[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ] [ Next ] LCA of Aircraft Aluminum and Composites A wide variety of lightweight materials are available for use in aircraft systems. The selection of a specific lightweight material during aircraft design dictates two things.  First, materials selection dictates options for material processing, component manufacturing and maintenance, and material recovery and disposal.  Second, materials selection dictates a wide range of health and environmental implications throughout the aircraft life cycle: from raw materials acquisition through aircraft retirement. Within this context, cost and environmental implications related to energy use, use and waste of toxic and other materials, materials recovery and treatment needs, and related impacts to human health and the environment. Consideration of process options and environmental implications during materials selection facilitates the reduction of costs, the protection of health, resource conservation, and pollution prevention throughout the aircraft life cycle.  The objective of this work is to provide a model for the identification and comparison of the life cycle environmental implications of two classes of lightweight materials use in aircraft systems: the use of composite materials and aluminum.  The model allows prediction of (1) resource use, waste, recovery/recycling opportunities, treatment needs, and operational cost indices (such as fuel and electricity use impacts), and (2) indicators of impact related to cost and energy and materials use and wastes generated. This work currently captures over 250 life cycle processes and over 700 materials flows.  For more information, please contact Joyce Cooper at cooperjs@u.washington.edu Acknowledgement This material is based upon work supported by the Boeing Company.