BioMat_LCA – Integration of environmental characteristics of bio-based materials in industrial planning and design process - Methodology and tools

The aim of the project is to integrate as early as possible environmental factors in the selection of materials with the simplest possible approach in the design process. Furthermore, usable elements from already known methods of sustainability assessment are to be identified. Further they are developed in such a way that an application-oriented, yet robust method is tailor-made for life cycle assessment of bio-based materials.

For the application-oriented method to be developed, sector-specific rules will be developed in order to generate uniform and transparent data or to supplement and improve existing data.

The process associated with this goal ranges from

  • analyzing the design processes and identifying the data and tools that are needed for as many different companies as possible
  • the development of specific parameters for the assessment of ecological relevance in relation to the selected material and the component function
  • the integration of the generated information at the earliest possible time of product design.

As a validation step for the results achieved, the findings and developed methods are tested on real components and corresponding comparative analyzes are carried out. It looks at general industrial design processes and develops application-specific scenarios for the automotive industry.

The IfBB - Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites is in particular responsible for the collection and evaluation of existing LCA data of biopolymers, the practical testing of the results of the newly developed method on a real component and the comparison of these with the results of a conventional LCA (ISO 14040 / 44).

In addition, IfBB is responsible for the transfer of knowledge and / or results to science and industry.

Project summary

  • Project title: BioMat_LCA – Integration of environmental characteristics of bio-based materials in the industrial planning and design process - Methodology and tools
  • Sponsorship: Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture (BMEL)
  • Funding: Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR)
  • Project partner: IfBB - Institute for Bioplastics and Biocomposites at Hannover University of Applied Sciences, Basell Polyolefine GmbH, Ford Werke GmbH - Ford Research and Innovation Center Aachen, University of Bremen, Bionics Innovation Center, Biological Plastics Group, BeoPlast Besgen GmbH, M-Base Engineering + Software GmbH, Technical University Berlin, Institute for Technical Environmental Protection (Department of Sustainable Engineering)
  • Duration: 01.02.2018 – 31.01.2020
  • Final report: https://doi.org/10.2314/KXP:1752077857