1,721,108 research outputs found
Ridurre l’impatto ambientale degli edifici mediante l’utilizzo di materiali biogenici. analisi LCA di un caso italiano
No full textImpact of Different LCI Modelling Scenarios on the LCA Results, A Case Study for the Automotive Sector
No full textSince vehicles are comprised of thousands of components,
it is essential to reduce the Life Cycle Inventory
(LCI) modelling workload. This study aims to compare
different LCI modeling workload-reducing scenarios to
provide a trade-off between the workload efforts and result
accuracy. To achieve the optimal balance between computational
effort and data specification requirements, the driver
seat is used as a case study, instead of the entire vehicle. When
all the components of a conventional light-duty commercial
vehicle are sorted by mass descending order, seats are among
the first five. In addition, unlike the other components, seats
are comprised of metals as well as a wide range of plastics and
textiles, making them a representative test case for a general
problem formulation. In this way, methodology and outcomes
can be reasonably extended to the entire vehicle. Regarding
the methodology, this study investigates the use of the
International Material Data System (IMDS), thus primary
data are used. First, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the
reference scenario is evaluated, in which the LCI model is
developed using the full list of substances at element level. The
reference scenario is characterized both by the highest degree
of details and major workload efforts. Second, the authors
consider three workload-reducing scenarios, which they refer
to as: the cut-off, the Verband Der Automobilindustrie (VDA)
and the one-substance-one-material scenarios. Then, granularity
is added, and different levels of disaggregation are
considered for all scenarios. Results indicate that when the
reference scenario is compared to the cut-off scenarios, environmental
impacts are significantly different in certain impact
categories (e.g., Abiotic Depletion) even with the smallest
cut-off (1%). In contrast, when Global Warming Potential
(GWP) is considered, the difference is negligible for any value
of cut-off ranging from 1 to 5%. As a result, if the focus is
solely on the GWP, the cut-off is a viable workload-reducing
strategy. Finally, the VDA and the One-substance-onematerial
scenarios appear to be the best compromises in terms
of workload and accuracy. The One-substance-one-material
scenario achieves the highest accuracy compared to the other
workload-reducing scenarios
Reducing water footprint of building sector: Concrete with seawater and marine aggregates
Full text linkFreshwater resources are currently under great pressure all over the world due to many factors, such as climate change and growing urbanization. Industrial products like concrete pauperize a significant share of available freshwater during their life cycle. Therefore, cutting down the amount of freshwater consumed by these products might be a solution to reduce the stress in regions affected by water scarcity. In this study, the potential freshwater savings linked to the adoption of innovative concrete mixtures were investigated via the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method. In particular, the use of marine aggregates instead of land-based ones and seawater rather than freshwater in the mixing process of concrete were examined. To improve the validity of the analysis, the applicability to the Italian context using geo-referenced data for the distance to the coastline and the availability of freshwater was explored. Results confirmed the positive effect that the use of seawater and marine aggregates might have in reducing the water footprint of the Italian construction sector, leaving freshwater available for human consumption. Mixing concrete with seawater would lead to a reduction of its water footprint up to 12%. Moreover, if land-won aggregates were replaced with marine ones, an 84% reduction of the water footprint could be achieved. In both cases, possible burden shifting (e.g. increase of greenhouse gases emissions) should be investigated
A Study on the Cradle-to-Gate Environmental Impacts of Automotive Lithium-ion Batteries
No full textSeveral factors are influencing the spread of Electric Vehicles (EVs) in the automotive market. However, while battery-electric vehicles emit no tailpipe emissions, the manufacturing phase, particularly the manufacturing of the battery packs, can have significant environmental impacts. In addition, as the EV market expands, there will be a significant increase in demand for critical materials used in lithium-ion batteries, such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel. These materials are essential for producing high-performance batteries, and their global demand is expected to rise rapidly to meet the demands of the expanding market. This paper investigates the main challenges that need to be tackled to reach a sustainable path in the battery industry. A cradle-to-gate boundary is set to focus on raw material extraction, production of precursors, cell and module production, and battery pack assembly. In addition, because 7.8 million tons of EV batteries per year are expected to reach the end-of-life phase by 2040, a brief overview of the recycling issue is provided to investigate the potential usage of recycled material in the early stages of battery production
Comparative LCA of fossil fuels and biofuels use for transportation – A literature review
