Byung Chul Shin  Ji Won Shin  Jae Gang Shim  Seong Poong Lee  Geun Sang Park  Geon Bo Sim2 Tae Min Hahm  Soo Man Lee  So Yi Kim

10.7464/ksct.2025.31.2.111

Adhesive film Volatile Organic Compound Corona discharge plasma Activated carbon adsorption Life cycle assessment

In this study, a comparative environmental evaluation was conducted by employing LCA technology to compare a new process that decomposes VOCs using a plasma reaction by corona discharge and a conventional activated carbon adsorption process to remove VOCs emitted during the adhesive film manufacturing process. The environmental impact was estimated by collecting field data from a new process demonstration facility of 50 Nm3/min and the current adsorption one of 400 Nm3/min and utilizing the Ministry of Environment’s LCI DB. The scope of the analysis was from the latter stage of VOCs emission to atmospheric discharge. The comparative assessment was based on six categories, which were abiotic resource depletion, acidification, eutrophication, global warming, ozone layer destruction, and photochemical oxides creation. Comparing the total emission quantity of the new process with that of adsorption showed that global warming decreased to 79.9%, photochemical oxide creation to 42.6%, acidity to 80.8%, and abiotic resource depletion to 72.2%. In particular, the eutrophication of the new process was reduced by more than 90% compared to adsorption due to adsorption’s additional environmental impacts from the use of regenerative activated carbon. The new process showed a positive effect in terms of the environment because the total emissions in all environmental categories were reduced compared to the current activated carbon adsorption process. Reducing the atmospheric emissions by increasing the VOCs removal rate is important because the photochemical oxide formation is above 50% for both processes. Weighted analysis showed that replacing the current adsorption process with the new plasma decomposition process decreased the overall environmental impact to 65.5%.