Techno-Economic Analysis and Life Cycle Assessment of Lignocellulosic Nanofibrils (LCNF) Production from Wheat Straw

Abstract Cellulosic nanofibrils are sustainable, high-performance materials whose commercialization remains constrained by high production costs. This study presents an integrated techno-economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) of lignocellulosic nanofibrils (LCNF) manufacturing from agricultural waste via a scalable, low-impact process. The modeled process incorporates five areas: feedstock handling, pulping and refining, peracetic acid pretreatment, mechanical fibrillation, and wastewater treatment. A facility processing 100-tonne/day of wheat straw can produce 18,400 tonnes of LCNF/year. The TEA estimates a breakeven selling price of $3.83/kg of LCNF and a minimum selling price of US$4.60/kg at a 15% discount rate. The low prices are driven by inexpensive feedstock, low-cost chemicals, and moderate capital cost enabled by mild operating conditions and conventional unit operations. Further cost reductions are achieved through economies of scale and co-location strategies. LCA reveals a global warming potential of 3.1–6.3 kg CO2-eq/kg of LCNF, depending on the biogenic carbon crediting, being lower than values generally reported for TEMPO oxidation. Emissions are dominated by ancillary chemicals and electricity, while carbon uptake during feedstock growth offsets 51% of gross emissions. Overall, this work establishes a scalable and more environmentally friendly pathway for producing cost-competitive lignocellulosic nanofibrils directly from agricultural residues instead of wood pulp.