Compass

A Simplified Guide to Assessing Environmental, Social & Economic Performance for the Composites Industry

Composite materials create significant environmental, social and cost benefits for the products in which they are used. Characteristics of the materials such as low weight, thermal insulation and corrosion performance give advantages in long product life and low cost of use (environmental, social and monetary cost), for example due to fuel savings in vehicles, low costs of construction and low product maintenance of in situ panels in buildings.

Although these advantages are fairly well understood, there is far less understanding of the environmental, social and cost implications of composite parts, such as:

• Use and emission of VOC's during manufacturing
• Resource consumption during the production of man-made and natural fibres and resins
• Recycling, recovery and re-use of the material
• Health and safety, especially relating to emissions from composites manufacture
• Costs and opportunities of more environmentally sound composites products

Potential alternatives to address issues such as these have been developed (low-styrene resins, closed-mould processes, natural fibres), but there is confusion in the industry (and hence in the client industries) over the economic, environmental and social benefits of these alternative technologies and their effects on the processes, products and through-life performance.

The overall aim of this project is to create simple paper and web-based guides that can be used by composite composites companies to understand and determine the ecological impacts of the decisions they make about materials, processes and products.

The guides will give simple, easy to understand ratings for process and product choices. To achieve this, LCA data is required on all the parameters being investigated. At present work is taking place using a number of different processes to encompass the variety in processing routes that take place in the manufacturing industry today, also a number of different resin systems and reinforcements are being utilised to give as wide a range of possible results.

 

NetComposites is the Project Manager, responsible for the overall work programme and the co-ordination of the partnership.

The guides are to be available in late 2004. The paper based versions will be distributed through the main UK composite bodies such as CPA, NUCC, BPF.CP and NGCC. The web based guides are to be available from the NetComposites website.

This is an ongoing project that benefits from as much input from industry as possible, therefore if any companies would like to hear more about the project and give additional support we would be grateful to hear from you.

Project Partners:

• Recubrimientos Seyvi, S.A (Spain)
• NetComposites Ltd (UK)
• Adeptweb ltd (UK)
• Molder Disnova, S.L (Spain)
• Aristeides Stathopoulos (Greece)
• Gouda Composieten (Netherlands)
• Plastech Thermoset Tectonics Ltd (UK)

 Rtd Performers:

• Centre de Recerca i Investigacions de Catalunya, S.A. (CRIC) (Spain)
• Production Engineering Research Association (UK)
• Instituto Tecnologico del Plastico (aimplas) (Spain)
• Bio Composites, University of Wales (UK)