Aluminum Extrusions EPD

ENVIRONMENTAL PRODUCT DECLARATION

ANODIZED AND PAINTED ALUMINUM EXTRUSIONS

ALUTIONS BY TECNOGLASS

Anodized Aluminum Extrusion: Alution by Tecnoglass fulfills the needs of each client by offering Class Alutions by Tecnoglass is forging
1 (high performance) and Class 2 (commercial) clear anodized finishes, according to AAMA 611 ahead with innovative sustainable
specification. solutions for both commercial and
residential buildings. Each year,
Painted Aluminum Extrusion: Alution by Tecnoglass has multiple electrostatic machines that apply Alutions evaluates progress in
liquid paint and powder paint. Our technology allows us to use polyester paints, fluoropolymer these crucial areas, setting new
(PVDF) and acrylic, among others. goals while considering the
economic, social and
environmental impact of their
products.

Alutions operates a state-of-the-
art aluminum extrusion facility and
offers a wide variety of shapes and
forms for the door and window
industry.

The purpose of this EPD is to
access the environmental impacts
of our products while providing
design teams with the
documentation they need towards
green building rating systems.

This EPD was not written to support comparative assertions. Even for similar products, differences
in declared unit, use and end-of-life stage assumptions and data quality may produce
Incomparable results. It is not recommended to compare EPDs with another organization, as
there may be differences in methodology, assumptions, allocation methods, data quality such as
variability in data sets and results of variability in assessment software tools used.

Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions According to ISO 14025 & EN 15804
Products of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

This declaration is an environmental product declaration (EPD) in accordance with ISO 14025 and EN
15804. EPDs rely on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to provide information on a number of environmental
impacts of products over their life cycle. Exclusions: EPDs do not indicate that any environmental or social
performance benchmarks are met, and there may be impacts that they do not encompass. LCAs do not
typically address the site-specific environmental impacts of raw material extraction, nor are they meant to assess human
health toxicity. EPDs can complement but cannot replace tools and certifications that are designed to address these
impacts and/or set performance thresholds – e.g. Type 1 certifications, health assessments and declarations,
environmental impact assessments, etc. Accuracy of Results: EPDs regularly rely on estimations of impacts, and the
level of accuracy in estimation of effect differs for any particular product line and reported impact. Comparability: EPDs
are not comparative assertions and are either not comparable or have limited comparability when they cover different
life cycle stages, are based on different product category rules or are missing relevant environmental impacts. EPDs
from different programs may not be comparable.

PROGRAM OPERATOR UL Provided
DECLARATION HOLDER Alutions by Tecnoglass
DECLARATION NUMBER UL Provided

DECLARED PRODUCT Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions

REFERENCE PCR Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V. (IBU) Part B: Reqiurements on the EPD for Products of
Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys.

DATE OF ISSUE UL Provided

PERIOD OF VALIDITY 5 Years

Product definition and information about building physics

Information about basic material and the material’s origin

CONTENTS OF THE Description of the product’s manufacture
DECLARATION Indication of product processing
Information about the in-use conditions

Life cycle assessment results

Testing results and verifications

The PCR review was conducted by: UL Provided
UL Provided

UL Provided

This declaration was independently verified in accordance with ISO

14025 by Underwriters Laboratories

☐ INTERNAL ☒ EXTERNAL UL Provided

This life cycle assessment was independently verified in
accordance with ISO 14044 and the reference PCR by:

UL Provided

Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions According to ISO 14025 & EN 15804
Products of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

Product Description

Description of Company

Alutions by Tecnoglass (Alutions) is a state-of the art aluminum extrusion plant providing a wide variety of extrusion
shapes and forms for the window and door industry. Alutions has two furnaces with 15- and 12-ton capacity to produce
aluminum alloy billets that comply with international quality standards and assures competitivity, efficiency, and
responsibility with the environment and customers. Alutions is part of Tecnoglass Inc., located in Barranquilla,
Colombia.

Energía Solar ES Windows was established in 1984 as an artisanal solar heater business and since 1988 has become
involved in the production and commercialization of aluminum and glass windows and facades for residential and
commercial projects. Tecnoglass SAS was established in 1994 as a manufacturer of tempered, laminated, insulating
and other processed glass products. Alutions by Tecnoglass was established in 2007, reinforcing the group´s vertical
integration strategy and strengthening its production cycle with the manufacturing of aluminum profiles, crystals and
windows providing lower production times and even more competitive prices. ES Windows was acquired by
Tecnoglass Inc. in 2016, further enhancing its vertical integration operations and allowing the company to efficiently
serve its rapidly expanding U.S. customer base.

