Towards Sustainable Bearings: Examining the Prospects of Increasing Recycled Content and Decreasing Environmental Impact
(2023) MMKM05 20231Innovation
- Abstract
- The automotive industry is currently undergoing significant transformation to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions as sustainability emerges as a global imperative. While electrification reduces tailpipe emissions, adopting principles of circularity throughout the entire value chain enables further reductions.
The research aims to investigate the feasibility of increasing recycled content in bearings used in electric vehicles. Moreover, the effect on environmental impact is assessed, focusing on the carbon footprint. By employing both qualitative and quantitative research methods by examining international norms and standards, interviewing material, and subject matter specialists, and estimating the carbon footprint, the study display a... (More) - The automotive industry is currently undergoing significant transformation to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions as sustainability emerges as a global imperative. While electrification reduces tailpipe emissions, adopting principles of circularity throughout the entire value chain enables further reductions.
The research aims to investigate the feasibility of increasing recycled content in bearings used in electric vehicles. Moreover, the effect on environmental impact is assessed, focusing on the carbon footprint. By employing both qualitative and quantitative research methods by examining international norms and standards, interviewing material, and subject matter specialists, and estimating the carbon footprint, the study display a potential to increase recycled content, reduce the carbon footprint of the bearing materials, and highlights areas of improvements.
The main constituent, bearing steel, can entirely be derived from reclaimed material without compromising on material properties. However, forthcoming challenges and regional differences may hamper the prospects of increasing scrap-based steel in the bearings. The lubricants and polymeric materials, on the other hand, demonstrate a low likelihood for the introduction of end-of-life recycled material but other possibilities are highlighted. (Less) - Popular Abstract
- The automotive industry is rapidly evolving to address the pressing need for reduced greenhouse gas emissions and global sustainability. While the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) help curb tailpipe emissions compared to vehicles fueled by gasoline or diesel, principles of circularity have garnered attention as a means to minimize environmental impact throughout the entire automotive value chain. These principles advocate for minimizing waste and maximizing the utilization of resources throughout the products’ life cycles, through means of, for example, material recycling. As vehicles consist of numerous individual components, the principles of circularity must trickle down to component-level to ensure pervading sustainability.
... (More) - The automotive industry is rapidly evolving to address the pressing need for reduced greenhouse gas emissions and global sustainability. While the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) help curb tailpipe emissions compared to vehicles fueled by gasoline or diesel, principles of circularity have garnered attention as a means to minimize environmental impact throughout the entire automotive value chain. These principles advocate for minimizing waste and maximizing the utilization of resources throughout the products’ life cycles, through means of, for example, material recycling. As vehicles consist of numerous individual components, the principles of circularity must trickle down to component-level to ensure pervading sustainability.
Bearings are fundamental mechanical components used to reduce friction and support rotational or linear motion between moving parts. In this thesis, bearings used on the rotor shaft in the electric machine are under scrutiny. The research delves into the potential of increasing recycled content in these bearings to reduce their carbon footprint. It employs both qualitative and quantitative research approaches to provide a comprehensive understanding of the subject. International standards serve as a foundation for analysis, with input from numerous interviews with material and subject matter specialists. From the research, feasible opportunities to increase recycled content are identified, along with the related challenges.
Bearing steel, being a significant constituent of bearings, holds significant potential for increased recycling as it can be wholly derived from reclaimed material without compromising its material properties. However, forthcoming metallurgical challenges, regional differences in installed steel-making capacity, and scrap availability could hamper the widespread implementation of scrap-based bearing steel.
Lubricants and polymeric materials, on the other hand, present lower likelihoods for end-of-life recycling due to material degradation (resulting in a lower-value material after recycling processes), and difficulties in collecting the materials from the waste stream. Nevertheless, the study sheds light on alternative possibilities and areas for potential improvements for these materials.
This study identifies opportunities for increasing recycled content for different materials used in electric machine bearings, thus contributing to the broader goal of reducing the automotive industry’s carbon footprint. Despite persisting challenges, the automotive sector continues its journey towards enhanced sustainability through ongoing research, collaboration among industry stakeholders, and a collective commitment to environmental stewardship. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9134754
- author
- Gustafsson, Henrik LU
- supervisor
-
- Per Kristav LU
- organization
- course
- MMKM05 20231
- year
- 2023
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- recycled content, bearings, carbon footprint, electric vehicles
- language
- English
- id
- 9134754
- date added to LUP
- 2023-08-28 11:52:23
- date last changed
- 2023-08-28 11:52:23
@misc{9134754,
abstract = {{The automotive industry is currently undergoing significant transformation to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions as sustainability emerges as a global imperative. While electrification reduces tailpipe emissions, adopting principles of circularity throughout the entire value chain enables further reductions.
The research aims to investigate the feasibility of increasing recycled content in bearings used in electric vehicles. Moreover, the effect on environmental impact is assessed, focusing on the carbon footprint. By employing both qualitative and quantitative research methods by examining international norms and standards, interviewing material, and subject matter specialists, and estimating the carbon footprint, the study display a potential to increase recycled content, reduce the carbon footprint of the bearing materials, and highlights areas of improvements.
The main constituent, bearing steel, can entirely be derived from reclaimed material without compromising on material properties. However, forthcoming challenges and regional differences may hamper the prospects of increasing scrap-based steel in the bearings. The lubricants and polymeric materials, on the other hand, demonstrate a low likelihood for the introduction of end-of-life recycled material but other possibilities are highlighted.}},
author = {{Gustafsson, Henrik}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Towards Sustainable Bearings: Examining the Prospects of Increasing Recycled Content and Decreasing Environmental Impact}},
year = {{2023}},
}