoxidade Aquática) para os Cenário I e II. Pouco impacto foi observado no modelo ReCiPe Midpoint (H) para o Cenário I e II a não ser pela piora na categoria de impacto de Formação de Oxidantes Fotoquímicos para o Cenário II. Isso aconteceu por um aumento na emissão de monóxido de carbono descrito pela proposição. O Cenário III apresentou melhoria significativa apenas de uma categoria de impacto: Depleção de Metais, devido redução da depleção manganês, explicada pela melhoria de qualidade na troca de fornecedores. / Steel is an input for various uses ranging from construction, to the production of consumer goods. From an environmental perspective the changes that occur in the production chain are highlighted by high consumption of raw materials and energy - in electric and thermal forms - and emissions to the environment. So the great challenge of the steel is to find alternatives that reduce environmental impacts associated with their processes. This search, however, requires a systemic and integrated analysis that considers the final product throughout its life cycle. This study aims to evaluate the environmental performance of the liquid steel production to an average technological arrangement in the country. For this, we used the Life Cycle Analysis Tool (ACV). Although the diagnosis has been made on all processing stages, we chose to highlight steps that were inherent in the liquid steel processing. The initial diagnosis then revealed that the main stages responsible for the environmental impacts inherent in the process are: a) electricity production of the Brazilian Grid, b) the manufacture of steel and c) uptake and transport of water. From this survey inherent steps could be proposed improvement scenarios of environmental performance for the liquid steel production process, as follows: I) Steelmaking Gas Utilization for Production of Electricity and II) Coke Dry Quenching Tecnology. Although Scenario III is not contemplated in the process of inherent charges, the same was made on request from the company: III) Replacing the supply of manganese ore. The LCA technique was applied again in order to verify the validity of the proposed actions. The study concluded there were significant improvements in the environmental performance mainly in CED and USEtox models in all the presented impact categories (Fossils Renewable Not Nuclear Renewable No Biomass Renewable Non Renewable Biomass Energy from natural effects, Renewable Water, Toxicity Human to Cancer, Human Toxicity Ecotoxicity not Cancer and Frashwater Ecotoxity) for Scenario I and II. Little impact was observed in the model ReCiPe Midpoint (H) for Scenario I and II unless the worsening Photochemical Oxidant Formation impact category for Scenario II. This happened by an increase in carbon monoxide emission described by the proposition. Scenario III showed significant improvement only in a depletion impact category metals due reducing manganese depletion, explained by the improvement of quality of switching suppliers.

Recentemente, a sociedade tem empreendido ações visando minimizar os impactos ambientais associados ao atendimento de suas necessidades. A reciclagem é uma atividade de destaque e que pode contribuir para que este novo objetivo seja atingido. Porém, as eventuais vantagens decorrentes da reciclagem devem ser analisadas de forma quantificada e sistêmica, ou seja, através de estudos de Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV) dos produtos. Por outro lado, o método de execução de estudos de ACV apresenta aspectos não consolidados. Um exemplo, é a modelagem de sistemas de produto que envolvam o reaproveitamento de rejeitos, para a qual não há consenso na comunidade científica a respeito da abordagem mais adequada. Neste contexto, esta pesquisa visa a consolidação das alternativas para a abordagem do reaproveitamento de rejeitos em estudos de ACV. Os modelos identificados variam, basicamente, segundo três abordagens. Uma delas é baseada na expansão do sistema, com o objetivo de se evitar a necessidade de alocação de cargas ambientais. Esta abordagem tem a vantagem de considerar diretamente os eventuais benefícios decorrentes do reaproveitamento dos resíduos. Já a segunda abordagem baseia-se na alocação das cargas ambientais associadas aos processos de obtenção das matérias-primas e/ou ao reaproveitamento em si, bem como a disposição final dos rejeitos entre os Sistemas de Produto envolvidos. Por fim, a última abordagem prega a atribuição das cargas ambientais associadas aos processos citados anteriormente exclusivamente à função atendida por cada sistema. Assim, o sistema que fornece um produto pós-consumo para o reaproveitamento arca com as cargas decorrentes da obtenção das matérias-primas, enquanto o sistema que reaproveita o produto pós-consumo fica responsável pelas cargas associadas à reciclagem em si, bem como à eventual disposição final. Salienta-se que este tipo de modelagem privilegia as situações em que um determinado sistema de produto utiliza insumos reciclados, uma vez que estes entram no sistema livres de carga ambiental pregressa. / Recently, human society has taken actions in order to minimize the environmental impacts associated with meeting their needs. Recycling is an important activity that can contribute to the achievement of this new goal. However, the possible benefits of recycling should be considered systemically, i.e., through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of products. On the other hand, LCA method implementation has some unconsolidated aspects. One example is the modeling of product systems end-of-life involving waste recycling, for which there is no consensus in the scientific community regarding the most appropriate approach. In this context, this research aims to consolidate the alternative approaches for modeling wastes recycling in LCA studies. The identified models vary primarily according to three approaches. One of them is based on product system expansion in order to avoid the need for environmental burdens allocation. This approach has the advantage of directly considering the possible benefits of reusing waste. The second approach is based on the allocation of environmental burdens associated with raw materials processing, recycling and final waste disposal between product systems involved. Finally, the last approach considers the attribution of environmental burdens associated with the mentioned processes exclusively the function served by each system. Thus, the system providing a post-consumer product for reuse bears the burdens arising from raw materials processing, while the system that recoveries the post-consumer product is responsible for the loads associated with the recycling as well as eventual final waste disposition. It is noted that this modeling approach favors situations in which a particular system uses a recycled product as raw material, since they enter the product system free of previous environmental burdens.