Anticipatory sustainability assessment framework for material development demonstrated on material selection for bio-based benzoxazine synthesis

Abstract

Conventional life cycle assessment (LCA) methodologies, including recent prospective approaches for emerging technology assessment, are still facing challenges in managing uncertainty and stakeholder involvement. These limitations highlight the need for streamlined, integrative, proactive, and yet holistic approaches. This work fills the gap with the development of the Sustainable Tool for Anticipatory and Participative Material Development (Mat-STAP) as a novel assessment approach. Inspired by the streamlined LiSET assessment tool, the SURF-UK sustainability framework and the principles of Green Chemistry, Mat-STAP provides an anticipatory, and semi-quantitative assessment framework for holistic and integrative decision-making in material development. The methodology focuses on framing, process visualisation, high-level sustainability indicators, and a simplified assessment matrix to promote understanding, collaboration, and transparency. The present work starts with a conventional LCA of bio-based benzoxazine and glass fibre composites as a substitute of steel, demonstrating its lack of significance for early technology assessment during innovative material development. Mat-STAP is then applied to a case study on the synthesis of bio-based benzoxazines for composite applications, to evaluate the potential of different bio-based phenolic feedstocks for a sustainable benzoxazine biopolymer. Allyl phenol followed by phloretic acid emerge as the most promising candidates. Mat-STAP aims to bridge a gap between the conventional LCA and innovative material development, offering a proactive and collaborative assessment methodology to identify application-specific sustainable solutions.