Using glass-fibre reinforced polymer composites in the production of sustainable water storage vessels

The present work focuses on the use of the life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle costing (LCC)methodologies to evaluate environmental and economic impacts of polymers and polymer composites materials and products. Initially a literature review is performed in order to assess the scope and limitations of existing LCA and LCC studies on these topics. Then, a case study, based on the production of a water storage glass-fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite storage tank, is presented. The storage tank was evaluated via a LCA/LCC integrated model, a novel way of analysing the life cycle (LC) environmental and economic performances of structural products. The overarching conclusion of the review is that the environmental and economic performances of polymers composites in non-mobile applications are seldom assessed and never in a combined integrated way.

This work was funded by FEDER, through the COMPETE 2020 program, and by FCT, the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, under project UID/CTM/50025/2013. The authors acknowledge the data provided by Vidropol SA, which was essential for its completion. Carla L. Simões also thanks FCT for a personal research grant (SFRH/BD/60852/2009).