Comprehensive Life Cycle Analysis of Asphalt Production Processes

This report provides a comprehensive life cycle analysis (LCA) of asphalt production, examining its environmental impact from raw material extraction to disposal and recycling. It explores the composition of asphalt, including its manufacturing processes, production environment, storage, and emulsion techniques. The report delves into the carbon footprint associated with asphalt production and its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. It also discusses the various uses of asphalt in construction, particularly in road paving and roofing, while also addressing health and safety considerations. Furthermore, the report highlights the importance of sustainable practices, including recycling and the use of alternative materials, to mitigate the environmental effects associated with asphalt production. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for continuous improvement in production processes and the adoption of strategies to reduce the overall environmental impact of the asphalt industry.

LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS
OF ASPHALT
PRODUCTION

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................4
Overview of life cycle analysis....................................................................................................4
Carbon Footprint..........................................................................................................................5
Life cycle assessment in manufacturing and production sector...................................................6
Asphalt Composition and raw material extraction.......................................................................7
Asphalt manufacturing process....................................................................................................8
Asphalt production environment..................................................................................................9
Asphalt storage and emulsion....................................................................................................10
Asphalt use.................................................................................................................................11
Asphalt disposal and recycling..................................................................................................12
Asphalt health and safety...........................................................................................................13
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................14

INTRODUCTION
Life cycle analysis is mostly done to assess the impact products or production etc. have
on environment. Asphalt is a dark component that is used for variety of things especially in
construction for roofing, coating, highways, roads etc. Life cycle analysis of asphalt production
will given an overview of the impact asphalt's complete life cycle has on environment and ways
it can be reduced (Balaguera and et.al., 2018). In this assignment life cycle analysis of asphalt
production will be done by explaining the meaning of life cycle analysis, explaining the meaning
and effect of carbon foot print on environment by production done in manufacturing or
production sector. Other than this composition of asphalt will also be discussed with its
manufacturing process, production environment, storage and emulsion, its use, disposal and
recycling and lastly health and safety measures will also be discussed. All these points will
explain the effect of asphalt on environment and how it affect global warming.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Overview of life cycle analysis
According to Ciambrone, (2018), Life cycle analysis is also known as life cycle
assessment. It is a technique that is used to analyse and assess impact on environment associated
with production life stages i.e. from extraction of raw materials to disposal and recycling. It helps
in analysing the impact associated with input, production and output of the product on the
environment. The main aim of this life cycle analyse is to compare full range of environmental
effects by the ways input, output, use of product services or martial affect the environment. All
the information collected by this process is used to improve production process, policies etc. so
that the environmental effect can be reduced in a better way. Life cycle analysis is mostly used
for two types first is to analyse the burden associated with use and production of a product and
second is for specific processes or services associated with time. Here, life cycle analysis
associated with production and use of a product will be discussed in which there are five phases
which are: extraction of raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, marketing, use or reuse and
recycling or disposal. Sometimes phases of these life cycle also depends upon the product that is
being produced.
Illustratio
n 1: Life Cycle Analysis
(Source: Life Cycle Analysis, 2019)

Carbon Footprint
As per the view of Bailis and et.al., (2015), Carbon footprint is the total emission that is
mainly caused by any product, organisation, individual or by any event. It is also known as
Carbon dioxide equivalent. It can also be defined as the method through which green house gases
emission is quantified. These gases can be emitted either through fuels, manufacturing goods,
production of a product, transportation, services etc. Many times this carbon footprint cannot be
adequately calculated due to insufficient knowledge or insufficient data as the interaction
between the processes is quite complex. This carbon footprint plays a vital role in life cycle
analysis of a product as it helps in determining the overall effect these green houses will have on
the environment or on climatic change. It is important to know that carbon footprint does not
only involve Carbon dioxide emission and measurement but it involves all the other greenhouse
gases such as methane etc. which plays a vital role in global warming. It is important to consider
this carbon footprint in each and every life cycle analysis of product or in any other process
especially by the manufacturing or production companies as the level of greenhouse gases is
continuously increasing and becoming one of the main reason of global warming. This carbon
footprint analysis will help the companies to identify and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases
emission from the production of the company.

