Process synthesis approaches for enhancing sustainability of batch process plants

Some of the most challenging issues facing the world today such as climate change, depletion of freshwater resources, and environmental pollution are a direct result of rapid industrialization that has taken place over the past hundred years. The evidence for climate change can be seen in the melting of polar ice, rising sea surface temperature, and extreme weather conditions such as heavy snow, storms, floods, and droughts in many parts of the world, which pose hazards to human lives and natural ecosystems [1]. Various studies also highlight that excessive water abstraction over the past decades has resulted in many water-stressed areas; this is expected to affect about half of the world's population by 2030 [2]. The spread of environmental pollution has further exacerbated the scarcity of usable water for domestic consumption.