EME 4353 Advanced Engineering Materials

Lecture 9 :
Life-Cycle Assessment

PowerPoint® Slides
by Dr Lai MK
Learning Objectives

1. Diagram the total materials cycle

2. List the inputs and outputs for the lifecycle
analysis/assessment
3. Discuss materials recyclability/disposability issues

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Product life cycle from the raw materials
(Cradle) to disposal (Grave).
Cradle-to-grave
A term used in life-cycle analysis to describe the entire life of a
material or product up to the point of disposal

Cradle-to-Cradle
A model of industrial systems in which material flows cyclically in
appropriate, continuous biological or technical nutrient cycles. All
waste materials are productively re-incorporated into new
production and use phases, i.e. “waste equals food.”

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Total Materials Cycle

 A material that is utilized in some end product and then

discarded passes through several stages or phases

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1. Raw Materials Processing
 extracted from their natural earthly habitats by mining, drilling,
harvesting, etc. Raw materials are then purified, refined, and
converted into bulk forms such as metals, cements, petroleum,
rubber, fibers, etc

2. Synthesis and processing

 results in products termed “engineered materials”
 metal alloys, ceramic powders, glass, plastics, composites,
semiconductors, elastomers.

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3. Product design, manufacture, assembly
 further shaped, treated, and assembled into products, devices,
and appliances ready for the consumer

4. Waste
 consumer purchases these products and uses them until they
wear out or become obsolete, and are discarded.
 Either reuse/recycle and re-enters materials cycle or disposed
of as waste

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Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Consideration is given to the cradle-to-grave environmental
assessment of the product, from material extraction to product
manufacture to product use, and, finally, to recycling and disposal

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Inputs

1. Resources
 earth resources are finite and requires more effective utilization
of these resources relative to this materials cycle

2. Energy
 Energy must be supplied at each cycle stage and is a resource
that is limited in supply
 measures must be taken to conserve it

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Outputs

1. Ecological damage and landscape spoilage result during the

extraction of raw materials phase
2. Pollutants may be generated and are expelled into the air and
water during the synthesis and processing stage

The final product should be designed such that any impact on the
environment is minimal and at the end of its life that provision to be
made for recycling of its component materials or it should be
biodegradable.

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Life Cycle Assessment Technical Framework

LCA is a tool to evaluate the

environmental consequences
of a product and activity,
across its entire life consisting
of 3 components:

i) Inventory,
ii) Impact and
iii) Improvement analyses

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Components in LCA
4 steps in life-cycle assessment:

1. Scoping/initiation – Initiates an assessment, defining its purpose,

boundaries and procedures

2. Life-cycle inventory analysis - Determine the emissions that occur

and the raw materials and energy that are used during the life-
cycle of a product.

3. Life-cycle impact analysis - Assess the impacts of emissions and

raw material use.

4. Life-cycle improvement analysis - Interpret the results of the

inventory and impact assessment in order to suggest
improvements.

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Stages of a Life Cycle
1. Raw materials acquisition – removal of raw materials and energy
resources from earth. Include transportation from point of
acquisition to point of processing

2. Manufacturing – produces the product/package from raw materials

and deliver to consumers. 3 stages: materials manufacture, product
fabrication and filling/packaging/distribution

3. Use/Reuse/Maintenance – includes energy requirements

associated with product storage and consumption

4. Recycle/Waste Management – energy requirements and

environmental wastes associated with product disposition as well
as consumer waste management like recycling, composting and
incineration

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Recycling process

Advantages
1. Obviates the need to extract raw materials from the earth
 conserves natural resources and eliminates any associated
ecological impact from the extraction phase
2. Less energy required
 approx. 28 times as much energy is required to refine natural
aluminum ores than to recycle aluminum beverage can scrap

Disadvantages
1. Manufacturing cost is normally greater for a “green” product
 dilemma of this potential economic-environmental trade-off

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 Example – LCA of Aluminum

•Excavating •Ore
•Aluminium
bauxite ore processing •Aluminium
stock
•(Aluminium (Smelting products
(ingot)
hydroxide) process)

•Recycling
used
products

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Example – LCA of Aluminum and Recycling

Extracting bauxite ores and processing

the ores can be eliminated through
recycling.

Extracting bauxite ores

• Require a large amount of resources
and energy to process bauxite, a
residual rock containing aluminium in the
form of hydroxides.
Example – LCA of Aluminum and Recycling

During the bauxite excavation

process, mined bauxite must be strip-
mined, crushed, washed and refined
into alumina before it is smelted.

This process creates tons of caustic

mud that can contaminate both
surface water and groundwater
and, in turn, damage the health of
people and animals.

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Example – LCA of Aluminum and Recycling

Aluminum smelting - process of

extracting aluminum from its
oxide, alumina.

Aluminum smelting also produces

sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide.

These two toxic gases that are key

elements in smog and acid rain.

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Example – LCA of Aluminum and Recycling

Globally, the aluminum industry annually emits millions of tons

of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, which contributes
to global warming.

Recycling of aluminum can also saves electricity.

Reprocessing of recovered aluminium is much simpler and less energy

intensive.

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