Title

Preliminary assessment for global warming potential of leading contributory gases from a 40-in. LCD flat-screen television

Authors

Authors

N. J. Thomas; N. B. Chang;C. Qi

Comments

Authors: contact us about adding a copy of your work at STARS@ucf.edu

Abbreviated Journal Title

Int. J. Life Cycle Assess.

Keywords

Cradle-to-gate; Global warming potential (GWP); Impact assessment; Life; cycle assessment; Life cycle inventory; Liquid crystal display (LCD); Nitrogen trifluoride (NF(3)); Product life cycle; Use stage; Engineering, Environmental; Environmental Sciences

Abstract

As liquid crystal display (LCD) flat-screen televisions increase in popularity, their potential contribution to global warming has received wide attention. This study presents global warming impacts resulting from the life cycle assessment (LCA) of LCD flat-screen televisions for key global warming contributors from the "cradle-to-gate" and use stages of the product's life cycle. The emissions from nitrogen trifluoride (NF(3)), a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential (GWP) 17,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide (CO(2)), are not monitored in the Kyoto Protocol. Emissions in the cradle-to-gate and use stages were modeled in this study according to their GWP (kg CO(2) equivalent), focusing and analyzing the most significant source of NF(3) emissions. NF(3) is used during the manufacturing process of LCDs to clean the vacuum chambers. In this study, a system diagram of the cradle-to-gate stage and use stage of a 40-in. LCD television was proposed using the software package GabiA (R), particularly investigating NF(3) to determine its possible effects on global warming based on a typical LCA. The energy inputs in the use stage of the LCD flat-screen television resulted in major global warming impacts, while the contribution of GWP resulting from NF(3) was trivial. However, as energy efficiency continuously improves over time, the GWP resulting from NF(3) may become significant. Findings in this study allow industry to focus on those critical stages of the production life cycle that most directly affect global warming while permitting government agencies to enact proper regulations to help decrease CO(2) equivalent emissions. The preliminary assessment of our LCA also offers manufacturers the ability to determine the largest sources of greenhouse gases and their connection in the life cycle analysis of a product. This extension may help guide legislation and industrial management in the future. For further decision making, an in-depth sensitivity analysis may be needed to strengthen the results.

Journal Title

International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment

Volume

17

Issue/Number

1

Publication Date

1-1-2012

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

96

Last Page

104

WOS Identifier

WOS:000298644400010

ISSN

0948-3349

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