How much energy is consumed in the manufacture of PE pipe?
Environmental Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
Also referred to as life cycle inventory or cradle-to-grave study, LCA has been carried out on PE manufactured and used for pipe applications. The Life Cycle Analysis for PE pipe estimates that the total energy consumption from extraction to installation is approximately 95 MJ per kg. of pipe (approx. 26 kWh per kg. of pipe).
Full life cycle analysis, which takes into account not only energy consumption but also effects from emissions etc., indicate that PE pipe has 10 times less environmental impact than the equivalent diameter of ductile iron pipe.
The life from "cradle to grave" of every industrial product has environmental impacts that originate from the extraction of raw materials, processing, distribution, use and finally disposal. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method to evaluate these environmental impacts. Emissions that are released into air, soil and water from all the processes including those from energy production, wastewater treatment and disposal are determined and weighted. The purpose of these studies is to understand the total energy consumption and other environmental impact in the manufacture and installation of products.
This method, which is prescribed by ISO 14040 and subsequent international standards, is applied by experienced experts.
Such analysis relies on data not only from the plastics manufacturers (polymer and pipe manufacturers) but also from published data from other associated industries (energy, transport and contractors, etc.). This however may be an overestimation as no account has been made of recent initiatives in recycling.
A critical review and evaluation of nine European LCA concluded that from an environmental point of view plastic pipe products are of the same level as, and in many aspects preferable to, those made from other materials. This conclusion does not consider all the secondary positive aspects of plastic pipes that are generally not modelled in an LCA such as duration of life, tightness, flexibility, corrosion resistance and light weight.
References
Investigation of European life cycle assessment studies of pipes made of different materials for water supply and sewer systems - a critical comparison. Windsperger, A., Steinlechner, S., Schneider, F.. Institut für Industrielle Ökologie, St.Pölten, Austria. December 1999.
Can PE pipe be recycled?
PE pipe can easily be recycled The end product depends on the condition of the pipe. As there is minimal material degradation during the pipe manufacturing process, rejected pipe material, for example from start up or errors in processing, can be 100% recycled back into pipe and can meet all the required performance parameters. The level of material waste in manufacturing is therefore very low. PE pipe reclaimed after use is unlikely to have the required characteristics for reuse in the same...
What is the environmental impact of PE pipe?
The environmental impact of a pipe in service is a function of the leakage of transported material that it permits to the surrounding environment. The environmental impact from leakage of polyethylene pipe is less than that from the equivalent iron or steel pipe due to the lower frequency of leakage. However consideration should be given to the nature of the fluid being transported and the potential effect on the environment should third party damage occur. Exfiltration occurs from the...
An EPD presents the environmental performance of products and services in an objective and standardized way.
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