Master thesis research about the calculations of carbon footprint and energy consumption of composites materials used in Automotive industry. The materials used are Glass fiber and polyester which manufactured by Pultrusion process as a profile used in Buses as a side panels. Highlights the reduction of emitted CO2 and energy usage when using the composites materials in comparison with high amounts of CO2 and energy usage emitted with other conventional materials.

1. Carbon footprint of pultruded
composite products in
Automotive applications: case
study side panel of a coach
Samer Ziadeh
25.8.2015

2. Outline
 Introduction
 The aim of the case study
 Life cycle of the side panel
 The modeling and calculations
 Results and discussion
 Further work for improvements
 Conclusion
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3. Introduction
• The increasing demands of the environmental protection
especially in the automotive industry.
• The automotive industry is a major contributor of emitted
greenhouse gas emissions in the world.
20.11.2016
Carbon trust, Carbon Footprinting guide-
Carbon Trust, 2012.
3
”A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions caused directly and indirectly by an individual,
organization, event or product, ”
Carbon trust

4. o Kyoto GHG emissions: (CO2), (CH4), (N2O), (HFCs),
(PFCs), (SF6).
o Carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) is a measure used to
compare the emissions from various greenhouse gases
based upon their global warming potential
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Emission
factor
CO2e
Activity
data
mass/volu
me/energy
/distance
CF of the
given
activity

5. Standards and Labels
 Standards: PAS 2050, ISO/TS 14067, The GHG
Protocol: A corporate Accounting and Reporting
Standard.
 Labels:
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6. The aim of the case study
• Calculating the CF and energy consumption for a
pultruded composite profile.
• Comparing the values with other conventional materials.
• Emphasize the benefits of light materials in weight
reduction, less fuel consumption and lower impacts on
environment.
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7. The side panel of a coach
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Exelcomposites.com, 'Exel Composites –
Advanced Pultrusion and Pullwinding
Technologies', 2015.
7
(a) The Body component fixed on coach,
Solidworks drawing of the panel (b) front and (c)
back
The pultruded composite
profile is 43,2% wt of E-glass
fiber (GF) and unsaturated
polyester resin (UP).

8. Pultruded profiles enviromental
analysis
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J. Anderson, Green guide to composites,
Garston: BRE; Netcomposites, 2004.
8

9. Sandwich panel 8m x 1m(25mm core) ribs as a
core materials
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Fibers for Pultrusion (CSM with glass
rovings) (39%)
Polyester + 50% CaCO3 (45%)
Closed mixing-any matrix (<1%)
Pull fibers through resin - emissions from
resin bath (15%)
Cure through heated die (<1%)
Saw to length (<1%)
Cleaning of pultrusion machine (<1%)

10. Life cycle of side panel
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11. Data collection
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Materials
Thickness
(mm)
Density
(kg/m3)
Weight
(kg)
Stainless steel, ferritic, AISI 405,
wrought, annealed, low nickel
0,9 7,82x103 64,74
Aluminium, 5005, wrought, H14
2,5 2,72x103 62,56
Carbon steel, AISI 1050, annealed
0,75 7,9x103 54,51
E-glass fiber/polyester, pultruded
profile (UD fiber and CSM) 90̊
direction
3 1,9x103 52,44

12. Eco Audit modeling
20.11.2016Cambridge Engineering Selector Software
(CES 2015). Granta desgin, 2015.
12

13. CF and energy consumption
calculations
o Transportation phase: 4500 km distance
Transport energy/CO2
= transport energy per unit mass & distance × distance
× product mass CO2 foot print source
o Use phase: product life cycle 12 years, distance 200 km
per day, usage 350 days per year
Life distance = product life years × daysper year × distance per day
Life distance 840000 km
Mobile use energy MJ/CO2kg
= transport energy per unit mass&distance × life distance × mass
× (energy equivalence − CO2footprint source)
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M. Ashby. Materials and environment. 2end
ed. Elsevier,2013. 13

14. Results and discussion
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0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
140000
160000
180000
Raw materials
extraction
Manufacturing Transportation Use of the product End-of-life
9680
25100
168000
174000
4050
Energy Consumption MJ
Composite Aluminium Stainless steel Steel

15. 20.11.2016 15
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
Raw materials
extraction
Manufacturing Transportation Use of the product End-of-life
507
10000
1650
11900
12400
237
CO2 footprint kg
Composite Aluminium Stainless steel Steel

16. 20.11.2016 16
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
Total Carbon Footprint
(kg)
10600 10800
Composite Aluminium
Stainless steel Steel
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
Total Energy Consumption
(MJ)
152000 153000
Composite Aluminium
Stainless steel Steel

17. The equivalent annual environmental burden
(averaged over 12 year of a product life)
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12700
16200
15100
12800
Composite Aluminium Stainless steel Steel
Total energy consumptions
per a year (MJ/year)
885
1140
1080
900
Composite Aluminium Stainless steel Steel
Total CO2 footprint per a
year (kg/year)

18. Transportation phase case
scenarios
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278
7080
332
8450
344
8750
286
7270
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
Case scenario 1 (Truck-
diesel)
Case scenario 2 (air
flight -kerosene)
Energy Consumption
(MJ)
Composite Panel Aluminium Panel
Stainless steel Panel Steel Panel
19.8
474
23.6
566
24.4
586
20.3
487
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
Case scenario 1 (Truck-
diesel)
Case scenario 2 (Air flight-
kerosene)
CO2 footprint (kg)
Composite Panel Aluminium Panel
Stainles steel Panel Steel Panel
o Case 1: Effect of the transportation is a minor contributor to the total
impacts with only >1% of the prodcut CF
o Case 2 : High impact of transportation in the air flight type with both
energy and CO2 footprint.

19. Use phase case scenarios
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0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
Energy Consumption (MJ)
Composite Panel Aluminium Panel
Stainless steel Panel Steel Panel
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
16000
18000
CO2 footprint (kg)
Composite Panel Aluminium Panel
Stainless steel Panel Steel Panel

20. Further work for improvements
A. Biocomposite:
less CO2 emissions, lower embodied energy of materials,
ease depletion of non-renewable resources and the
possibility for biodegradation taking place as an end-of-life
option.
B. Material recycling
C. Chemical recycling method
D. Co-processing
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European Composites Industry Association
(EuCIA ), "Composites Recycling Made Easy,"
EuCIA , 2011. 20

21. Conclusion
• The use phase of the vehicle shows the most significant
enviromental impact emissions of the entire life cycle of
the panel.
• By using composite materials, the use phase emissions
from a vehicle were reduced due to lower
weight/improved performance of composites.
• Implementing the recycling methods: (pyrolysis-
hydrolysis-chemical recycling-biodegradation) at the end
of life phase.
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22. Acknowledgement
Prof. Jyrki Vuorinen
Mikko Lassila, Kim Sjödahl,
Eric Moussiaux
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23. Thank you
for kind attention
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