Life cycle assessment of Chinese radial passenger vehicle tire

Abstract

We evaluated and quantified the environmental impact of a radial tire product for passenger vehicles throughout the product’s life cycle to identify key stages that contribute to the overall environmental burden and to find ways to reduce these burdens effectively. The study covers all relevant life cycle stages, from the acquisition of raw materials to the production, use, and end of life. Data collected onsite in 2014 by one of the largest Chinese tire companies were used in the assessment. The evaluation is presented in terms of individual impact category according to the CML model. Five impact categories (i.e., global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), photochemical oxidant creation potential (POCP), eutrophication potential (EP), and human toxicity potential (HTP)) were considered. The research was conducted in accordance with the ISO 14040/14044 standards. Fuel (gasoline) consumption represents an important contribution to most impact categories, including the GWP, AP, POCP, and EP, during the use stage. The largest contributor to the HTP category is raw material acquisition, mainly because of the impact of the production of organic chemicals. In the end-of-life stage, assuming that 100 % of used tires are collected and recycled to produce reclaimed rubber, the GWP, EP, and HTP contributions are negative, whereas those to the AP and POCP are positive. During the raw material acquisition stage, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, carbon black, and organic chemicals represent the largest contribution to the environmental impact categories. During the production stage, the compound blending process is the largest contributor to the AP and POCP, whereas vulcanizing and testing contribute most to the GWP, EP, and HTP. Vehicle fuel consumption and its proportion consumed by the tires during the use stage are key factors that contribute to environmental impact during tire life. Further investigations should be conducted to decrease the impact of these factors and improve the environmental performance of tire products.