@article{lan_wang_lee_de assis_venditti_zhu_yao_2024, title={A modeling framework to identify environmentally greener and lower-cost pathways of nanomaterials}, volume={26}, ISSN={1463-9262 1463-9270}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/d3gc04036d}, DOI={10.1039/d3gc04036d}, abstractNote={A framework integrating life cycle assessment, Green Chemistry, and techno-economic analysis to identify cost-effective, greener pathways for nanomaterial production, demonstrated with cellulose nanomaterials.}, number={6}, journal={Green Chemistry}, publisher={Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)}, author={Lan, Kai and Wang, Hannah Szu-Han and Lee, Tessa and de Assis, Camilla Abbati and Venditti, Richard A. and Zhu, Yong and Yao, Yuan}, year={2024}, pages={3466–3478} } @article{li_wang_xu_liu_dai_lan_2024, title={Bioplastic derived from corn stover: Life cycle assessment and artificial intelligence-based analysis of uncertainty and variability}, volume={946}, ISSN={["1879-1026"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174349}, DOI={10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174349}, journal={SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT}, author={Li, Junwei and Wang, Yinqiao and Xu, Chuan and Liu, Sipan and Dai, Jiayi and Lan, Kai}, year={2024}, month={Oct} } @article{wang_wu_liao_liu_pei_wang_gu_wang_lan_huang_2024, title={Constructing osteo-inductive bio-ink for 3D printing through hybridization of gelatin with maleic acid modified bacterial cellulose by regulating addition volumes of maleic acid solution}, volume={9}, ISSN={["2369-9698"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jobab.2024.04.001}, DOI={10.1016/j.jobab.2024.04.001}, abstractNote={Bacterial cellulose (BC) is an exopolysaccharide with unique properties that has been applied in various fields. However, the dense and intertwined nature of BC fibers limits its use in certain applications, including 3D printing scaffolds for bone regeneration. In this work, a controllable BC-based bio-ink for 3D printing was successfully prepared by modifying the neat BC through maleic acid (MA) treatment, aiming to promote bone tissue regeneration. To achieve homogeneous BC dispersions while preserving its crystalline and chemical properties, BC was modified by MA solution (60%, w/V) with solid-liquid ratio from 1꞉5 to 1꞉50 (w/V) to obtain MA-BC dispersions. The analysis results from microstructure, chemical group, crystallinity, and wettability indicated that the BC/MA solution with ratio of 1꞉30 demonstrated the best pre-treatment performance to obtain MA-BC. Subsequently, by combining MA-BC with gelatin, we successfully formulated MA-BC-GEL gels with favorable rheological properties and compression modulus, which can be used as promising bio-inks for 3D bioprinting applications. In vitro tests demonstrated 1꞉30 MA-BC possessed excellent biocompatibility, a significant ability to express the alkaline phosphatase gene and osteogenic-related genes, and facilitated the formation of mineralized nodules. The utilization of this novel bio-ink in scaffold preparation for bone regeneration highlights the promising application of modified BC in bone tissue engineering field.}, number={3}, journal={JOURNAL OF BIORESOURCES AND BIOPRODUCTS}, author={Wang, Xucai and Wu, Dengxian and Liao, Wei and Liu, Yaxuan and Pei, Wenhui and Wang, Jixian and Gu, Jiayu and Wang, Peng and Lan, Kai and Huang, Caoxing}, year={2024}, month={Aug}, pages={336–350} } @article{li_zheng_huang_lan_2025, title={Economic feasibility of the biorefinery processing bamboo residues with biphasic phenoxyethanol-acid pretreatment technology: Techno-economic analysis}, volume={302}, ISSN={["1873-4405"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ces.2024.120804}, DOI={10.1016/j.ces.2024.120804}, journal={CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE}, author={Li, Ruolin and Zheng, Yayue and Huang, Caoxing and Lan, Kai}, year={2025}, month={Feb} } @article{pires_williams_daystar_sagues_lan_venditti_2024, title={Evaluating Cotton Apparel with Dynamic Life Cycle Assessment: The Climate Benefits of Temporary Biogenic Carbon Storage}, volume={19}, ISSN={["1930-2126"]}, DOI={10.15376/biores.19.3.5074-5095}, abstractNote={Static life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies fail to consider the temporal profiles of system inputs and outputs (including emission timing), such that they underestimate the benefits of temporarily stored biogenic carbon in bioproducts, such as cotton. This research focuses on greenhouse gas emission timing and applies dynamic emission accounting to the life cycle of cotton woven pants. The significance of temporary biogenic carbon storage and emission timing is illustrated by converting the 2017 Cotton Incorporated static LCA to a dynamic model using the Dynamic Carbon Footprinter (baseline scenario). A reduction in cumulative radiative forcing for dynamic relative to static modeling of 22%, 5%, and 2% are observed at 10-years, 30-years, and 100-years, respectively. Alternative scenarios analyzed include converting cotton woven pants at end of life to bioenergy, to compost, or to building insulation, an alternative cotton production scenario using regenerative agricultural practices, and two pants extended lifetime scenarios. The regenerative agricultural practice scenario provides reductions in cumulative impacts compared to the baseline scenario of 96%, 69%, and 105% after 10, 30, and 100-years, respectively. A 3x extension in the lifetime of pants provides a benefit in reduced cumulative impacts of 31%, 40%, and 41%, after 10, 30, and 100-years, respectively. This case study with cotton demonstrates that dynamic LCA is a useful tool for assessing the benefits of biobased products, and it allows for more nuanced analysis of reductions in climate impacts in both the short- and long-term time horizons.}, number={3}, journal={BIORESOURCES}, author={Pires, Steven T. and Williams, Allan and Daystar, Jesse and Sagues, William Joe and Lan, Kai and Venditti, Richard A.