Reducing the environmental impacts of metal castings through life-cycle management Online publication date: Wed, 26-May-2004
by Christopher J. Backhouse, Allen J. Clegg, Theodoros Staikos
Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal (PIE), Vol. 1, No. 1/2/3, 2004
Abstract: A reduction in casting weight, through material property enhancement and improved design, positively impacts the whole life cycle. Reducing a casting's weight not only reduces the foundry's environmental impacts but also, the demands for raw materials and energy inputs and, if that lighter casting is used in a transport application, fuel consumption and carbon dioxide output associated with the use phase.
The context of the paper is established by considering the issues from the perspectives of industrial ecology and supply chain management. It then refers to the use of LCA to identify the environmental costs, benefits and opportunities associated with research to develop an improved ferrous material for automotive castings. The preliminary LCA has suggested that ferrous alloys can compete with aluminium alloys to provide life-cycle energy saving benefits for a component used in an automobile.
Existing subscribers:
Go to Inderscience Online Journals to access the Full Text of this article.
If you are not a subscriber and you just want to read the full contents of this article, buy online access here.Complimentary Subscribers, Editors or Members of the Editorial Board of the Progress in Industrial Ecology, An International Journal (PIE):
Login with your Inderscience username and password:
Want to subscribe?
A subscription gives you complete access to all articles in the current issue, as well as to all articles in the previous three years (where applicable). See our Orders page to subscribe.
If you still need assistance, please email subs@inderscience.com
Our Blog 
Follow us on Twitter 
Visit us on Facebook