Life cycle assessment of glass foam made from waste glass

Description of field of research

Glass foam is a lightweight, porous, foamed composite with very low thermal conductivity and desirable fire resistance. It is a sustainable insulation material that can be entirely manufactured from recycled waste glass. However, glass foam manufacturing requires the sintering of waste glass, an additive, and a foaming agent mixture at high temperatures, which are energy-consuming and emit greenhouse gases. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment (LCA) of this product to understand its impact on the environment and economy. The most commonly used LCA analysis tool is the openLCA software. This project aims to study the LCA of glass foam developed from waste glass, with the analysis being conducted using openLCA software.

This is part of an ongoing laboratory research project, and all laboratory work has been completed. After completing the LCA analysis and validating the results, there is a possibility of collaborating on a research paper to be published on this topic.