}, year={2024}, month={Aug}, pages={5074–5095} } @article{he_zheng_lan_huang_2024, title={Influence of biphasic phenoxyethanol-alkaline pretreatment on the correlation between inter-structure and enzymatic hydrolysis in bamboo residues}, volume={282}, ISSN={["1879-0003"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.136859}, journal={INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES}, author={He, Juan and Zheng, Yayue and Lan, Kai and Huang, Caoxing}, year={2024}, month={Dec} } @article{zhao_wang_lan_zhao_lai_huang_yong_2024, title={Integrated Nondestructive Spectroscopic Technology to Reveal the Influence Mechanism of Lignins from Pretreated Corn Stover on Cellulose Saccharification}, volume={2}, ISSN={["2168-0485"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c07981}, DOI={10.1021/acssuschemeng.3c07981}, abstractNote={The changes in the structure of lignin during the pretreatment processes of biomass can affect its subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency. To explore the influence mechanism of dilute acid and hydrothermal pretreatment of corn stover lignin on cellulose saccharification, an integrated nondestructive spectral technology with fluorescence spectroscopy, surface plasmon resonance, and atomic force microscopy was performed. It showed that the surface lignins on the corn stover with dilute acid pretreatment at 190 °C (DA190-SL) and hydrothermal pretreatment at 190 °C (HP190-SL) possessed enhancement (from 76.95 to 80.09%) and inhibition (from 76.95 to 61.91%) for the enzymatic digestibility of Avicel, respectively. Nondestructive spectroscopic analysis indicated that HP190-SL adsorbed onto cellulase is mainly driven by hydrogen bonding and van der Waals forces, while the DA190-SL-enzyme system was mainly driven by hydrophobic interactions. The association affinity of DA190-SL combined with cellulase was higher than that of HP190-SL. The binding force of the HP190-SL-enzyme (0.16 nN) is lower than that of the DA190-SL-enzyme (0.75 nN), which leads to a higher propensity for dissociation of HP190-SL from cellulase after binding. This study aims to establish a theoretical basis for regulating the enzymatic performance during the hydrothermal and dilute acid pretreatment of corn stover at the molecular level.}, journal={ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING}, author={Zhao, Xiaoxue and Wang, Jiahao and Lan, Kai and Zhao, Zhichen and Lai, Chenhuan and Huang, Caoxing and Yong, Qiang}, year={2024}, month={Feb} } @article{huang_li_zheng_lan_2024, title={Life cycle assessment of bioproducts from bamboo residues with biphasic phenoxyethanol-acid based biorefinery technology}, url={https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2024.151181}, DOI={10.1016/j.cej.2024.151181}, journal={Chemical Engineering Journal}, author={Huang, Caoxing and Li, Ruolin and Zheng, Yayue and Lan, Kai}, year={2024}, month={Jun} } @article{wang_lan_2024, title={Life cycle assessment of emerging mass timber product: Cross-laminated bamboo}, volume={15}, ISSN={["2666-7894"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100243}, DOI={10.1016/j.cesys.2024.100243}, journal={CLEANER ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEMS}, author={Wang, Yinqiao and Lan, Kai}, year={2024}, month={Dec} } @article{lan_cruz_li_boakye_park_tiller_mittal_johnson_park_yao_2024, title={Life-Cycle Assessment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel Derived from Paper Sludge}, volume={12}, ISSN={["2168-0485"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c00795}, DOI={10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c00795}, abstractNote={Converting waste paper sludge to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) offers a circular economy strategy to decarbonize the aviation sector. This study develops a life-cycle assessment (LCA) for converting high-ash paper sludge to SAF in the U.S. using a catalytic sugar upgrading system that consists of ash removal, enzymatic hydrolysis, dehydration, aldol condensation, and hydroprocessing. The LCA is coupled with a process simulation for an industrial-scale biorefinery based on experimental data. We quantified the carbon intensity as 35.7–41.8 gCO2eq MJ–1 SAF (−636 to −584 gCO2eq per dry kg paper sludge) with acetone as a solvent, renewable fuel, and biobased chemicals; this is further reduced to 5.1–11.1 gCO2eq MJ–1 (−925 to −873 gCO2eq per dry kg paper sludge) if ash is recycled and used for substituting cement. Converting 1 dry kg paper sludge to SAF with acetone, renewable fuel, and biobased chemicals (−925 to −584 gCO2eq) is more climate beneficial than landfilling without landfill gas recovery (791 gCO2eq) and with landfill gas recovery (−294 gCO2eq). More than 330 million gallons of SAF can be produced annually (>4 million dry t paper sludge/year in the U.S.), resulting in a reduction of 2–7 million tCO2eq.}, number={22}, journal={ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING}, author={Lan, Kai and Cruz, David and Li, Jinyue and Boakye, Amma Asantewaa Agyei and Park, Hyeonji and Tiller, Phoenix and Mittal, Ashutosh and Johnson, David K. and Park, Sunkyu and Yao, Yuan}, year={2024}, month={Apr}, pages={8379–8390} } @article{wang_yusufu_wang_gan_zhang_gu_lan_wang_huang_2024, title={Meso-reconstructed silk fibroin/iron oxide nanoparticle composites dominated by silk I structures through unidirectional nanopore dehydration for potential application in bone regeneration}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s42114-024-00888-5}, DOI={10.1007/s42114-024-00888-5}, journal={Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials}, author={Wang, Hengda and Yusufu, Yalikun and Wang, Lanlan and Gan, Jian and Zhang, Meng and Gu, Jiayu and Lan, Kai and Wang, Peng and Huang, Caoxing}, year={2024}, month={Jun} } @article{yao_lan_graedel_rao_2024, title={Models for Decarbonization in the Chemical Industry}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-100522-114115}, DOI={10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-100522-114115}, abstractNote={ Various technologies and strategies have been proposed to decarbonize the chemical industry. Assessing the decarbonization, environmental, and economic implications of these technologies and strategies is critical to identifying pathways to a more sustainable industrial future. This study reviews recent advancements and integration of systems analysis models, including process analysis, material flow analysis, life cycle assessment, techno-economic analysis, and machine learning. These models are categorized based on analytical methods and application scales (i.e., micro-, meso-, and macroscale) for promising decarbonization technologies (e.g., carbon capture, storage, and utilization, biomass feedstock, and electrification) and circular economy strategies. Incorporating forward-looking, data-driven approaches into existing models allows for optimizing complex industrial systems and assessing future impacts. Although advances in industrial ecology–, economic-, and planetary boundary–based modeling support a more holistic systems-level assessment, more effects are needed to consider impacts on ecosystems. Effective applications of these advanced, integrated models require cross-disciplinary collaborations across chemical engineering, industrial ecology, and economics. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering , Volume 15 is June 2024. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates. }, journal={Annual Review of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering}, author={Yao, Yuan and Lan, Kai and Graedel, Thomas E. and Rao, Narasimha D.}, year={2024}, month={Jun} } @article{pei_yu_wang_zheng_lan_jin_yong_huang_2024, title={Research trends of bio-application of major components in lignocellulosic biomass (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) in orthopedics fields based on the bibliometric analysis: A review}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131505}, DOI={10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.131505}, journal={International Journal of Biological Macromolecules}, author={Pei, Wenhui and Yu, Yuxin and Wang, Peng and Zheng, Liming and Lan, Kai and Jin, Yongcan and Yong, Qiang and Huang, Caoxing}, year={2024}, month={May} } @article{lan_zhang_lee_yao_2024, title={Soil organic carbon change can reduce the climate benefits of biofuel produced from forest residues}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2023.12.018}, DOI={10.1016/j.joule.2023.12.018}, abstractNote={Because biomass residues do not cause land-use change, soil carbon changes are commonly not considered in life cycle assessments (LCAs) of biofuel derived from forest residues adopted by regulatory agencies. Here, we investigate the impacts of soil organic carbon (SOC) changes caused by removing forest residues in the Southern US on the carbon intensity of biofuels. We show that the average greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by SOC changes over 100 years are 8.8–14.9 gCO2e MJ−1, accounting for 20.3%–65.9% of life cycle GHG emissions of biofuel. These SOC-associated GHG emissions vary by time frame, site conditions, and forest management strategies. For land management, converting forest residues to biofuel is more climate beneficial than on-land decay or pile burning, depending on fossil fuel substitution and site conditions. Our results highlight the need to include soil carbon assessment in biofuel LCAs, policymaking, and forest management, even when forest residues are used and no land-use change is involved.}, journal={Joule}, author={Lan, Kai and Zhang, Bingquan and Lee, Tessa and Yao, Yuan}, year={2024}, month={Jan} } @article{lan_2024, title={Some Modeling Challenges in Dynamic Life Cycle Assessment}, volume={19}, ISSN={["1930-2126"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.15376/biores.19.3.4040-4042}, DOI={10.15376/biores.19.3.4040-4042}, abstractNote={Life cycle assessment (LCA) has been a mainstream tool to evaluate the environmental impacts of products, services, and systems. Current LCAs inherently rely on the static basis and commonly fail to include temporal considerations. To better assist in the decision-making for sustainable development, dynamic LCA has been initiated to answer more complex and interdisciplinary questions. As in its initial phase, dynamic LCA faces many modeling challenges that at the same time are meaningful research opportunities. In modeling dynamic LCA, there are several key aspects that need more attention for contribution and close collaboration across the first three phases of the LCA framework.}, number={3}, journal={BIORESOURCES}, author={Lan, Kai}, year={2024}, month={Aug}, pages={4040–4042} } @article{zhang_lan_harris_ashton_yao_2023, title={Climate-smart forestry through innovative wood products and commercial afforestation and reforestation on marginal land}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2221840120}, DOI={10.1073/pnas.2221840120}, abstractNote={ Afforestation and reforestation (AR) on marginal land are nature-based solutions to climate change. There is a gap in understanding the climate mitigation potential of protection and commercial AR with different combinations of forest plantation management and wood utilization pathways. Here, we fill the gap using a dynamic, multiscale life cycle assessment to estimate one-century greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation delivered by (both traditional and innovative) commercial and protection AR with different planting density and thinning regimes on marginal land in the southeastern United States. We found that innovative commercial AR generally mitigates more GHGs across 100 y (3.73 to 4.15 Giga tonnes of CO 2 equivalent (Gt CO 2 e)) through cross-laminated timber (CLT) and biochar than protection AR (3.35 to 3.69 Gt CO 2 e) and commercial AR with traditional lumber production (3.17 to 3.51 Gt CO 2 e), especially in moderately cooler and dryer regions in this study with higher forest carbon yield, soil clay content, and CLT substitution. In a shorter timeframe (≤50 y), protection AR is likely to deliver higher GHG mitigation. On average, for the same wood product, low-density plantations without thinning and high-density plantations with thinning mitigate more life cycle GHGs and result in higher carbon stock than that of low-density with thinning plantations. Commercial AR increases the carbon stock of standing plantations, wood products, and biochar, but the increases have uneven spatial distributions. Georgia (0.38 Gt C), Alabama (0.28 Gt C), and North Carolina (0.13 Gt C) have the largest carbon stock increases that can be prioritized for innovative commercial AR projects on marginal land. }, journal={Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, author={Zhang, Bingquan and Lan, Kai and Harris, Thomas B. and Ashton, Mark S. and Yao, Yuan}, year={2023}, month={Jun} } @article{sulis_jiang_yang_marques_matthews_miller_lan_cofre-vega_liu_sun_et al._2023, title={Multiplex CRISPR editing of wood for sustainable fiber production}, volume={381}, ISSN={["1095-9203"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.add4514}, DOI={10.1126/science.add4514}, abstractNote={The domestication of forest trees for a more sustainable fiber bioeconomy has long been hindered by the complexity and plasticity of lignin, a biopolymer in wood that is recalcitrant to chemical and enzymatic degradation. Here, we show that multiplex CRISPR editing enables precise woody feedstock design for combinatorial improvement of lignin composition and wood properties. By assessing every possible combination of 69,123 multigenic editing strategies for 21 lignin biosynthesis genes, we deduced seven different genome editing strategies targeting the concurrent alteration of up to six genes and produced 174 edited poplar variants. CRISPR editing increased the wood carbohydrate-to-lignin ratio up to 228% that of wild type, leading to more-efficient fiber pulping. The edited wood alleviates a major fiber-production bottleneck regardless of changes in tree growth rate and could bring unprecedented operational efficiencies, bioeconomic opportunities, and environmental benefits.