Today, Tecnoglass Inc. includes Energía Solar ES Windows, Tecnoglass, Alutions and ES Windows, which are all
conveniently headquartered on the Barranquilla campus to streamline production and provide the highest quality
products to their customers. Over the years, Tecnoglass Inc. has gained industry recognition and prowess through its
ability to respond to market demand for high quality products, competitive prices, and timely delivery.

Tecnoglass Inc. hopes to sustain their competitive advantage through consistent investment in R&D, innovative new
products, and increased geographic diversification. They are focused on continuous improvement across all aspects of
their business and are constantly updating business strategies and streamlining initiatives to achieve their vision – to
be a worldwide leader of high-quality architectural products and innovative solutions for a sustainable future.
Supported by a team of highly trained and motivated employees, Tecnoglass Inc. is well on its way to achieving this
ambition. In a demonstration of their commitment to this cause, Tecnoglass Inc. has joined the UN’s Global Compact
program, which consolidates the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiatives.

Product Description

The product under study is 1 kg of extruded aluminum. While multiple products have slightly different compositions, the
composition listed in this EPD is considered representative of the product line. For further description and percent
mass compositions, please refer to the Baseline and Ancillary Materials section, below.

Anodized Aluminum Extrusion: The anodizing process provides an artificial protection to the aluminum with its own
corrosion. Aluminum rust can reach great hardness, ranging between 7 and 8 on the Mho Scale. It is very stable and
resistant to environment corrosion agents. The coat generated in this electrochemical process is imbedded in the
metal and therefore cannot be scraped or peeled off.

Painted Aluminum Extrusion: Powder and liquid coatings enhance extrusion products by providing protection
against outdoor elements including harmful ultraviolet rays, and excellent aesthetic appeal. This strong protective
coating and innovative decoration certifies the products suitability for outdoor use and high resistance to weathering.

Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions According to ISO 14025 & EN 15804
Products of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

Product Use and Application

Extruded aluminum is used for a wide range of applications in the building and construction industry for both residential
and commercial settings. Alutions offers a full range of paint colors available from their suppliers, thus providing
customers with a wide range of options to help them create modern and contemporary projects.

Technical Data

Table 1 - Aluminum Extrusions Technical Data

Name Value Unit
kg/m3
Gross Density 2700
oC
Melting Point 660.3 MS/m
W/mK
Electrical Conductivity at 20 oC 53 10-6K-1
N/mm2
Thermal Conductivity 1390 N/mm2
kJ/kgK
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion 13
HB
Modulus of Elasticity 68.9 N/mm2
N/mm2
Shear Modulus 151.6
%
Specific Heat Capacity 921 -

Hardness 73

Yield Strength Rp 0,2 min 213.7

Tensile Strength Rm min 241.3

Tensile Strength at Break 82.7

Chemical Composition Silicon Magnesium Copper

Application Rules

The applicable standards for extruded aluminum products are:

ASTM B221-13/B221M-13 Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Bars, Rods, Wire,
Profiles, and Tubes

ASTM B429/B429M-10e1 Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Structural Pipe and Tube

ASTM B491/B491M-06 Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Round Tubes for General-
Purpose Applications

Delivery Status

The extruded aluminum product is wrapped in plastic wrap and transported from Alutions to ES Windows for further
assembly into window and door products; alternatively, extruded aluminum is wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in a
wood crate for shipping to an external customer for final fabrication.

Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions According to ISO 14025 & EN 15804
Products of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

Baseline and Ancillary Materials

Extruded aluminum products consist primarily of primary aluminum ore and secondary aluminum scrap. Secondary
aluminum can be comprised of post-industrial or post-consumer scrap aluminum. The aluminum billets used in Alution
products consist of the following approximate composition: 40% primary aluminum ore and 60% scrap aluminum. The
scrap aluminum can be further broken down into 48% post-industrial press scrap and 12% post-consumer scrap.

The table below shows the composition of aluminum extrusions manufactured at Alutions.

Table 2 - Aluminum Extrusions Composition

Constituent % Composition

Scrap Aluminum 5.50E+01

Primary Aluminum 4.38E+01

Silicon Metal 4.30E-01

Magnesium Ingot 6.70E-01

Copper-Aluminum-Tablets 1.00E-02

Chromium-Aluminum-Tablets 1.00E-02

Aluminum-Titanium-Boro 7.00E-02

Dross-Flux Coverall 2.00E-02

Promag-NI 2.00E-02

Chrome (Pretreatment) < 2.70E-08

Chrome Additive (Pretreatment) < 4.37E-07

Paint < 5.55E-04

Manufacturing

The Barranquilla extrusion facility has 15- and 12-ton furnaces onsite to produce aluminum alloy billets. The aluminum
billets are extruded onsite at the manufacturing facility located in Barranquilla, Colombia. In the extrusion process, the
preheated billet is pushed through a die in a thermoconformed process to adopt its new, customer-specified
configuration. The aluminum is extruded hot to increase plasticity, and most profiles receive thermal treatment to
increase their resistance (temper).

