| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2025 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Revitalization of Materials through Upcycling: The 2025 Student-Led Symposium
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| Presentation Title |
Life cycle assessment approach for upcycling expanded polystyrene across industrial sectors
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| Author(s) |
Haoyang He, Jon Timbers, Claude-Anne Duval, Johnny Lincoln, Michael Cech , Joel DeMeritt, Oladele A. Ogunseitan , Julie M. Schoenung |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Haoyang He |
| Abstract Scope |
Since it was first developed in 1839, expanded polystyrene (EPS) has been widely used across various industrials sectors. The upcycling of EPS is critical as it is non-biodegradable causing severe pollution and endangering marine life if released into the environment. In this study, we conduct a life cycle assessment (LCA) to systematically investigate the environmental impact of post-consumer recycled (PCR) EPS production in comparison with virgin EPS production, and their contributions to the manufacturing of two categories of bicycle helmets. The results indicate that the replacement of virgin EPS with PCR-EPS leads to significant environmental impact reductions, which consequently reduces the environmental impact of helmet production. In addition, environmental impact is also reduced by strategic substitutions of materials used in the two helmets. The research results provide guidance for improving the circular economy of helmet manufacturing by incorporating recycled materials from other industries. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |