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Economic growth and ecological problems motivate industries to apply eco-friendly technologies and equipment. However, environmental impact, followed by energy and material consumption still remain the main negative implications of the technological progress in process engineering. Based on extensive patent analysis, this paper assigns more than 250 identified eco-innovation problems and requirements to 14 general eco-categories with energy consumption and losses, air pollution, and acidification as top issues. It defines primary eco-engineering contradictions, in case eco-problems appear as negative side effects of the new technologies, and secondary eco-engineering contradictions, if eco-friendly solutions have new environmental drawbacks. The study conceptualizes a correlation matrix between the eco-requirements for prediction of typical eco-contradictions on example of processes involving solids handling. Finally, it summarizes major eco-innovation approaches including Process Intensification in process engineering, and chronologically reviews 66 papers on eco-innovation adapting TRIZ methodology. Based on analysis of 100 eco-patents, 58 process intensification technologies, and literature, the study identifies 20 universal TRIZ inventive principles and sub-principles that have a higher value for environmental innovation.
Economic growth and ecological problems have pushed industries to switch to eco-friendly technologies. However, environmental impact is still often neglected since production efficiency remains the main concern. Patent analysis in the field of process engineering shows that, on the one hand, some eco-issues appear as secondary problems of the new technologies, and on the other hand, eco-friendly solutions often show lower efficiency or performance capability. The study categorizes typical environmental problems and eco-contradictions in the field of process engineering involving solids handling and identifies underlying inventive principles that have a higher value for environmental innovation. Finally, 42 eco-innovation methods adapting TRIZ are chronologically presented and discussed.