Abstract
This paper assesses the environmental burdens of a polypropylene product throughout the product’s life cycle, especially focusing on the injection-moulding stage. The complete life cycle model of the polypropylene product has been developed from the raw material extraction and production phase through its usage to the end-of-life stage with the help of the life cycle assessment method. To find the answers to the posed problems, different impacts were analysed by GaBi 8.0 software. The analysis lasted from the cradle to the grave, expanding the analysis of the looping method. The aim of the research was to determine the energy and material resources, emissions, and environmental impact indicators. Basically, the article tried to answer three questions: (1) How can we optimize the production phase for the looping method? (2) Which materials and streams are recyclable in the design of the production process? (3) What is the relationship between life cycle stages and total life cycle of the product? As we inspect the life cycle of the product, the load on the environment was distributed as follows: 91% in the production phase, 3% in the use phase, and 6% in the end-of-life phase. The results of the research can be used to develop technologies, especially the injection-moulding process, with a lower environmental impact.
Highlights
The use of polymers in the technological sphere has recently received increased attention, and the utilization of injection-moulding processes is widespread in product manufacturing [1]
We examined the total life cycle of a polypropylene product from the raw material extraction and production phase through its usage to the end-of-life stage
This study examined the total life cycle of a polypropylene product, from the raw material extraction and injection moulding through its usage to the end-of-life, and attempted to determine its impact on the environment
Summary
The use of polymers in the technological sphere has recently received increased attention, and the utilization of injection-moulding processes is widespread in product manufacturing [1]. Typical products made from moulded polypropylenes include storage containers, food packaging, crates, and parts for the automotive and vehicle industries. Requirements for manufacturing process optimisation in terms of environmental impact reduction and the reliability and safety of the structural elements have grown significantly [2]. Due to the importance of injection-moulding processes, research is increasingly concerned with life cycle assessment of moulded products. Life cycle assessment is the preferred method to analyse the environmental parameters of a polypropylene product. The idea of a complete life cycle model in this research topic has already been raised by Civancik-Uslu et al [3]
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