Life cycle assessment in manufacturing and production sector
As per the view of Park, Egilmez and Kucukvar, (2015), Life cycle of the manufacturing
industry is quite complex and affect the environment the most. Sustainability in climate change
is quite challenging today and for manufacturing and production sector is one of the most
difficult part as most of the greenhouse gases emission is done by these companies only.
From the above graph it is clear that manufacturing industry is one of those industries
that emit most of the carbon dioxide in the environment and impacts it drastically.
Manufacturing industries manufactures, utilises raw materials, and manufactures products in an
specific manner. Today it has also been seen that most of the manufacturing or production
companies are focusing on quality of the product and simultaneously also focusing on their
social and economic performance without degrading the efficiency of the product. Life cycle
analysis provides these companies an approach which helps them to improve their complete
production process at all stages of manufacturing, product use and end of the product so that the
impact they have on environment can be used. Production companies that produce crude oil,
Asphalt etc. needs to focus on this life cycle analysis the most as their companies are the one
who produce the most greenhouse gases and impacts the environment.
Illustration 2:
Carbon dioxide emission by sector
(Source: Greenhouse gases emission, 2019)

Asphalt Composition and raw material extraction
As explained by Huchet and et.al., (2018), Asphalt is one of the darkest, heaviest mineral
substance that is used as a binding material which adopts itself to any kind of use. It is made of
tow types one is hot mix asphalt and another is cold mix asphalt. Composition of hot mix asphalt
consist of four main classes which are: first is naphthalene as it contains hydro-generated
polycyclic aromatic compound, second is polar aromatics component which consist of phenols of
high molecular weight and carboxylic acids, third is saturated hydrocarbons and last is
asphaltenes which consist of high molecular heterocyclic and phenols compounds. Composition
of cold mix Asphalt consist of most basic components of asphalt are: first is aggregates, it is a
mixture of sand, gravel and stones. Aggregates is used up-to 95 percent in production of
asphalt. Another component is bitumen which is a dark viscous material which is used to hold
aggregates together. Composition of bitumen is maximum 5 percent.
Sometimes for economic use or for reducing environmental impact asphalt is many times
sold and used with other additional mixtures or materials which are either sold by the name
asphalt or by another name. Using or manufacturing it with other material reduces the amount of
greenhouse gases that are released in the environment by its production. It is most of the times
produced by the residue of recycle engine oils of automotive engines. Its raw material is
collected from the bottom of distillation tower and then send for manufacturing and production
of asphalt.

Asphalt manufacturing process
As explained by Sol-Sánchez and et.al., (2016), As it has already been explained above
that asphalt is an heavy residue that is left at the bottom of the oil refining process in the distilled
tower. It is done in five basic steps. First step is distilling of crude: in this step crude oil from
storage tanks is transferred into a heat exchanger. Here the overall temperature of the crude oil is
raised for its initial distillation. Then it is transferred to an atmospheric distillation chamber so
that all the light weight components can be vaporised and other useful products of petroleum can
be separated from each other. The heaviest residue of the crude oil is called topped crude which
is used for production of asphalt. Next step is cutting back. In this step asphalt produced is then
blended so that workable and soft asphalt can be produced. This asphalt is used for construction
or for paving. In this asphalt all the volatile elements are evaporated which further leaves hard
cemented asphalt whenever exposed to air. Third step is emulsifying in which asphalt cement is
emulsified in order to produce liquid so that it can be easily pumped through pipes. For this
smaller globules are used and mixed with water. Fourth step is pulverising in which powdered
asphalt is produced by crushing and passing the asphalt through series of mesh sieves. Last stage
is Air blowing in which paving asphalt is produced which can be used for paving, roofing,
coating pipes etc. For this asphalt is heated for approximately 500.F.