}, number={6654}, journal={SCIENCE}, author={Sulis, Daniel B. and Jiang, Xiao and Yang, Chenmin and Marques, Barbara M. and Matthews, Megan L. and Miller, Zachary and Lan, Kai and Cofre-Vega, Carlos and Liu, Baoguang and Sun, Runkun and et al.}, year={2023}, month={Jul}, pages={216-+} } @article{wu_lan_yao_2023, title={An integrated techno-economic and environmental assessment for carbon capture in hydrogen production by biomass gasification}, volume={188}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106693}, DOI={10.1016/j.resconrec.2022.106693}, abstractNote={Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is a potential solution addressing climate change andregional wildfires, and supporting circular economy. This study investigates the economic and environmental performance of a BECCS pathway implementing carbon capture (CC) in hydrogen production via gasifying forest residues in the American West, by developing a framework that integrates process simulations, techno-economic analysis (TEA), and life cycle assessment (LCA). The results show that forest residue-derived hydrogen is economically competitive ($1.52– 2.92/kg H2) compared with fossil-based hydrogen. Incorporating CC increases environmental impact due to additional energy and chemical consumption, which can be mitigated by the energy self-sufficiency design that reduces CC cost to $75/tonne of CO₂ for a 2,000 dry short ton/day plant, or by using renewable energy such as solar and wind. Compared to electrolysis and fossil-based routes with CC, only BECCS can provide carbon-negative hydrogen and is more favorable regarding human health impact and near-term economics.}, journal={Resources, Conservation and Recycling}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Wu, Na and Lan, Kai and Yao, Yuan}, year={2023}, month={Jan}, pages={106693} } @article{lan_zhang_yao_2022, title={Circular utilization of urban tree waste contributes to the mitigation of climate change and eutrophication}, volume={5}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2022.07.001}, DOI={10.1016/j.oneear.2022.07.001}, abstractNote={Substantial urban tree waste is generated and underutilized in the US. Circular utilization of urban tree wastes has been explored in the literature, but the life-cycle environmental implications of varied utilization pathways have not been fully understood. Here we quantify the life-cycle environmental benefits of utilizing urban tree wastes at process, state, and national levels in the US. Full utilization of urban tree wastes to produce compost, lumber, chips, and biochar substantially reduces nationwide global warming potential (127.4–251.8 Mt CO2 eq./year) and eutrophication potential (93.9–192.7 kt N eq./year) compared with landfilling. Such benefits vary with state-level locations due to varied urban tree waste availability and types. Process-level comparisons identify the most environmentally beneficial combination as using merchantable logs for lumber and residues for biochar. The results highlight the climate change and eutrophication mitigation potential of different circular utilization pathways, supporting the development of circular bioeconomy in the urban environment.}, number={8}, journal={One Earth}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Lan, Kai and Zhang, Bingquan and Yao, Yuan}, year={2022}, month={Aug}, pages={944–957} } @article{ding_pang_lan_yao_panzarasa_xu_ricco_rammer_zhu_hu_et al._2023, title={Emerging Engineered Wood for Building Applications}, volume={123}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00450}, DOI={10.1021/acs.chemrev.2c00450}, abstractNote={The building sector, including building operations and materials, was responsible for the emission of ∼11.9 gigatons of global energy-related CO2 in 2020, accounting for 37% of the total CO2 emissions, the largest share among different sectors. Lowering the carbon footprint of buildings requires the development of carbon-storage materials as well as novel designs that could enable multifunctional components to achieve widespread applications. Wood is one of the most abundant biomaterials on Earth and has been used for construction historically. Recent research breakthroughs on advanced engineered wood products epitomize this material's tremendous yet largely untapped potential for addressing global sustainability challenges. In this review, we explore recent developments in chemically modified wood that will produce a new generation of engineered wood products for building applications. Traditionally, engineered wood products have primarily had a structural purpose, but this review broadens the classification to encompass more aspects of building performance. We begin by providing multiscale design principles of wood products from a computational point of view, followed by discussion of the chemical modifications and structural engineering methods used to modify wood in terms of its mechanical, thermal, optical, and energy-related performance. Additionally, we explore life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis tools for guiding future research toward environmentally friendly and economically feasible directions for engineered wood products. Finally, this review highlights the current challenges and perspectives on future directions in this research field. By leveraging these new wood-based technologies and analysis tools for the fabrication of carbon-storage materials, it is possible to design sustainable and carbon-negative buildings, which could have a significant impact on mitigating climate change.}, number={5}, journal={Chemical Reviews}, publisher={American Chemical Society (ACS)}, author={Ding, Yu and Pang, Zhenqian and Lan, Kai and Yao, Yuan and Panzarasa, Guido and Xu, Lin and Ricco, Marco Lo and Rammer, Douglas R. and Zhu, J. Y. and Hu, Ming and et al.}, year={2023}, month={Mar}, pages={1843–1888} } @article{lan_yao_2022, title={Feasibility of gasifying mixed plastic waste for hydrogen production and carbon capture and storage}, volume={3}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-022-00632-1}, DOI={10.1038/s43247-022-00632-1}, abstractNote={AbstractWaste plastic gasification for hydrogen production combined with carbon capture and storage is one technology option to address the plastic waste challenge. Here, we conducted a techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment to assess this option. The minimum hydrogen selling price of a 2000 oven-dry metric ton/day mixed plastic waste plant with carbon capture and storage is US$2.26–2.94 kg−1 hydrogen, which can compete with fossil fuel hydrogen with carbon capture and storage (US$1.21–2.62 kg−1 hydrogen) and current electrolysis hydrogen (US$3.20–7.70 kg−1 hydrogen). An improvement analysis outlines the roadmap for reducing the average minimum hydrogen selling price from US$2.60 to US$1.46 kg−1 hydrogen, which can be further lowered to US$1.06 kg−1 hydrogen if carbon credits are close to the carbon capture and storage costs along with low feedstock cost. The life cycle assessment results show that hydrogen derived from mixed plastic waste has lower environmental impacts than single-stream plastics.