REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS AND ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION IN SET UP USING DROP-IN PLASTIC IN COMMERCIAL VEHICLE TANKS

Abstract

The increased demand for the production of components following global premises, such as Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG), reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions in the process of producing raw materials and in the process of producing components, must be implemented in accordance with the United Nations Conference on Climate Change held in 2021 and ratified in 2024. The ESG agenda is used to minimize the environmental impact of business in order to build a better world with responsibility around the management process, investments and sustainability criteria. With this motivation, this research presents the use of green high-density polyethylene (Green HDPE) for use in the production of ARLA 32 and fuel tanks, as a replacement material for fossil-based high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The biomass used as a biological base for the production of Green HDPE is sugar cane leaves and/or stalks. Although the polymers have similar characteristics, some of their properties differ and, as a result, some of the equipment parameters need to be modified so that the component maintains the same geometry, thickness and appearance characteristics as the original. To this end, a series of analyses and tests were carried out to adjust the parameters of the extrusion and blow molding process and ensure viability in the desired application. The extrusion blow molding machine has electrical resistors used during production, so that the process maintains the correct temperature throughout the production process. When comparing the two materials, the main aspects of rheometry such as shear stress and shear rate result in a different flow speed within the machine's extrusion process, especially as the Fluidity Index (FI) is totally different and has a great influence on the process and the visual characteristic of the product. The manufacturer carries out its set-up process four times a week, which represents 72 hours per week, and the total set-up time is 3744 hours per year. To validate the Green HDPE tanks, before they are mounted on vehicles, they are required to pass a battery of mechanical tests/trials, following international, Brazilian and internal company standards, such as pressure, impact, sledding and flammability. The results must be approved before Green HDPE can be used as a raw material. The proposed material could reduce around 180,000 tons of CO2/year in the Latin American market, considering only commercial vehicle tanks (fuel and ARLA 32). The proposal also helps to increase the use of this material for reprocessing, thus increasing the circular economy process. Fuel and ARLA 32 tanks made from Green HDPE, after passing the functional tests described in the standards for development and validation tests, must also pass durability tests, which represent the product's application from the end user's point of view. Green HDPE is an existing material used in applications that do not receive mechanical stress, such as shampoo bottles and cleaning products. Polymers are usually commodities and produced by a company that owns the patent. The volume required to produce a given raw material is directly linked to its value. Therefore, the larger the scale of production, the better the final cost of the Green HDPE product. Replacing the fossil-based material with the renewable-based material reduces the carbon footprint of the proposed material, reduces electricity consumption in the machine set and increases productivity, which can offset the cost of the part. The configuration of carbon credits needs to be evaluated, as well as the relationship between the commercialization of these credits or tax benefits resulting from the reduction of carbon emissions in the atmosphere promoted by the proposed material.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2025.021-028