| This study seeks to advance our understanding of environmental impacts of nanotechnology through the application of life cycle assessment methods. Unique contributions of the thesis include (1) identification of environmentally significant aspects of nanomanufacturing, (2) performance of a cradle-to-gate life cycle inventory of materials and energy needs for CdSe quantum dots, (3) life cycle analysis of quantum dot photovoltaic (QDPV) modules and comparative assessment of their environmental impacts with that of other types of energy sources, (4) estimation of trends of quantum dot consumption and associated environmental impacts through adoption of quantum dot light emitting diodes (QDLEDs) in markets in the United States during the next decade (2009-2018).;Results indicate that the environmental impacts of nanomanufacturing methods may be more profound than that of conventional manufacturing because of their unique attributes such as low material efficiencies, the need for specialized environments, and repetitive processing steps. This is demonstrated for quantum dots, the manufacture of which is both energy and material intensive. Quantum dots also have a higher waste-to-product ratio 972 compared to bulk chemicals, fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals. However, the ultimate impact of quantum dots depends on the specific products into which they are incorporated, for instance the environmental impacts of quantum dot photovoltaic (QDPV) modules are less than other types of PV modules, except heavy metal emissions. QDPV modules have a better environmental performance than carbon-based energy sources but they have longer energy pay back times (EPBT) than wind and hydropower. Adoption of QDLEDs in markets may result in up to 160 kilograms of quantum dot consumption in the next decade in the United States, while resulting in far greater reduction of mercury consumption due to replacement of mercury-containing light sources. Energy savings due to efficiency improvements may be as much as 800 gigawatthours. |