Full text linkThis literature review investigates LCA studies carried out by different authors to evaluate the environmental impact of the use of traditional fossil fuels compared to the use of biofuels in the transport sector. The global warming potential of the studied fuels is analysed along with other impact categories such as acidification and human toxicity potentials. In general, biofuels are beneficial with respect to fossil fuels as regards greenhouse effect, since they are produced from vegetable systems that have assimilated CO2. However, the use of fertilizers and land areas, not needed for fossil fuels production, represent some of the main drawbacks of biodiesel and bioethanol life cycle. Both the similarities and differences among the results of the different LCA studies analysed are discussed in order both to highlight the most critical features that arise by comparing the environmental impact of traditional and alternative liquid fuels, and to assess if biofuels are an effective and sustainable alternative to diesel and gasoline for transportation in the next years
Evaluation of Graphene Nanoplatelets as a Microporous Layer Material for PEMFC: Performance and Durability Analysis
No full textIn this paper, the effect of different carbonaceous phases in microporous layers (MPLs) for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is reported. A conventional ink with carbon black (CB) powder and an innovative one featuring graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) have been produced and used to coat carbon cloth gas diffusion layers (GDLs). Morphological and electrical properties of these samples have been assessed and then compared to determine which characteristics contribute to a possible enhancement of the fuel cell performance. Static contact angle measurements have revealed a similar hydrophobic character for both samples. Through-plane water permeability and porosity of the samples have been correlated to the optimal working temperature: GNPs-based MPLs provide the best performance in dry condition (T = 80 °C, RH = 60%), while CB-based samples work better in more humid conditions. Instead, the electrical conductivity of the samples have not displayed a strong influence on the polarization curve of the cell. In addition, an ex situ mechanical accelerated stress test (AST) has been performed on both samples to assess their durability and understand which factors could lengthen their lifetime. GNPs-based samples resisted better under the harsh conditions imposed during the AST and a possible optimization of this ink composition is proposed for future development
Phosphate recovery from exhausted extinguishing powders: A case study of circular economy in the chemical industry
No full textNowadays in Europe, an exhausted extinguishing powders (EEP) industrial recovering process is still missing, fertilizer demand is increasing, phosphorous is a critical raw material. In this perspective, an EEP treatment pilot plant was realized, allowing the recovery of a high-value, non-renewable raw material, phosphate, transformed into fertilizers. This case study offers an example of circular economy and industrial symbiosis in the chemical industry (EEP are valorised as secondary raw materials in another sector, otherwise disposed of as special waste and not recovered) and highlights how to tackle with chemical processes using waste as secondary raw material. The boundaries choice between first and second life and on how to assess processes comparative analyses are the main critical points to deal with. The innovative PHOSave process is based on a mechanical treatment, a washing phase with an aprotic solvent and a biological treatment. To evaluate its environmental feasibility an LCA study was performed at the design stage. The scenario considered is from cradle-to-gate, from the collected EEP to the micro-fertilizer produced. Life cycle impact assessment of the innovative PHOSave process, using the CML impact method, has demonstrated that solvent choice for the washing phase has a huge influence on the overall environmental performance; in any case, the highest burden comes from the granulation phase
Mechanical recycling of bulk molding compound: a technical and environmental assessment
No full textThis study evaluates the technical and environmental feasibility of mechanically recycling post-industrial bulk molding compound (BMC) waste from the manufacturing of low voltage circuit breakers. Testing reveals that incorporating up to 10% recycled BMC as filler substitute maintains the required mechanical and electrical properties. A life cycle assessment shows that while replacing virgin fillers with recycled BMC has limited effects on the carbon footprint of the material, the overall product system benefits significantly by avoiding waste incineration. Moreover, optimized scenarios like maximizing recycled content and reducing transportations substantially reduce the environmental impacts. This study underscores the potential of circular production models to enhance sustainability in the thermoset composite industr
Compositional characterization of Etruscan earthen architecture and ceramic production
Full text linkThis study presents the results of new research into Etruscan technology for earthen architecture as well as ceramic production in the upper Tiber Valley in central Italy, using as a case study the Etruscan settlement of Col di Marzo (Perugia). It determines the compositional differences of the raw material employed as building material and for ceramic production by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTG), Fourier-transform infrared analysis (FTIR) and geotechnical analyses. The research also advances the knowledge of ceramic manufacturing technology, with a focus on impasto production, at Col di Marzo between the fifth and mid-third centuries bce and the surrounding territory on the left bank of the River Tiber. The compositional analysis of building material compared with the ceramics provides answers to questions related to their sourcing and deepens the understanding of the exploitation of natural resources
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