Hybrid lightweight components, e.g., made of glass fibre reinforced plastics and steel, have the potential to reduce the environmental impacts during the use-phase of automotive vehicles. However, the end-of-life (EoL) of lightweight materials such as glass fibre reinforced plastics still poses a challenge, since material separation is challenging and no consequent recycling system is established, as it is e.g., for steel. Furthermore, the application of secondary materials can reduce the environmental impacts in the raw material stage. These aspects lead to uncertainty about the EoL impacts of such hybrid components. In order to assess the environmental impact of automotive components, the EoL is a relevant life cycle stage and should be included in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies. To do so, it is required to define possible recycling scenarios and applications of the recycled material to enable a calculation of different EoL routes. This approach is demonstrated within this paper, by defining multiple recycling routes of a hybrid lightweight component, depending on the depth of disassembly and calculating the environmental impacts of these different EoL routes through LCA.

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Life Cycle Assessment of End-Of-Life Scenarios for an Automotive Hybrid Component

  • Felix Wanielik,
  • Sebastian Weise,
  • Christoph Herrmann

摘要

Hybrid lightweight components, e.g., made of glass fibre reinforced plastics and steel, have the potential to reduce the environmental impacts during the use-phase of automotive vehicles. However, the end-of-life (EoL) of lightweight materials such as glass fibre reinforced plastics still poses a challenge, since material separation is challenging and no consequent recycling system is established, as it is e.g., for steel. Furthermore, the application of secondary materials can reduce the environmental impacts in the raw material stage. These aspects lead to uncertainty about the EoL impacts of such hybrid components. In order to assess the environmental impact of automotive components, the EoL is a relevant life cycle stage and should be included in Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) studies. To do so, it is required to define possible recycling scenarios and applications of the recycled material to enable a calculation of different EoL routes. This approach is demonstrated within this paper, by defining multiple recycling routes of a hybrid lightweight component, depending on the depth of disassembly and calculating the environmental impacts of these different EoL routes through LCA.