AEC reveals the latest EPDs for aluminium extrusions and the corresponding LCA

The progressive trade association dedicated to advancing the effective use of aluminium extrusion in North America, the Aluminum Extruders Council (AEC), has released its updated Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for Aluminum Extrusions and the corresponding Life Cycle Analysis (LCA). The Council has also made available a sensitivity analysis that demonstrates to product specifiers how they might impact the carbon footprint of the products they specify.

These EPDs for the aluminium extrusion industry document the environmental performance of aluminium extrusions manufactured in the United States and Canada. They are based on a thorough analysis of the inputs and outputs of eight extruders that are members of the AEC and have been certified by UL Environmental.

The study covered 30 locations throughout the United States and Canada, with close to 100 extrusion presses and a range of finishing and thermal enhancement facilities.

This coverage is an improvement over the predicted 33 per cent of the market covered in the initial AEC EPDs generated in 2016. The study covered extrusion production of 1.75 billion pounds or around 38 per cent of the North American total for 2020.

The "cradle-to-gate" lifecycle environmental impacts of aluminium extrusions are quantified in the EPDs. One EPD covers extrusions that have yet to be thermally improved, which is particularly relevant for fenestration applications. The other EPD covers extrusions that have been thermally improved.

In order for architects, engineers, and product developers to evaluate the environmental effects of finishing and thermal improvement decisions, both give data for mill finish, painted, and anodized goods.

Guy Charpentier, the Chairperson of the AEC Industry Promotion Steering Committee, said, “One of the highlights of this work is the accompanying sensitivity analysis, which details what designers and specifiers should be aware of as they utilize aluminium extrusions.”

“The EPDs show that the predominant determination of extrusion’s Global Warming Potential or GWP is the feedstock, i.e., the aluminium billet that is the raw material for the extrusion process.”

Aluminium extrusions help make vehicles and buildings more energy efficient and recycling is an important factor in the aluminium extrusion story. Low-carbon primary aluminium is increasingly available as a raw material component for extrusion. With 170 locations in 40 United States and Canadian provinces, an aluminium extruder is nearby; many operate their own remelt facilities, producing aluminium billet from scrap. That convenience and vertical integration minimize carbon emissions from transport. In addition, there is a robust recycling network in North America. Studies show more than 90 per cent of aluminium from buildings and vehicles is recycled at the end of life.