Life cycle assessment of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) manufacturing process in Brazil

Published Date
Science of The Total Environment
1 January 2017, Vol.575:103–111, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.10.007

• Author 

• Cassiano Moro Piekarski ^a,,
• Antonio Carlos de Francisco ^a,
• Leila Mendes da Luz ^a,
• João Luiz Kovaleski ^a,
• Diogo Aparecido Lopes Silva ^b,

• aFederal University of Technology, Paraná (UTFPR), Av Monteiro Lobato, Km 04, Ponta Grossa, PR, Brazil
• bFederal University of São Carlos (UFSCar), Rodovia João Leme dos Santos, km 174, SP-264 Bairro do Itinga, Sorocaba, SP, Brazil

Received 6 June 2016. Revised 30 September 2016. Accepted 1 October 2016. Available online 10 October 2016. Editor: D. Barcelo

Highlights

• •
  We analysed an LCA case study of MDF panel production in Brazil.
• •
  The main environmental hotspots were identified and discussed.
• •
  Five alternative improvement scenarios were proposed.
• •
  It was performed a comparative LCA of MDF with particleboard.

Abstract

Brazil is one of the largest producers of medium-density fibreboard (MDF) in the world, and also the MDF has the highest domestic consumption and production rate in the country. MDF applications are highlighted into residential and commercial furniture design and also a wide participation in the building sector. This study aimed to propose ways of improving the environmental cradle-to-gate life-cycle of one cubic meter MDF panel by means of a life-cycle assessment (LCA) study. Complying with requirements of ISO 14040 and 14,044 standards, different MDF manufacturing scenarios were modelled using Umberto® v.5.6 software and the Ecoinvent v.2.2 life-cycle inventory (LCI) database for the Brazilian context. Environmental and human health impacts were assessed by using the CML (2001) and USEtox (2008) methods. The evaluated impact categories were: acidification, global warming, ozone layer depletion, abiotic resource depletion, photochemical formation of tropospheric ozone, ecotoxicity, eutrophication and human toxicity. Results identified the following hotspots: gas consumption at the thermal plant, urea-formaldehyde resin, power consumption, wood chip consumption and wood chip transportation to the plant. The improvement scenario proposals comprised the following actions: eliminate natural gas consumption at the thermal plant, reduce electrical power consumption, reduce or replace urea-formaldehyde resin consumption, reduce wood consumption and minimize the distance to wood chip suppliers. The proposed actions were analysed to verify the influence of each action on the set of impact categories. Among the results, it can be noted that a joint action of the proposed improvements can result in a total reduction of up to 38.5% of impacts to OD, 34.4% to AD, 31.2% to ET, and 30.4% to HT. Finally, MDF was compared with particleboard production in Brazil, and additional opportunities to improve the MDF environmental profile were identified.

Graphical abstract

Keywords

• Environmental management
• Hotspots analysis
• Comparative LCA
• Wood sector
• Wood-based panels

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• ⁎ 
  Corresponding author.
  
  

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