The current discussion about climate and pollution has once again brought to the fore the need for the world to change, especially in how traditional products are used in manufacturing.
Plastic pollution and climate change are growing concerns for more and more businesses as they take steps to do their part to reduce their carbon footprint.
We take a look at the top reasons why pultrusion can be an eco-friendly option for product manufacturers and how innovation in composite manufacturing can help them move toward green energy systems.
Lower the Heat
The pultrusion process requires far less heat input than manufacturing aluminum and steel products. This reduction in heat use is cost-efficient and significantly reduces the water needed for cooling. In this way, the pultrusion technique uses less energy than other processes.
For example, the automotive industry is already taking big strides to adopt pultruded profiles and to replace conventionally used aluminum and steel with composite parts. This results in a vehicle that weighs far less, has lower emissions, and uses less fuel.
Other sectors making use of pultruded products include:
- Building, construction and infrastructure
- Utilities and distribution
- Sports and recreation products
- Telecommunications applications
For example, in residential home buildings, windows have a large impact in cooling and heating costs. A study on Energy Conservation for Environmental Protection finds that “windows lose more heat per square foot of area in winter and gain more heat in summer than any other surface in the home”.
In general, windows occupy up to 20% of wall surface area. About a third of the building’s heat escapes through its windows, which means heating costs can rise sharply. As much of the energy and cost of heating a building at a set temperature goes to waste.
Just as critical as windows are, window reinforcements are. In this instance, Tencom helped a company that needed manufactured fiberglass reinforcement to structurally strengthen their vinyl windows.
This was necessary in order to meet the stringent standards of various cities. Performing all work at its modern facility, Tencom utilized its proprietary pultrusion process and equipment.
A tight tolerance of ±0.005" was held throughout the fabrication process. The finished profile was 5" to 15' in length, with a thickness range of 0.060" to 0.250". This material can withstand temperatures from -50°F to 300°F.
For its part, the American Composites Manufacturers Association (ACMA) leads the Green Composites Council, which is currently spearheading 12 Composite Growth Initiatives (CGIs). Because of this, bio-based resins have been getting quite a bit of publicity, but the concept is still very new. In a sense, FRP composite engineers are now charting unexplored territory in the realm of resins, and the ACMA aims to help. The council also encourages product transparency so that people know what materials have been used to create these resins and FRP composite products.
This program is known as the Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design (LEED). With more designers and architects using FRP composites in their buildings, demand for lightweight, durable FRP composites has grown.
Energy Efficiency
For businesses that are integrating eco-friendly initiatives into their operations, pultrusion can be the perfect solution to reduce energy bills and support sustainability.
There’s less energy required to create FRP profiles compared with similar reinforcements made from steel or aluminum. Additionally, fiber-reinforced plastics are thermally efficient, which helps reduce energy use.
Reduces Waste
Manufacturing steel and aluminum products often can create a vast amount of waste. Pultrusion produces less waste at both the start and the end of the process. The amount of resin used during the resin bath is significantly reduced when utilizing pultrusion to create Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) profiles.
Additionally, there's a recent technique that has been added to the mix called the clean pultrusion method, which can reduce the volume of solvent used to clean the resin impregnation equipment.
Clean pultrusion refers to a method of pultrusion that uses pre-impregnated tapes. This environmentally friendly version of pultrusion can significantly reduce the manufacturing process's environmental burden.
The other benefits associated with clean pultrusion include reduced time required to clean resin impregnation equipment, reduced solvent use for cleaning after each scheduled production, and reduced chemical exposure for the workforce.
Reduce, Recycle, and Reform
Compared with conventional methods of producing steel and aluminum reinforcements, the pultrusion process emits fewer pollutants, toxins, carbon dioxide, and fumes.
Logistics
Transporting steel and aluminum can require extensive preparation and resources. For companies looking to cut costs and reduce waste, using FRP profiles can lower the total cost of the project.
In any case, fiber-reinforced plastics weigh significantly less than steel, resulting in significantly less energy consumed to transport.
Sustainable
When compared with other industrial materials such as steel and concrete, FRP profiles are resistant to corrosion, severe weather conditions, and extreme temperatures.
Fiber-reinforced plastics have a life cycle of 75 to 150 years, making them an eco-friendly option because they have to be replaced far less than other supporting materials.
The Takeaway
There’s no doubt that the pultrusion process for producing FRP profiles is an eco-friendly solution for manufacturers.
Compared with other industrial materials such as steel and concrete, fiber-reinforced plastic can help companies take steps toward saving the planet, one project at a time.
Many businesses, as it were, are beginning to incorporate a green initiative into their organization and vision. Pultrusion can help manufacturers bring their vision of a greener, environmentally friendly planet to life.
So, if there’s a project where you would like to consider using FRP profiles, talk to our pultrusion specialists here at Tencom. We offer over 50 years of expertise and experience and can create custom FRP composite products for your projects. To learn more about our pultruded products or to get a quote, get in touch with us today.
