Life Cycle Assessment of Lightweight Noryl* GTX* Resin Fender and Its Comparison with Steel Fender

Global warming and climate change are among the top subjects of growing global concern. According to International Energy Agency (IEA), about 19% of the greenhouse gas emissions from fuel combustion are generated by the transportation sector, and its share is likely to grow. A forecast by US Census Bureau predicts that there will be 3.5 billion cars by 2050 for a population of 9 billion. In this context, numbers in the industrialized world are expected to double from around half a billion to over one billion. An increase in fleet volume will have a direct and major impact on increase of CO₂ emissions. Therefore, reducing vehicle fuel consumption is one of the most critical steps for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and reduction of vehicle weight is one of the best solutions for improving fuel efficiency.

This paper attempts to emphasize the greenhouse gas and fossil fuel savings realized from light-weighting cars using online paintable Noryl* GTX* resin in fender applications instead of conventional steel fenders. SABIC Innovative Plastics (SABIC IP) conducted a detailed Cradle-to-Cradle life cycle study of an automotive fender constructed using SABIC IP's engineering thermoplastic Noryl* GTX* resin as compared with a steel-based fender. The LCA results show that the use phase is dominant and the fender made with Noryl* GTX* resin results in up to 47% lower carbon footprint and up to 45% less primary/cumulative energy demand than for the steel fender.