}, number={1}, journal={Communications Earth & Environment}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Lan, Kai and Yao, Yuan}, year={2022}, month={Nov} } @article{lan_yao_2021, title={Dynamic Life Cycle Assessment of Energy Technologies under Different Greenhouse Gas Concentration Pathways}, volume={12}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c05923}, DOI={10.1021/acs.est.1c05923}, abstractNote={Global warming potential (GWP) has been widely used in the life cycle assessment (LCA) to quantify the climate impacts of energy technologies. Most LCAs are static analyses without considering the dynamics of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and changes in background GHG concentrations. This study presents a dynamic approach to analyze the life-cycle GWP of energy technologies in different timeframes and representative GHG concentration pathways. Results show that higher atmospheric GHG concentrations lead to higher life-cycle GWP for long-term analysis. The impacts of background GHG concentrations are more significant for technologies with large operational emissions or CH4 emissions than technologies with low operational emissions. The case study for the U.S. electricity sector in 2020-2050 shows the impacts of background GHG concentrations and different LCA methods on estimating national climate impacts of different energy technology scenarios. Based on the results, it is recommended for future LCAs to incorporate temporal effects of GHG emissions when (1) the technology has large operational GHG emissions or CH4 emissions; (2) the analysis time frame is longer than 50 years; (3) when LCA results are used for policymaking or technology comparisons for mitigating climate change.}, journal={Environmental Science & Technology}, publisher={American Chemical Society (ACS)}, author={Lan, Kai and Yao, Yuan}, year={2021}, month={Dec} } @article{lan_ou_park_kelley_nepal_kwon_cai_yao_2021, title={Dynamic life-cycle carbon analysis for fast pyrolysis biofuel produced from pine residues: implications of carbon temporal effects}, volume={14}, ISSN={["1754-6834"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13068-021-02027-4}, DOI={10.1186/s13068-021-02027-4}, abstractNote={Abstract Background Woody biomass has been considered as a promising feedstock for biofuel production via thermochemical conversion technologies such as fast pyrolysis. Extensive Life Cycle Assessment studies have been completed to evaluate the carbon intensity of woody biomass-derived biofuels via fast pyrolysis. However, most studies assumed that woody biomass such as forest residues is a carbon–neutral feedstock like annual crops, despite a distinctive timeframe it takes to grow woody biomass. Besides, few studies have investigated the impacts of forest dynamics and the temporal effects of carbon on the overall carbon intensity of woody-derived biofuels. This study addressed such gaps by developing a life-cycle carbon analysis framework integrating dynamic modeling for forest and biorefinery systems with a time-based discounted Global Warming Potential (GWP) method developed in this work. The framework analyzed dynamic carbon and energy flows of a supply chain for biofuel production from pine residues via fast pyrolysis. Results The mean carbon intensity of biofuel given by Monte Carlo simulation across three pine growth cases ranges from 40.8–41.2 g CO2e MJ−1 (static method) to 51.0–65.2 g CO2e MJ−1 (using the time-based discounted GWP method) when combusting biochar for energy recovery. If biochar is utilized as soil amendment, the carbon intensity reduces to 19.0–19.7 g CO2e MJ−1 (static method) and 29.6–43.4 g CO2e MJ−1 in the time-based method. Forest growth and yields (controlled by forest management strategies) show more significant impacts on biofuel carbon intensity when the temporal effect of carbon is taken into consideration. Variation in forest operations and management (e.g., energy consumption of thinning and harvesting), on the other hand, has little impact on the biofuel carbon intensity. Conclusions The carbon temporal effect, particularly the time lag of carbon sequestration during pine growth, has direct impacts on the carbon intensity of biofuels produced from pine residues from a stand-level pine growth and management point of view. The carbon implications are also significantly impacted by the assumptions of biochar end-of-life cases and forest management strategies. }, number={1}, journal={BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS}, publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC}, author={Lan, Kai and Ou, Longwen and Park, Sunkyu and Kelley, Stephen S. and Nepal, Prakash and Kwon, Hoyoung and Cai, Hao and Yao, Yuan}, year={2021}, month={Sep} } @article{liao_lan_yao_2022, title={Sustainability implications of artificial intelligence in the chemical industry: A conceptual framework}, volume={26}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13214}, DOI={10.1111/jiec.13214}, abstractNote={AbstractArtificial intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology that has great potential in reducing energy consumption, environmental burdens, and operational risks of chemical production. However, large‐scale applications of AI are still limited. One barrier is the lack of quantitative understandings of the potential benefits and risks of different AI applications. This study reviewed relevant AI literature and categorized those case studies by application types, impact categories, and application modes. Most studies assessed the energy, economic, and safety implications of AI applications, while few of them have evaluated the environmental impacts of AI, given the large data gaps and difficulties in choosing appropriate assessment methods. Based on the reviewed case studies in the chemical industry, we proposed a conceptual framework that encompasses approaches from industrial ecology, economics, and engineering to guide the selection of performance indicators and evaluation methods for a holistic assessment of AI's impacts. This framework could be a valuable tool to support the decision‐making related to AI in the fundamental research and practical production of chemicals. Although this study focuses on the chemical industry, the insights of the literature review and the proposed framework could be applied to AI applications in other industries and broad industrial ecology fields. In the end, this study highlights future research directions for addressing the data challenges in assessing AI's impacts and developing AI‐enhanced tools to support the sustainable development of the chemical industry.