Total Cost Analysis of Lead-Free Automotive Electrocoating

Total cost analysis (TCA) was used to evaluate a pollution prevention project in automotive electrocoating. The objective of TCA was to examine tradeoffs between reduced environmental costs and potentially higher materials costs for a lead-free process. The TCA model considered here is a hybrid of two TCA models, developed separately by P. Bailey and A. White. Results of the analysis show that a lead-free paint price premium of not more than 0.3% over the leaded paint price results in the lead-free project being financially worthwhile. After incorporating liability and less tangible benefits and allowing the savings to be valued at several million dollars over twenty years, the project becomes financially advantageous at the estimated 9% lead-free paint price increase.