Nilmini Dissanayake, HN Dhakal, SM Grove, MM Singh, J Summerscales

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• Nilmini Dissanayake, HN Dhakal,SM Grove, MM
  Singh, J Summerscales

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• Research Objective
• Fibre Production glass flax
• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Quantitative Life Cycle Inventory
• Environmental Impact Categories
• Current Results
• Future Study
• Questions
• Nilmini regrets that she is unable to attend

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• Comparative quantitative LCA for glass and flax
• Are natural fibres truly environmentally
  preferable to manmade fibres when used as
  thereinforcement in composites?

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• Ploughing and drilling
• Applying fertiliser
• Weed control
• Pest control
• Dessication
• Harvest
• Rippling
• Retting

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• Raw material processing (crushing, weighing,
  mixing)
• Melting
• Spinning
• Forming
• Curing and cooling
• Weaving

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• Goal scope definition
• Life Cycle Inventory analysis (LCI)
• Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA)
• Life Cycle Interpretation

ISO 140402006
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Agricultural Operations
Fibre
Processing Operations

• Embedded energies of fertiliser,
  herbicides/pesticides and desiccant are not
  considered here

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• But the above excludes textile processes for
  flax
• decortication/carding (at 6.06 GJ/tonne) and
  spinning (at 22.9 GJ/tonne) NB only a single
  data point available for each ? Total energy is
  in the range 34.6 - 36.3 GJ per tonne
• There are routes to reducing these
  energies(e.g. manure as fertiliser and
  biological control of pests) which are still to
  be analysed.

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• Energy values for raw material extraction,
  handling, crushing, forming, curing, weaving etc
  are not easily found.
• Embodied energy for glass 54.8 GJ/tonne Joshi
  et al, 2004 vs max of 36.3 GJ/tonne for flax.
• However, LCI is incomplete for full comparison
  with flax fibres.

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Corbière-Nicollier on China Reed vs Glass
Resources, Conservation and Recycling, November
2001, Volume 33, Issue 4,  Pages 267-287.
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• Identified key environmental impact issues in
  production of
• flax fibre - eutrophication, global warming,
  abiotic resource depletion
• glass fibre - global warming, human toxicity
• Calculated Energy values for flax vary due to
  different agricultural practices
• Limited data available for both flax fibre
  processing ..and.. glass fibre production

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• Main environmental impact factors have been
  identified and prioritised
• Initial quantification of embedded energy has
  been partially completed
• Still need to determine the variation between
  worst and best practice in each case
• Need to acquire a more comprehensive data set
  further information most welcome ?

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• More comprehensive/quantitative analysis for
  all 8 environmental impact classification
  factors and continuing life cycle inventory

• Extend the cradle-to-gate study to a
  cradle-to-grave by considering the disposal of
  materials

• Parallel study to compare the flow processes in
  RTM or RIFT when using either flax and glass
  fibre reinforcements

• Consider a potential modelling technique for
  ISO 14040

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• http//www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/icm/node/40
•  
• http//www.flaxfarm.co.uk/linseed20or20flax.htm
•  
• http//www.classactfabrics.com/newsletters/Stray2
  0Fabric20Writing201.htm
•  
• http//www.petrochem.co.ae/prodnapp.htm
•  
• http//www.aquafil.com/html/aziende/atp/prod_corpo
  _atp.htm
•  
• http//www.sydneyconstructionmaterials.com/kaolin.
  shtml
•  
• http//www.mii.org/Minerals/photolime.html

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• Any questions?