Page 32 - Kutnar, Andreja, et al., eds., 2015. Proceedings of the 1st COST Action FP1307 International Conference - Life Cycle Assessment, EPDs, and modified wood. University of Primorska Press, Koper.
P. 32
e
Cycle
Assessment
of
ThermoVacuum
treated
softwood
timber
with
comparison
to
untreated
and
preserved
cladding
Mario
Marra1,
Ottaviano
Allegretti1,
Stefano
Guercini2
1
CNR
IVALSA
National
Research
Council,
Trees
and
Timber
Institute,
Via
Biasi
75,
38010
San
Michele
all’Adige,
Italy.
marra@ivalsa.cnr.it
2
University
of
Padova,
Department
of
Land,
Environment,
Agriculture
and
Forestry,
Viale
dell’Università,
16,
35020
Legnaro,
Italy.
Keywords:
LCA,
LCI,
Thermo
vacuum
modification,
softwood
and
cladding.
A
cradle-‐to-‐grave
life
cycle
assessment
was
performed
to
identify
the
environmental
impacts
related
to
ThermoVacuum
treated
timber
used
for
cladding
purpose
and
to
compare
to
alternative
products.
A
model
of
the
ThermoVacuum
process
life
cycle
was
created
and
used
to
calculate
inputs
and
outputs
during
production,
treatment,
use,
and
disposal
stages.
A
similar
inventory
model
was
developed
for
untreated
and
preserved
claddings.
This
study
covers
the
LCA
commissioned
by
ThermoVacuum4NeWood
project,
co-‐founded
by
the
Eco-‐Innovation
Initiative
of
the
European
Union
to
develop
and
spread
this
technology
in
the
European
market.
Thermal
modification
is
a
widely
applied
industrial
treatment
to
improve
wood
properties
such
as
durability.
Softwood
species,
as
Norway
spruce
(Picea
abies
Karst.),
are
characterized
by
low
durability,
which
reduces
the
long-‐term
life
cycle,
and
low
permeability
that
affects
the
chemical
preservation
treatment
(Allegretti
2012).
This
prejudices
the
extensive
use
of
these
species.
Thermal
modification
increases
durability
three
or
four
times
more
than
common
difficult
to
preserve
wood
species.
Wood
modification
is
achieved
by
high
temperature
in
an
oxygen-‐free
environment
to
avoid
combustion.
The
ThermoVacuum
system
is
a
patented
technology
in
which
oxygen
is
substituted
by
partial
vacuum
and
heating
is
provided
by
forced
convection.
The
vacuum
pump
continuously
removes
volatile
compounds
from
the
chamber.
These
conditions
ensure
high
energy
efficiency,
less
corrosion,
and
reduced
air
emissions.
Life
cycle
inventory
analysis
Life
cycle
inventory
inputs,
outputs,
and
impact
indicators
for
ThermoVacuum
treated
timber
were
quantified
using
functional
units
of
1
m³
timber
and
(about
33.3
m²
of
cladding)
(Tab.
1).
The
functional
unit
for
preserved
cladding
was
1
m³,
while
it
was
3
m³
for
untreated
timber
to
account
for
the
entire
life
cycle
of
untreated
cladding
(Ferreira
2014).
LCA
assumptions
are
based
on
information
provided
by
an
industrial
project
partner
including
the
Italian
plant
producer,
a
French
sawmill
equipped
with
a
8
m3
ThermoVacuum
plant,
and
an
end-‐user
located
in
Sweden.
Secondary
data
were
collected
from
the
Ecoinvent
v3.1
and
JRC
ILCD
databases.
20
Cycle
Assessment
of
ThermoVacuum
treated
softwood
timber
with
comparison
to
untreated
and
preserved
cladding
Mario
Marra1,
Ottaviano
Allegretti1,
Stefano
Guercini2
1
CNR
IVALSA
National
Research
Council,
Trees
and
Timber
Institute,
Via
Biasi
75,
38010
San
Michele
all’Adige,
Italy.
marra@ivalsa.cnr.it
2
University
of
Padova,
Department
of
Land,
Environment,
Agriculture
and
Forestry,
Viale
dell’Università,
16,
35020
Legnaro,
Italy.
Keywords:
LCA,
LCI,
Thermo
vacuum
modification,
softwood
and
cladding.
A
cradle-‐to-‐grave
life
cycle
assessment
was
performed
to
identify
the
environmental
impacts
related
to
ThermoVacuum
treated
timber
used
for
cladding
purpose
and
to
compare
to
alternative
products.
A
model
of
the
ThermoVacuum
process
life
cycle
was
created
and
used
to
calculate
inputs
and
outputs
during
production,
treatment,
use,
and
disposal
stages.
A
similar
inventory
model
was
developed
for
untreated
and
preserved
claddings.
This
study
covers
the
LCA
commissioned
by
ThermoVacuum4NeWood
project,
co-‐founded
by
the
Eco-‐Innovation
Initiative
of
the
European
Union
to
develop
and
spread
this
technology
in
the
European
market.
Thermal
modification
is
a
widely
applied
industrial
treatment
to
improve
wood
properties
such
as
durability.
Softwood
species,
as
Norway
spruce
(Picea
abies
Karst.),
are
characterized
by
low
durability,
which
reduces
the
long-‐term
life
cycle,
and
low
permeability
that
affects
the
chemical
preservation
treatment
(Allegretti
2012).
This
prejudices
the
extensive
use
of
these
species.
Thermal
modification
increases
durability
three
or
four
times
more
than
common
difficult
to
preserve
wood
species.
Wood
modification
is
achieved
by
high
temperature
in
an
oxygen-‐free
environment
to
avoid
combustion.
The
ThermoVacuum
system
is
a
patented
technology
in
which
oxygen
is
substituted
by
partial
vacuum
and
heating
is
provided
by
forced
convection.
The
vacuum
pump
continuously
removes
volatile
compounds
from
the
chamber.
These
conditions
ensure
high
energy
efficiency,
less
corrosion,
and
reduced
air
emissions.
Life
cycle
inventory
analysis
Life
cycle
inventory
inputs,
outputs,
and
impact
indicators
for
ThermoVacuum
treated
timber
were
quantified
using
functional
units
of
1
m³
timber
and
(about
33.3
m²
of
cladding)
(Tab.
1).
The
functional
unit
for
preserved
cladding
was
1
m³,
while
it
was
3
m³
for
untreated
timber
to
account
for
the
entire
life
cycle
of
untreated
cladding
(Ferreira
2014).
LCA
assumptions
are
based
on
information
provided
by
an
industrial
project
partner
including
the
Italian
plant
producer,
a
French
sawmill
equipped
with
a
8
m3
ThermoVacuum
plant,
and
an
end-‐user
located
in
Sweden.
Secondary
data
were
collected
from
the
Ecoinvent
v3.1
and
JRC
ILCD
databases.
20
