LCA results & interpretation Thermo-Sorb Series
Scope and summary
- Cradle to gate
- Cradle to gate with options
- Cradle to grave
Product description
Carboline’s Thermo-Sorb series includes two products: Thermo-Sorb VOC and Thermo-Sorb 263. The impacts are presented for these two products covered in this report.. Thermo-Sorb products are water-based thin-film, intumescent coating products for structural steel. They allow the designer to express the structure as an artform in buildings where fire resistance ratings are required. In a fire, they soften and expand to form thick meringue-like layers, which insulate the structure and protect the steel from fire.
Functional unit
The functional unit is one square meter of covered and protected substrate for a period of 60 years (the assumed average lifetime of a building).
Application and maintenance: Since Thermo-Sorb products fall under the primer designation and are applied to interior architecture, a 5-year market-based lifetime was adopted in the LCA models. One initial coating application and 11 recoats are required because the average life span of a building is assumed to be 60 years. The preferred waste management option for leftover paint is 100% landfilled.
Colorant: Colorants are not added to the fireproofing coatings themselves, neither at the point of sale nor at the point of application as defined in the application manuals and are therefore not included in the scope of this study.
Manufacturing data
Time coverage: The data covers annual manufacturing data for the 2021 calendar year from Carboline’s manufacturing plant in Lake Charles, Louisiana and Dayton, Nevada. This period of time was chosen in order to capture a representative picture of businesses activities at Carboline.
Geographical coverage: The geographical coverage for this study is based on United States system boundaries for all processes and products.
What’s causing the greatest impacts
All life cycle stages
The product stage (Stage 1) dominates the results for most of the impact categories except for smog. The design and construction stage (Stage 2) is the next highest contributor to all impact categories except for global warming, eutrophication, and carcinogenics. The use and maintenance stage (Stage 3) accounts for a minimum contribution to almost all impact categories except for smog due to the low energy required for spray application.
Product stage
The raw material manufacturing phase (1-1) is the largest contributor to most of the impact categories. This holds true for the LCA results of each of Carboline’s Thermo-Sorb products. Raw material manufacturing accounts for over 50% of the impact in each category except for smog and ecotoxicity.
Design and construction
The design and construction stage (Stage 2) is the next highest contributor for most of the impact categories, including ozone depletion, acidification, non-carcinogenics, respiratory effects, ecotoxicity, and fossil fuel depletion. Stage 2 accounts for ~5% of ozone depletion for Thermo-Sorb VOC and ~17% of ozone depletion for Thermo-Sorb 263. The contributions to transportation are caused by the use of truck and trailer transportation.
Use and maintenance
It's worth noting that the VOC emissions released in the drying phase (phase 3-2) affect the variability in potential smog formation impacts. Phase 3-2 accounts for over 60% (the largest contributor) of the impact of smog formation for Thermo-Sorb products. According to the product data sheet, the VOC emissions released during the drying process are the reason for the impact to smog formation.
End of life
For the Thermo-Sorb series, the second highest impact to the global warming, eutrophication, and carcinogenics categories comes from the end-of-life stage (Stage 4).
Sensitivity analysis
A sensitivity analysis was performed to check the robustness of the results when the mass of specified raw materials was changed by +/-20%. These raw materials were chosen based on a combination of relatively higher contribution to the results.
Global warming potential was evaluated for sensitivity since Carboline is interested in the potential CO2-equivalent emissions of its products. The resulting variation in the total life cycle impacts is less than 10%, implying that the system is not sensitive to this assumed value.
How we're making it greener
Carboline is committed to finding new and efficient alternatives in manufacturing, raw material sourcing, and logistics to improve sustainability efforts. One of Carboline’s most impactful contributions is the creation of the SLOB Program (slow moving and obsolete inventory). To reduce hazardous waste generation, the SLOB Program was designed to provide optics to Carboline’s Inventory Analytics Team to review inventory close to expiration. Preventative measures are taken to rework inventory or sell this material at a discounted rate, with the ultimate goal of preventing little to zero waste of unused material. As an RPM company, Carboline is dedicated to working towards reaching the goals that have been set through RPM’s Building a Better World Program. These goals include reducing energy consumption, landfill contributions, and water reuse/conservation opportunities.
