This presentation will give an overview on how LCA is applied within the DuPont company to characterize the sustainability of diverse products. Examples are presented from different business platforms including polymers used as home insulation materials, in photovoltaic cells and in carpet applications. The nature of the considered materials ranges from classical polymers to polymers that are partially derived from renewable resources. Depending on the problem formulation cradle-to gate or cradle-to-grave approaches have been applied to identify environmental benefits in the value chain.

In the United States buildings account for about 36% of the total energy use. Thermal insulation of homes and buildings blocks air infiltration and significantly reduces energy use and associated greenhouse gases. A cradle-to-grave LCA of Tyvek® housewrap shows that the average pay-back period in energy savings lies in the order of days. In addition to its environmental benefits in the use-phase Tyvek® improves indoor air quality and prevents mold formation.

Solar power offers a “greener” alternative to traditional methods of electricity generation. To quantify the benefits of solar power, a life cycle analysis of photovoltaic modules is necessary, requiring the environmental impacts of all materials used in their production. Tedlar® PVF films are preferred as the backing sheet for photovoltaic modules due to their excellent strength, weather resistance, UV resistance, and moisture barrier properties. These properties significantly improve module life, allowing module warranties up to 25 years. A cradle-to-gate LCA illustrates that an energy payback period of only 8 months of extended module life would justify using Tedlar® PVF film in lieu of other backing sheet materials.

DuPont Bio-Based Materials and its joint venture partner Tate & Lyle are planning to start up the first full-scale facility that produces 1,3 propanediol (PDO) from renewable feedstocks this year. PDO is a key ingredient of Sorona® Polymer with applications in clothing, carpets and automotive interiors. Carbohydrates from corn provide a renewable feedstock for a fermentation based process which utilizes a genetically engineered bacteria to convert glucose to 1,3 propanediol (PDO). Cradle-to-gate Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) was used to benchmark the environmental footprint of the bio-based PDO process against the petroleum-based PDO process. All in all, LCA proved to be very efficient in facilitating technology and business decisions that led to an environmentally preferable and economically attractive plan to produce bio-based PDO at commercial scale.