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Extracts from life cycle assessment (LCA) results and environmental impact projections for are cabin interior demonstrator are presented.

New Life Cycle Inventories (LCI) of materials used in the production of composite aircraft structures have been developed by Fraunhofer in the Eco-Design Transversal Activity (ECO-TA) Platform of Clean Aviation. With a view to ensure the environmental improvement of the new materials and technologies, Fraunhofer performs life cycle assessments (LCA) of aircraft demonstrators, such as thermoplastic fuselage, thermoset wing panel, and cabin interior parts (i.e., seats and furniture). The lack of LCI data is, however, one of the main challenges to be faced. Dataset is the core of an LCA and more than 100 new LCIs are being modelled by the Fraunhofer ICT, as a database to enable the performance of LCA of these aircraft demonstrators.

Extracts from life cycle assessment (LCA) results and environmental impact projections for are thermoplastic fuselage demonstrator are presented.

The main challenge of a sustainable and recyclable product is currently the step between product end-of-life and the new product generation - the recycling step. Fraunhofer ICT is developing a sustainable seating structure for aviation. The majority of parts used in the seating structure, from foam cushions to the composite seat structure, are based on polyurethane (mono-material approach). A holistic product development is used, taking into account all phases of the product‘s life cycle - from raw material extraction to end-of-life. In addition to economic advantages and product properties, the ecological impact is integrated into the product development as a third optimization parameter - so a demonstrably sustainable product is developed.

Extracts from life cycle assessment (LCA) results and environmental impact projections for the surface treatment of a metallic fuselage demonstrator are presented.

One of the ongoing paradigm-shifts in manufacture of civilian aerostructures is the gradual departure from classic prepreg-autoclave manufacturing, and the identification of less energy intensive manufacturing routes. To that end, a set of innovative technologies and alternate materials were implemented in a novel unified thermoset composite manufacturing scheme based on Liquid Resin Infusion by ecoTECH core partner consortium. • Novel automated preforming strategies with dry unidirectional fabrics • Optimized infusion processes at room temperature, with sustainable polymer resin and corresponding infusion strategies • A novel smart mold with micro-vibrations for improved fiber wetting and integrated sensors. Each technology was developed and matured, both independently and in confluence with the others. Finally, a 1700 mm x 700 mm stabilizer panel, with slight curvature and integrated omega stiffener elements, was manufactured – demonstrating and validating the various technology developments.

Extracts from life cycle assessment (LCA) results and environmental impact projections for a thermoset wing panel demonstrator are presented.

Carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) are used for aviation and other sectors with a wide range of thermoplastic and thermoset resin components. This generates a high variety of applications, but also leads to different and complex recycling streams. Globally, this generates about 62,000 t per year of end-of-life (EoL) CFRP and CFRP production waste. Due the ongoing landfill legislation and due to the increasing raw material and energy costs, recycling is becoming more mandatory. A variety of different primary and secondary recycling routes are therefore being investigated in the Clean Sky 2 programme.

Carbon fibers are widely used in carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) for aviation, automotive, windmills, sport and many more application due to their outstanding material properties. Annually, this generates about 62,000 tonnes of end-of-life (EoL) CFRP and CFRP production waste. Current EoL scenarios for CFRPs show some disadvantages: Landfilling and incineration are not sustainable and environmentally friendly. Carbon fiber recovery by pyrolysis damages the carbon fibers and incinerates the plastic material. Mechanical recycling shortens the carbon fibers and is of limited value for thermosets. However, chemical recycling routes like solvolysis offers the great potential to recover damage-free carbon fibers as well as useful monomers for a new generation of plastics. This presentation provides an overview about the solvolysis of carbon fiber reinforced polyurethane material for aviation applications. Additionally, first life cycle assessment results will be presented.

Research for Recycling and Circular Economy has a long tradition in Fraunhofer; e.g. are the Circular Economy Symposia in the early 90-ies and the new Aircraft Recycling Symposia starting 2013. What are the main tasks at the aircraft end of life? 1. decommissioning, 2. careful disassembly and 3. dismantling. For economic and ecological reasons, the aim is to achieve the highest possible percentage of reuse and recycling rate. In the case of recycling, a distinction is “differentiate between the use of secondary components and secondary raw materials”. Accordingly, a distinction can also be made between a component recycling quota and a material recycling quota. Current aircraft achieve a recycling rate, based on mass, of between 60 % and 85 %, and the aim is to achieve more. In the presentation several Clean Sky projects were introduced to develop and improve the recycling routes of the various materials used in aircraft components. The presentation will show how the projects are linked to a central cooperation recycling.

The analysis of environmental impacts of aviation should include the full life cycle of an aircraft and its parts and should go beyond use-phase emissions. Environmental impacts of the manufacturing stages e.g. related to consumption of resources, pollutions and the use of hazardous materials like environmentally toxic chemicals as well as environmental impacts of end-of-life scenarios for an aircraft must be considered. Based on a case example on polyurethane flexible foams for aircraft seating cushions, an analysis of the environmental impacts supported by the life cycle assessment methodology has been conducted. This analysis covers the production of polyurethane flexible foams with a particular focus on three perspectives being: (a) use of biomaterials instead of fossil based material, (b) reduction and replacement of hazardous chemicals like heavy metal catalysts and flame retardants, (c) use of recycled polyol obtained by chemical solvolysis of flexible polyurethane foam. Selected results of an LCA will be presented for these to show improvement potentials.