LCA results
| Life cycle stage | stage 1 Product stage |
stage 2 Design and construction |
stage 3 Use and maintenance |
stage 4 End of life |
|
Information modules: Included (X) |
|
1-1 Raw material manufacturing | 2-1 Transportation to distribution center | 3-1 Coating application | 4-1 Transportation to disposal site |
| 1-2 Transportation of raw materials to plants | 2-2 Transportation to point of sale | 3-2 Emissions from drying | 4-2 End-of-life management | |
| 1-3 Coating manufacturing | 2-3 Transportation to application site | 3-3 Necessary maintenance and repaints | ||
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SM Single Score
Learn about SM Single Score results| Impacts of the coating used for covering 1 square meter of substrate | 7.68E+00 mPts | 5.78E-01 mPts | 2.22E-01 mPts | 4.63E-01 mPts |
| Materials or processes contributing >20% to total impacts in each life cycle stage | Energy used for raw material extraction (electricity and fuels). | Trucks and trailer transportation (fuel consumption). | Energy and electricity consumed for coating application and recoats. | Landfill of the waste coating. |
Thermo-Sorb VOC: TRACI v2.1 results per functional unit
| Life cycle stage | stage 1 Product stage |
stage 2 Design and construction |
stage 3 Use and maintenance |
stage 4 End of life |
Ecological damage
Human health damage
Additional environmental information
| Impact category | Unit | ||||
| Fossil fuel depletion | MJ surplus Mega Joule, lower heating value Fossil fuel depletion is the surplus energy to extract minerals and fossil fuels. |
1.72E+02 | 1.63E+01 | 6.99E-02 | 2.48E-01 |
| Ecotoxicity | CTUe Comparative Toxic Units of Ecotoxicity Ecotoxicity causes negative impacts to ecological receptors and, indirectly, to human receptors through the impacts to the ecosystem. |
8.53E+01 | 2.19E+01 | 4.00E-03 | 4.36E+00 |
Thermo-Sorb 263: TRACI v2.1 results per functional unit
| Life cycle stage | stage 1 Product stage |
stage 2 Design and construction |
stage 3 Use and maintenance |
stage 4 End of life |
Ecological damage
Human health damage
Additional environmental information
| Impact category | Unit | ||||
| Fossil fuel depletion | MJ surplus Mega Joule, lower heating value Fossil fuel depletion is the surplus energy to extract minerals and fossil fuels. |
1.51E+02 | 2.14E+01 | 5.58E-02 | 2.14E-01 |
| Ecotoxicity | CTUe Comparative Toxic Units of Ecotoxicity Ecotoxicity causes negative impacts to ecological receptors and, indirectly, to human receptors through the impacts to the ecosystem. |
6.34E+01 | 2.87E+01 | 3.19E-03 | 3.76E+00 |
References
LCA Background Report
Carboline Intumescent fireproofing coating LCA Background Report (public version), Carboline 2022; SimaPro Analyst 9.4; Ecoinvent 3.4 and US ecoinvent (US -EI 2.2) database; TRACI 2.1
PCR for Architectural Coatings: NAICS 325510
Valid through Feb. 29, 2023. PCR review conducted by Thomas P. Gloria (Industrial Ecology Consultants), Ph. D; Mr. Bill Stough (Sustainable Research Group); Dr. Michael Overcash (Environmental Clarity).
NSF Program Operator Instructions
ISO 14025, “Sustainability in buildings and civil engineering works -- Core rules for environmental product declarations of construction products and services”
Download PDF SM Transparency Report, which includes the additional EPD content required by the NSF PCR.
SM Transparency Reports (TR) are ISO 14025 Type III environmental declarations (EPD) that enable purchasers and users to compare the potential environmental performance of products on a life cycle basis. Environmental declarations from different programs (ISO 14025) may not be comparable. In order to support comparative assertions, this EPD meets all comparability requirements stated in ISO 14025:2006. However, differences in certain assumptions, data quality, and variability between LCA data sets may still exist. As such, caution should be exercised when evaluating EPDs from different manufacturers, as the EPD results may not be entirely comparable. Any EPD comparison must be carried out at the building level per ISO 21930 guidelines. The results of this EPD reflect an average performance by the product and its actual impacts may vary on a case-to-case basis.
SM Transparency Report (EPD) 