Life cycle assessment of surface treatment processes of materials

It's no longer just a question of know-how: manufacturers are now under pressure to communicate transparently on the potential environmental and social impacts of their activities.

Although the environment is not the core business of surface treatment manufacturers, environmental requirements are a challenge that companies have to meet on a daily basis. With legislation encouraging manufacturers to use Best Available Techniques (BAT), and cleaner production techniques on the increase, there is still a lack of understanding among manufacturers of the environmental impact of processes and the tools available to assess it.

For over 20 years, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) has been unanimously recognized as the benchmark tool for environmental analysis. Framed by the ISO 14040 standard, the LCA method consists of measuring environmental impacts by rigorously quantifying the consumption and emissions associated with processes and products, throughout their life cycle.

Nevertheless, LCA remains a relatively young approach compared to other academic disciplines. It is as powerful as it is difficult to master, and a certain lack of structure complicates the task of industry.

Aware of the business world's capacity for innovation, the European Union and the French government, through ADEME, are encouraging manufacturers to join forces to help improve LCA tools. Initiatives such as the SCORELCA association and the Base IMPACTS inventory database ^® are concrete examples of this.

The clear aim of this article is to introduce Surface Treatment and Coating (STC) manufacturers to the basics of LCA, providing them with the foundations and advice they need to carry out these studies. Based on concrete examples, the article is aimed at paint applicators as well as professionals in the fields of wet processing, thermal spraying and vacuum deposition.

At the end of the article, readers will find a glossary and table of symbols and acronyms.