Potential Environmental Benefits of Ultralight Particleboards with Biobased Foam Cores

Abstract

A new generation of ultralight particleboards (ULPB) with an expanded foam core layer produced in an in-line foaming step is under development. The environmental impacts of three types of ULPB containing foam based on 100% polylactic acid (PLA), 100% expanded polystyrene, and 50% PLA/50% polymethyl methacrylate, as well as a conventional particleboard (PB), have been compared in an LCA. Two approaches were chosen for the assessment: first, the “EPD-approach” in accordance with EN 15804 for EPD of building materials and second, a holistic-approach which allows an expansion of the system boundaries in order to forecast the consequences of a broader replacement of PB with ULPB. The results show that most of the environmental impacts are related to raw materials and end-of-life stages. Both approaches show that the exchange of PB with ULPB with a foam core based on PLA leads to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, the PLA is responsible for higher ecotoxicity results in comparison to non-bio-based polymers mainly due to agricultural processes. Both approaches allowed the drafting of complementary advisories for environmental impact reduction addressed to the developers.

Environmental assessment of bio-based building materials

“…dos Santos et al (2014) showed that the production of bagasse was the most relevant flow for eutrophication in an LCA of particle board due to the utilisation of fertilisers. The same observations were made by Ganne-Chédeville and Diederichs (2015) for the production of PLA contained in ultralight particle boards. Some crops need a high amount of water for irrigation.…”

“…The production of petrochemical, mainly synthetic binders and plastics (e.g. urea-formaldehyde, polyurethane, melamine, polyethylene, polyester or phenolic resins), is responsible for fossil resource depletion and often needs high amounts of input energy as fossil fuels, which lead to CO 2 emissions and contribute strongly to climate change (Rivela et al, 2005;Werner and Richter, 2007;González-García et al, 2009;Wilson, 2009;Silva et al, 2014;Sathre and González-García, 2014;Ganne-Chédeville and Diederichs, 2015). On the other side, bio-based additives, for example, tannin (Pizzi, 2008), corn starch, rubber, PLA (Ganne-Chédeville and Diederichs, 2015), sodium alginate (Palumbo, 2015), proteins, linseed oil or other natural extracts from plants and trees, can be used.…”

“…urea-formaldehyde, polyurethane, melamine, polyethylene, polyester or phenolic resins), is responsible for fossil resource depletion and often needs high amounts of input energy as fossil fuels, which lead to CO 2 emissions and contribute strongly to climate change (Rivela et al, 2005;Werner and Richter, 2007;González-García et al, 2009;Wilson, 2009;Silva et al, 2014;Sathre and González-García, 2014;Ganne-Chédeville and Diederichs, 2015). On the other side, bio-based additives, for example, tannin (Pizzi, 2008), corn starch, rubber, PLA (Ganne-Chédeville and Diederichs, 2015), sodium alginate (Palumbo, 2015), proteins, linseed oil or other natural extracts from plants and trees, can be used. Even if they are based on renewable resources, they also need to be grown, harvested (see environmental burdens of forest and agricultural products), processed, extracted or treated, which lead mostly to environmental burdens linked to emissions of energy production and consumption.…”

“…Producing bio-based boards: Environmental impacts associated with the production of bio-based boards (particle board, medium density fiberboard (MDF), oriented strand board (OSB), light density fiberboard (LDF) and plywood) and insulation boards arise during the combustion of fuel for hot pressing and as the consumption of electricity as veneers, particles or fibres is prepared and the boards are finished (sanding) (Rivela et al, 2005;Werner and Richter, 2007;González-García et al, 2009;Wilson, 2009;Silva et al, 2014;Sathre and González-García, 2014;Ganne-Chédeville and Diederichs, 2015). Corkboards are either cork agglomerates made up with cork granules bound by adhesives such as polyurethane, melamine or rubber (called composition or white cork agglomerates) or cork agglomerates exclusively made of cork where the cork granules are thermally self-bonded (called pure expanded or black cork agglomerates).…”

Low-Density Particleboards Modified with Blowing Agents—Characteristic and Properties

“…In order to reduce the environmental effects (substitution of petroleum raw materials), Yoon et al [46] proposed boards with polylactide foams, foamed with supercritical carbon dioxide. In addition, studies by Ganne-Chédeville and Diederichs [47] showed the benefits of replacing traditional particleboard materials with expanded polystyrene foam structures or polymethyl methacrylate or polylactide blends. The authors focused on environmental factors, including energy consumption during the production process.…”