}, number={1}, journal={Journal of Industrial Ecology}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Liao, Mochen and Lan, Kai and Yao, Yuan}, year={2022}, month={Feb}, pages={164–182} } @article{lan_ou_park_kelley_english_yu_larson_yao_2021, title={Techno-Economic Analysis of decentralized preprocessing systems for fast pyrolysis biorefineries with blended feedstocks in the southeastern United States}, volume={143}, ISSN={["1879-0690"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2021.110881}, DOI={10.1016/j.rser.2021.110881}, abstractNote={This study evaluated the economic feasibility of fast pyrolysis biorefineries fed with blended pine residues and switchgrass in the Southeastern U.S. with different supply chain design. Previous techno-economic analyses (TEA) have focused on either blended biomass or decentralized preprocessing without investigating the impacts of varied process parameters, technology options, and real-world biomass distribution. This study fills the literature gap by modeling scenarios for different biomass blending ratios, biorefinery and preprocessing site (so-called depot) capacities, and alternative preprocessing technologies. High-resolution, real-world geospatial data were analyzed using Geographic Information Systems to facilitate supply chain design and TEA. For a decentralized system, the minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of biofuel was $3.92–$4.33 per gallon gasoline equivalent (GGE), while the MFSP for the centralized biorefinery at the same capacities ranged between $3.75–$4.02/GGE. Implementing a high moisture pelleting process depot rather than a conventional pelleting process lowered the MFSP by $0.03–$0.17/GGE. Scenario analysis indicated decreased MFSP with increasing biorefinery capacities but not necessarily with increasing depot size. Medium-size depots (500 OMDT/day) achieved the lowest MFSP. This analysis identified the optimal blending ratios for two preprocessing technologies at varied depot sizes. Counterintuitively, increasing the proportion of higher cost switchgrass reduced the MFSP for large biorefineries (>5000 ODMT/day), but increased the MFSP for small biorefineries (1000–2500 ODMT/day). Although the decentralized systems have a higher MFSP based on current analysis, it has other potential benefits such as mitigated supply chain risks and improved feedstock quality that are difficult to be quantified in this TEA.}, journal={RENEWABLE & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY REVIEWS}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Lan, Kai and Ou, Longwen and Park, Sunkyu and Kelley, Stephen S. and English, Burton C. and Yu, T. Edward and Larson, James and Yao, Yuan}, year={2021}, month={Jun} } @article{lan_xu_kim_ham_kelley_park_2021, title={Techno-economic analysis of producing xylo-oligosaccharides and cellulose microfibers from lignocellulosic biomass}, volume={340}, ISSN={["1873-2976"]}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125726}, DOI={10.1016/j.biortech.2021.125726}, abstractNote={This study assesses the economic performance of a biorefinery producing xylo-oligosaccharides (XOS) from miscanthus by autohydrolysis and purification based on a rigorous model developed in ASPEN Plus. Varied biorefinery capacities (50-250 oven dry metric ton (ODMT)/day) and three XOS content levels (80%, 90%, 95%) are analyzed. The XOS minimum selling price (XOS MSP) is varied between $3,430-$7,500, $4,030-$8,970, and $4,840-$10,640 per metric ton (MT) for 80%, 90%, and 95% content, respectively. The results show that increasing biorefinery capacity can significantly reduce the XOS MSP and higher purity leads to higher XOS MSP due to less yield, and higher capital and operating costs. This study also explores another system configuration to produce high-value byproducts, cellulose microfiber, by utilizing the cellulose to produce microfiber instead of combusting for energy recovery. The XOS MSP of cellulose microfiber case is $2,460-$7,040/MT and thus exhibits potential economic benefits over the other cases.}, journal={BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY}, publisher={Elsevier BV}, author={Lan, Kai and Xu, Yiling and Kim, Hoyong and Ham, Choonghyun and Kelley, Stephen S. and Park, Sunkyu}, year={2021}, month={Nov} } @article{zhang_lan_2022, title={Understanding the Impacts of Plant Capacities and Uncertainties on the Techno-Economic Analysis of Cross-Laminated Timber Production in the Southern US}, volume={10}, ISSN={["2164-6341"]}, DOI={10.32604/jrm.2022.017506}, abstractNote={Understanding the economic feasibility of cross-laminated timber (CLT), an emerging and sustainable alternative to concrete and steel, is critical for the rapid expansion of the mass timber industry. However, previous studies on economic performance of CLT have not fully considered the variations in the feedstock, plant capacities, manufacturing parameters, and capital and operating costs. This study fills this gap by developing a techno-economic analysis of producing CLT panels in the Southern United States. The effects of those variations on minimum selling price (MSP) of CLT panels are explored by Monte Carlo simulation. The results show that, across all the plant capacities from 30,000 to 150,000 m3/year, the MSP ranges from $345 to $609/m3 with a ±6%–9% range caused by the variations in feedstocks, key manufacturing parameters, capital and operating cost. The MSP decreases significantly along the increasing capacities. A sensitivity analysis exhibits that the lumber price, lumber preparing loss, plant capacity, and the installed costs of layering and gluing, finishing, and miscellaneous, are the top driving factors to CLT MSP. Supported by Geographic Information System, this study also studies the transportation cost of delivering CLT to customers under three CLT demanding levels (1%, 5%, 15%). The results show that the transportation cost is 1%–8% of the MSP. Lower demanding level or higher plant capacity can increase the transportation cost due to average longer delivering distance. When considering the delivered cost that sums MSP and transportation cost, larger plant capacity does not necessarily generate lower delivered cost.