Asphalt production environment
In the view of Zaumanis and et.al., (2019), Maintenance of the production environment
of asphalt is one of the most important thing during the complete production process of Asphalt.
Emission from Asphalt manufacturing or production process is deliberately controlled using
various kinds of equipments that are used to collect, recollect, use, reuse the raw materials during
the heating process etc. it is important to save all the emitted components so that they are not
emitted in the environment and affects the environment. Recycling or Asphalt process also
impacts the environment in many ways as in this process old asphalt is crushed and changed into
new asphalt. Due to this environment is impacted drastically. As a result most of the production
companies try to avoid recycling of asphalt and gives the contract to another companies so that
they can reduce the overall environmental effect. These production companies try to use
improved, pure raw materials so that the overall production techniques can be improved and the
overall environmental effect can be reduced. This controlling of production environment also
helps the organisations to reduce the overall emission of greenhouse gases.

Asphalt storage and emulsion
According to Hou and et.al., (2018), Asphalt can be stored in various kinds of storage
tanks such as like some flasher bottom tank, vacuum flesher can also be used to store asphalt.
Storage of different types of asphalt are completely different. Most of the times by larger
organisations especially asphalt storage tanks are designed to store different types of asphalt.
Most of the times these tanks are designed in such a way that it can be used to store both liquid
and powered asphalt. Such type of asphalt tanks are used at the sites where hot mix asphalt are
produced in large quantity. These storage tanks are available and designed in variety of sizes.
These tanks capacity varies from 10,000 gallons to 35,000 gallons. Also, these storage tanks
have almost six inches fibreglass insulation which is used to store cement asphalt.
These storage tanks play a vital role in storing these cement asphalt. As these cement
asphalt is used afterwords in emulsification process i.e. when cement asphalts are suspended in
water it can be emulsified. These tanks are used to emulsifying asphalt which is done at quite
lower temperatures.
Illu
stration 3: Asphalt emulsion tanks
(Sources: Asphalt emulsion tank. 2019)

Asphalt use
As per the view of Alavi and et.al., (2016), There various uses of asphalt, it can be used
in construction as primary product in roofing or in paving. It is mostly used according to the
requirement and needs of the end user where most of the time either refined or blended asphalt
are used. According to a research more than 85 percent of asphalt is used for binding purpose in
concrete for roads, airport runways, footpaths etc. Typically asphalts are mixed with concrete
and is mixed with gravel, sand, crushed rocks etc. Many times rubber or polymer are also used
and are mixed with asphalt so that it can become a tough binding agent that can be used in
construction. 10 percent it is also used for water proofing as well with roofing. Remaining 5
percent times it is used for insulation and sealing purpose as well with variety of building
materials like carpet tiles, coating, paint etc. In other words it is used for many purposes such as:
highways, runways, roofing, damp proofing, dams, soundproofing, cable or pipe coating, paints
etc.

Asphalt disposal and recycling
In the view of Zhang and et.al., (2018), It might sound a bit surprising but asphalt is
highly reusable. It also helps in reducing the overall landfill waste and materials especially waste
material for construction sites. Whenever this asphalt is recycled and used it cost approximately
ten times less as compared to the new asphalt. However, recycling of asphalt should be done
with proper process and equipments because as discussed above recycling of asphalt causes
extreme damage to the environment. The organisations with proper machinery or equipments
should only try to recycle asphalt so that it's recycling does not cause any damage to the
environment. Recycling companies generally make new asphalt by many processes but the
easiest one is by melting asphalt and then combining it with gravel, sand and pitch. This recycled
asphalt is mostly used for driveway materials. However, it might cause a bit of impact to the
environment but it is always way better then disposing off. Disposal of asphalt causes larger
environmental damage as compared to the recycling of asphalt. So, whenever possible this
asphalt should be recycled in one or the other ways rather than disposing off so that
environmental damage can be reduced.