Integration of LCA and LCC for decision making in biocomposite production

Abstract

Natural fibers reinforced composites have gradually increased their application in industrial domains such as automotive, wind energy, aeronautics, etc., during the last 20 years. In a way, this is a response by the industry to global warming and the pollution of the environment and represents a shift from fossil fuel base composites to materials made of renewable, biodegradable, and recyclable substances. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is used widely in product design decision-making as an evaluation tool for environmental performance. However, it is not sufficient for profit-directed organizations to make final decisions only depending on environmental results. This study intends to evaluate the environmental impacts and the economic viability of manufacturing four different composite laminated plates reinforced with glass or flax fibers that focus on serving the needs of aircraft interiors in the early planning stage, using models for LCA and life cycle cost (LCC). The results depict that at the production stage, without taking into consideration the use stage and end-of-life, flax fiber-reinforced plates made of bio-resin as matrix material and cured using microwaves, reduce both the environmental and economic impacts, compared to their competitor, made from glass fiber-reinforced resin