}, number={1}, journal={JOURNAL OF RENEWABLE MATERIALS}, author={Zhang, Zhenzhen and Lan, Kai}, year={2022}, pages={53–73} } @article{lan_kelley_nepal_yao_2020, title={Dynamic life cycle carbon and energy analysis for cross-laminated timber in the Southeastern United States}, volume={15}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abc5e6}, DOI={10.1088/1748-9326/abc5e6}, abstractNote={AbstractLife cycle assessment (LCA) has been used to understand the carbon and energy implications of manufacturing and using cross-laminated timber (CLT), an emerging and sustainable alternative to concrete and steel. However, previous LCAs of CLT are static analyses without considering the complex interactions between the CLT manufacturing and forest systems, which are dynamic and largely affected by the variations in forest management, CLT manufacturing, and end-of-life options. This study fills this gap by developing a dynamic life-cycle modeling framework for a cradle-to-grave CLT manufacturing system across 100 years in the Southeastern United States. The framework integrates process-based simulations of CLT manufacturing and forest growth as well as Monte Carlo simulation to address uncertainty. On a 1-ha forest land basis, the net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions range from −954 to −1445 metric tonne CO2eq. for a high forest productivity scenario compared to −609 to −919 metric tonne CO2eq. for a low forest productivity scenario. All scenarios showed significant GHG emissions from forest residues decay, demonstrating the strong needs to consider forest management and their dynamic impacts in LCAs of CLT or other durable wood products (DWP). The results show that using mill residues for energy recovery has lower fossil-based GHG (59%–61% reduction) than selling residues for producing DWP, but increases the net GHG emissions due to the instantaneous release of biogenic carbon in residues. In addition, the results were converted to a 1 m3basis with a cradle-to-gate system boundary to be compared with literature. The results, 113–375 kg CO2eq. m−3across all scenarios for fossil-based GHG emissions, were consistent with previous studies. Those findings highlight the needs of system-level management to maximize the potential benefits of CLT. This work is an attributional LCA, but the presented results lay a foundation for future consequential LCAs for specific CLT buildings or commercial forest management systems.}, number={12}, journal={Environmental Research Letters}, publisher={IOP Publishing}, author={Lan, Kai and Kelley, Stephen S and Nepal, Prakash and Yao, Yuan}, year={2020}, month={Dec}, pages={124036} } @article{lan_park_kelley_english_yu_larson_yao_2020, title={Impacts of uncertain feedstock quality on the economic feasibility of fast pyrolysis biorefineries with blended feedstocks and decentralized preprocessing sites in the Southeastern United States}, volume={12}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12752}, DOI={10.1111/gcbb.12752}, abstractNote={AbstractThis study performs techno‐economic analysis and Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) to explore the effects that variations in biomass feedstock quality have on the economic feasibility of fast pyrolysis biorefineries using decentralized preprocessing sites (i.e., depots that produce pellets). Two biomass resources in the Southeastern United States, that is, pine residues and switchgrass, were examined as feedstocks. A scenario analysis was conducted for an array of different combinations, including different pellet ash control levels, feedstock blending ratios, different biorefinery capacities, and different biorefinery on‐stream capacities, followed by a comparison with the traditional centralized system. MCS results show that, with depot preprocessing, variations in the feedstock moisture and feedstock ash content can be significantly reduced compared with a traditional centralized system. For a biorefinery operating at 100% of its designed capacity, the minimum fuel selling price (MFSP) of the decentralized system is $3.97–$4.39 per gallon gasoline equivalent (GGE) based on the mean value across all scenarios, whereas the mean MFSP for the traditional centralized system was $3.79–$4.12/GGE. To understand the potential benefits of highly flowable pellets in decreasing biorefinery downtime due to feedstock handling and plugging problems, this study also compares the MFSP of the decentralized system at 90% of its designed capacity with a traditional system at 80%. The analysis illustrates that using low ash pellets mixed with switchgrass and pine residues generates a more competitive MFSP. Specifically, for a biorefinery designed for 2,000 oven dry metric ton per day, running a blended pellet made from 75% switchgrass and 25% pine residues with 2% ash level, and operating at 90% of designed capacity could make an MFSP between $4.49 and $4.71/GGE. In contrast, a traditional centralized biorefinery operating at 80% of designed capacity marks an MFSP between $4.72 and $5.28.}, number={11}, journal={GCB Bioenergy}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Lan, Kai and Park, Sunkyu and Kelley, Stephen S. and English, Burton C. and Yu, Tun‐Hsiang E. and Larson, James and Yao, Yuan}, year={2020}, month={Nov}, pages={1014–1029} } @article{lan_yao_2019, title={Integrating Life Cycle Assessment and Agent-Based Modeling: A Dynamic Modeling Framework for Sustainable Agricultural Systems}, volume={238}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117853}, DOI={10.1016/j.jclepro.2019.117853}, abstractNote={As food demand increases, it is critical to develop effective strategies and evaluate their potential in reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and other environmental footprints of large-scale agricultural systems. This study addresses the challenge by developing a dynamic system modeling framework integrating Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Agent-Based Modeling (ABM), and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA). LCA and TEA were coupled with dynamic simulation models of crop yields, costs, and prices, allowing for the estimation of life-cycle environmental impacts and profitability of crop planting activities under changing climate and economic conditions. The framework was demonstrated by a case study for an agricultural system, including 1,000 farms in the United States over a 30-year time frame. The results indicated that information exchange among farmers, farmers' environmental awareness, access to environmental information, and farm size are key factors driving the system's environmental impacts. The results can provide a broad range of stakeholders (e.g., policymakers, nonprofits, agriculture companies) with insightful information to tailor their strategies for effectively managing the environmental footprints of large-scale agricultural systems. The integrated modeling framework has the potential to address sustainability challenges in other systems that are dynamic, involve human behaviors, and have complex interactions among human and nature systems.