Life Cycle Assessment of Glass Fiber or Basalt Fiber Composite Baseball Bats; A Comparative Environmental Analysis
Ghimire, Ajay (2023)
2023
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https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023122138961
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2023122138961
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Composite materials have gained popularity during the past few decades. Because of their mechanical properties and lightweight materials, composite materials have been utilized in various sectors. This research deals with the life cycle assessment of a sports product “baseball sports bat” made from glass fiber composite or basalt fiber composite. These baseball bats are particularly made by L-tec Sports Oy, based in Porvoo, Finland. The research investigates the cradle-to-gate environmental impacts of baseball bats during their manufacturing process till they leave the factory gate.
This research deals with the impact assessment of glass and basalt fiber composite baseball bats in various categories such as global warming potential, terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and human carcinogenic toxicity. This Life cycle assessment also deals with the comparison of the environmental impacts of glass fiber composite and basalt fiber composite. The research finds glass fiber composite has a higher impact on global warming potential than basalt fiber. Glass fiber composite baseball bat has 8.63 kg CO2 eq whereas basalt fiber has only 1.91 kg CO2 eq, showing basalt fiber has 351% less environmental impact than glass fiber. Similarly, a glass fiber composite baseball bat has 0.0198 kg SO2 eq terrestrial acidification and a basalt fiber composite baseball bat has 0.00153 kg SO2 eq, showing basalt fiber has 1194% less impact than glass fiber composite baseball bats. In addition, freshwater eutrophication made by glass and basalt fiber composite bats are 0.000958 kg P eq and 0.000123 kg P eq respectively making basalt fiber have 678% less impact. The Life cycle assessment of glass fiber and basalt fiber shows that using basalt fiber for producing baseball bats has far less impact than glass fiber.
Keywords: Life cycle assessment, Composite material, Glass Fiber, Basalt fiber, epoxy resin, Functional unit, Life cycle inventory
This research deals with the impact assessment of glass and basalt fiber composite baseball bats in various categories such as global warming potential, terrestrial acidification, freshwater eutrophication, terrestrial ecotoxicity, and human carcinogenic toxicity. This Life cycle assessment also deals with the comparison of the environmental impacts of glass fiber composite and basalt fiber composite. The research finds glass fiber composite has a higher impact on global warming potential than basalt fiber. Glass fiber composite baseball bat has 8.63 kg CO2 eq whereas basalt fiber has only 1.91 kg CO2 eq, showing basalt fiber has 351% less environmental impact than glass fiber. Similarly, a glass fiber composite baseball bat has 0.0198 kg SO2 eq terrestrial acidification and a basalt fiber composite baseball bat has 0.00153 kg SO2 eq, showing basalt fiber has 1194% less impact than glass fiber composite baseball bats. In addition, freshwater eutrophication made by glass and basalt fiber composite bats are 0.000958 kg P eq and 0.000123 kg P eq respectively making basalt fiber have 678% less impact. The Life cycle assessment of glass fiber and basalt fiber shows that using basalt fiber for producing baseball bats has far less impact than glass fiber.
Keywords: Life cycle assessment, Composite material, Glass Fiber, Basalt fiber, epoxy resin, Functional unit, Life cycle inventory