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The environmental impact of three different automotive paint scenarios: (a) solventborne primer-- waterborne basecoat-solventborne clearcoat, (b) powder primer-waterborne basecoat-solventborne clearcoat, and (c) powder primer-waterborne basecoat-powder clearcoat were investigated. Scenarios (a) and (b) are in production by the U.S. automotive industry and scenario (c) is a potential future goal. The scenarios modeled assume a greenfield plant, considering a mid-size sport utility vehicle that is painted in two separate colors. A complete life cycle analysis of the materials and processes was carried out using commercial state-- of-the-art software. The analysis showed that a transition from solvent-based to powder-based coat-- ings for the primer and clearcoat leads to an improvement in the environmental performance of the paint processes. The decrease in total energy consumption, water usage, and sludge generation is 22%, 34%, and 27%, respectively. The paint scenario comprised of powder primer-waterborne basecoat-powder clearcoat will minimize the environmental impacts of the painting processes for all the metrics examined in this study.
INTRODUCTION
The automotive painting operation is an energy- and materials-intensive operation and contributes most to the environmental emissions, compared to any other manufacturing process of a vehicle. Environmental concerns along with economic considerations for cleaner technologies led to the transition from solventborne to waterborne to powder paint coatings over the past decade to reduce plant volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and the need for abatement equipment.
Life Cycle Assessments (LCA) are widely used for the evaluation of the environmental emissions associated with the manufacturing, use, and end of life of materials and processes.l2 It is a useful tool in the long-term investment decision making of corporations that seek innovative solutions to their environmental and financial problems.3 LCA provides a holistic view of the environmental emissions associated with the manufacturing of materials and processes because it is based on the inventory of all environmental emissions involved. The environmental LCA analysis is evaluated based on industrial ecology principles, taking into account all energy and material flows throughout the production, use, and end of life of a product.4 This is the basis of the Design for the Environment (DfE) concept, on which many corporations base their decisions for the selection of environmentally reliable and cost effective materials and processes.5
Previous studies that addressed environmental impact analysis of automotive...