}, journal={Journal of Cleaner Production}, author={Lan, K. and Yao, Y.}, year={2019}, month={Nov} } @inbook{key issues, challenges, and status quo of models for biofuel supply chain design_2019, url={https://www.elsevier.com/books/biofuels-for-a-more-sustainable-future/ren/978-0-12-815581-3}, booktitle={Biofuels for a More Sustainable Future 1st Edition}, year={2019}, month={Sep} } @article{lan_park_yao_2020, title={Key issue, challenges, and status quo of models for biofuel supply chain design}, ISBN={978-0-12-815582-0}, url={http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-85083223493&partnerID=MN8TOARS}, DOI={10.1016/B978-0-12-815581-3.00010-5}, abstractNote={Biofuel supply chain (BSC) design is crucial for the sustainable production and distribution of biofuel. Many modeling techniques such as optimization and simulation have been employed to BSC at different regional and temporal scales. This chapter reviews the research efforts made in BSC since 2005 to highlight status quo, challenges, and issues related to BSC modeling and design. The basic concept and components of BSC are first introduced and followed by the review of different modeling techniques at various decision levels of BSC design. Challenges and issues identified throughout this review work are highlighted at the end and future research directions are discussed.}, journal={Biofuels for a More Sustainable Future: Life Cycle Sustainability Assessment and Multi-Criteria Decision Making}, author={Lan, Kai and Park, Sunkyu and Yao, Yuan}, year={2020}, pages={273–315} } @article{lan_ou_park_kelley_yao_2019, title={Life Cycle Analysis of Decentralized Preprocessing Systems for Fast Pyrolysis Biorefineries with Blended Feedstocks in the Southeastern United States}, volume={8}, ISSN={2194-4288 2194-4296}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ente.201900850}, DOI={10.1002/ente.201900850}, abstractNote={Blending biomass feedstock is a promising approach to mitigate supply chain risks that are common challenges for large‐scale biomass utilization. Understanding the potential environmental benefits of biofuels produced from blended biomass and identifying driving parameters are critical for the supply chain design. Herein, a cradle‐to‐gate life cycle analysis model for fast pyrolysis biorefineries converting blended feedstocks (pine residues and switchgrass) with traditional centralized and alternative decentralized preprocessing sites, so‐called depots, is explained. Different scenarios are developed to investigate the impacts of parameters such as feedstock blending ratios, biorefinery and depot capacities, preprocessing technologies, and allocation methods. The life‐cycle energy consumption and global warming potential (GWP) of biofuel production with depots vary between 0.7–1.1 MJ MJ−1 and 43.2–76.6 g CO2 eq. MJ−1, respectively. The results are driven by biorefinery processes and depot preprocesses. A decentralized design reduces the energy consumption of the biorefinery but increases the overall life‐cycle energy and GWP. Such increases can be significantly mitigated by increasing switchgrass content as the energy consumption at the depot is driven largely by the higher moisture content of pine feedstocks. Allocation methods also have a large impact on the results but do not change the major trends and overall conclusions.}, number={11}, journal={Energy Technology}, publisher={Wiley}, author={Lan, Kai and Ou, Longwen and Park, Sunkyu and Kelley, Stephen S. and Yao, Yuan}, year={2019}, month={Sep}, pages={1900850} } @article{lan_sun_bernitsas_2018, title={Two Tandem Cylinders With Passive Turbulence Control in Flow-Induced Vibration: Relation of Oscillation Patterns to Frequency Response}, volume={140}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.4038935}, DOI={10.1115/1.4038935}, abstractNote={Flow-induced vibrations (FIV) are conventionally destructive and should be suppressed. Since 2006, the Marine Renewable Energy Laboratory (MRELab) of the University of Michigan has been studying FIV of multiple cylinders to enhance their response for harnessing hydrokinetic power from ocean, river, and tidal currents. Interactions between multiple cylinders in FIV enable high power-to-volume ratio in a converter consisting of multiple oscillators. This paper investigates experimentally the relation between oscillation patterns and frequency response of two cylinders in tandem. All experiments are conducted in the recirculating channel of the MRELab for 30,000 < Re < 120,000. Phase analysis reveals three dominant patterns of oscillation of two tandem cylinders by calculating the instantaneous phase difference between the two cylinders. This phase difference characterizes each major pattern. Pattern A is characterized by small lead or lag of one cylinder over the other. In pattern B, there is nearly 180 deg out of phase oscillations between the cylinders. In pattern C, the instantaneous phase difference changes continuously from −180 deg to +180 deg. Using frequency spectra and amplitude response, oscillation characteristics of each cylinder are revealed in vortex-induced vibration (VIV) and galloping. Pattern A occurs mostly in galloping when the first cylinder has higher stiffness. Pattern B occurs seldom and typically in the initial VIV branch and transition from VIV to galloping. Pattern C occurs in the upper and lower VIV branches; and in galloping when the lead cylinder has lower stiffness.}, number={3}, journal={Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering}, author={Lan, K. and Sun, H. and Bernitsas, M.M.}, year={2018}, month={Feb} } @inproceedings{lan_sun_bernitsas_2017, title={Two Tandem Cylinders With Passive Turbulence Control in Flow Induced Vibration: Relation of Oscillation Patterns to Frequency Response}, volume={10}, url={http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/omae2017-62131}, DOI={10.1115/omae2017-62131}, abstractNote={Flow Induced Vibrations (FIV) are conventionally destructive and should be suppressed. Since 2006, the Marine Renewable Energy Laboratory (MRELab) of the University of Michigan has been studying FIV of multiple cylinders to enhance their response for harnessing hydrokinetic power from ocean, river, and tidal currents. Interactions between multiple cylinders in FIV enable high power-to-volume ratio in a converter consisting of multiple oscillators of cylinders. This paper investigates experimentally the relation between oscillation patterns and frequency response of two cylinders in tandem. All experiments are conducted in the recirculating channel of the MRELab for 30,000