Abstract.A cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) of structural aircraft materials has been utilised to assess and compare the total emissions produced during manufacturing, use and disposal of aerospace materials and their selected components. First, a comparison of aluminium, GLARE and carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) plates was performed to investigate the potential of lightweight composites in reducing aviation emissions. Subsequently, a case study is presented on a tubular component for which more accurate manufacturing data were directly available. A structural steel tube was replaced with a composite tubular component. The analysis has shown that once the composite material is used as a component in the aircraft, there is a cumulative saving of aircraft fuel and emissions, in particular from CFRP structures. The environmental analysis included the long-term use predictions for CFRPs, involving detailed raw materials production, use and operation, and disposal scenarios.

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The increased consumption of plastics in day to day life has a significant impact on the environment. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is widely used to select a sustainable alternative in plastic waste management. The LCA studies on mechanical recycling and energy recovery scenarios showed that recycling resulted in lower emissions and provided benefits to the environment. These results are valid only if the performance of the recycled plastic is equivalent to those of the virgin materials. Many LCA studies have been focused on individual impact categories rather than aggregated single score. The decision making process becomes complex if individual impact categories are used. This research is focused on the comparison of LCA results between individual and aggregated impacts and integration of performance of recycled plastics in LCA. The results indicated that recycling was the preferred option if it could replace a minimum of 70-80% of virgin plastics.

The purpose of this paper is to review recent work on composite materials based on recycled thermoplastics and glass fibres (GFs). The high collection and separation cost of plastics waste, and the legislative push to increase recycling rates, require the inclusion of increasing proportions of low-quality plastic waste into recycled products. A robust method for upgrading mixed plastics recyclates is the incorporation of fillers and reinforcements. In particular, addition of chopped GF can lead to material systems with more favourable and consistent sets of mechanical properties. Provided a good interfacial adhesion is achieved, the key structural properties of the composite (stiffness and strength) are mainly dictated by the reinforcement. Therefore, a wide range of polymers, including blends, are accessible for recycling into semistructural products. Glass fibres are one of the most cost-effective ways of reinforcing recycled polymers, as testified by several patents and commercial products which appeared in the last decade.

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