Once the aluminum is extruded based on customer specifications, the extruded aluminum undergoes the anodization
process. Anodizing is an electrochemical process that creates a protective coat of aluminum rust on the base surface.
This process consists of submerging the aluminum in acid (sulphuric acid). When an electric current is applied, oxygen
is liberated and reacts with the aluminum anode, generating a rust coat that will vary depending on the time the current
is applied. In order to close the pores on the aluminum surface, the extrusion is soaked in demineralized water at
96°C. This ends the anodizing process. The lifespan of the finish is proportional to the thickness of the coat.

For powder- and liquid-coated aluminum extrusions, a powder/liquid coating is applied to a pre-treated aluminum
profile of 3 – 9 meters, curing it in a temperature between 173°C and 232°C. The finished extrusion product is then

Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions According to ISO 14025 & EN 15804
Products of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

packaged and shipped directly to the customer for further fabrication or is transferred internally to the ES Windows
facility for further assembly into a finished window or door product.

Environment and Health During Manufacturing

Tecnoglass Inc. is committed to reducing its environmental impact and to the health and safety of its employees.
Through their core values, Tecnoglass Inc. assumes a responsibility to be accountable for their actions and
interactions with the environment and stakeholders. This is emphasized in the code of conduct which includes
respecting human rights and the rights of employees, in addition to protecting the environment and surroundings
through sustainable production processes. To reduce energy consumption, Tecnoglass Inc. has installed a solar panel
system to offset energy needed from the local grid. Additionally, Tecnoglass Inc. recycles water onsite throughout
various manufacturing processes.

Alutions’ environmental management program has been certified to NTC ISO 14001: 2015 by ICONTEC since 2012.
This program serves as a great administrative tool and supports the growth of the organization. Through this program,
Alutions has continuously worked to minimize the consumption of water and energy, and to reduce waste generation
during the production process.

Product Processing/ Installation

Alutions’ extruded aluminum products should be further fabricated or installed by qualified contractors, adhering to best
industry standards and according to all applicable building codes in the local jurisdiction.

Packaging

Product packaging for external delivery includes plastic wrap, cardboard, wood, stretch tape, and steel nails. For
internal transport to ES Windows, packaging includes plastic wrap to protect the extrusion finish. External transport
was included in the scope of this EPD. Alutions requests that customers dispose of these materials in the appropriate
disposal/recycling streams in accordance with their local guidelines.

Condition of Use

Alutions’ extrusion products are intended primarily for construction applications for commercial and residential building
projects. They are typically used as framing for window and door products as specified by architects, contractors and
other building professionals for finished products.

Environment and Health During Use

There is no harmful emissive potential. No damage to health or impairment is expected under normal use
corresponding to the intended use of the product.

Reference Service-Life

Service life for aluminum extrusions differs depending on its application. This EPD does not cover the product use
phase and therefore makes no specific claim as to the typical reference for service life.

Extraordinary Effects

Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions According to ISO 14025 & EN 15804
Products of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

Alutions is in the process of acquiring OSHA certification by ICONTEC.
Fire: No negative environmental impact will result from exposure to fire.
Water: Product contains no substances that would have an impact on water quality during a flooding event.
Mechanical Destruction: No danger to the environment can be anticipated during mechanical destruction.
Re-use Phase

Aluminum is typically recycled at high rates. Aluminum scrap is generated throughout the extrusion manufacturing
process and can be re-melted to create new aluminum billets. At the end-of-life, collected aluminum can be sold back
to smelting companies to be re-used in new products. Alutions by Tecnoglass recommends that post-industrial and
post-consumer aluminum be collected for recycling and re-use.

Disposal

Alutions’ products are not considered hazardous materials, so they may be disposed via typical, non-hazardous waste
stream classifications and disposable routes; nevertheless, Alutions encourages the repurposing of products due to
their ease of reuse and reuse versatility. When not suitable for reuse, recycling options are typically available and
should be investigated rather than introducing the product to the waste stream. Aluminum is considered a non-
combustible material and is not suitable for waste to energy. The possible disposal channels shall be indicated in
accordance with North American waste classification and disposal routes.

Further Information

For further information, please visit https://www.tecnoglass.com/ or contact at [email protected].

Life Cycle Assessment

Declared Unit

The declared unit is 1 kg of aluminum extrusion.

Table 3 - Aluminum Extrusions Declared Unit

Name Value Unit

Declared Unit 1 kg

Conversion Factor to 1kg 1 -

System Boundary

The system boundary is cradle-to-gate with options. The product stages A1-A3 were included, and transport to the
customer construction site (A4) was also considered. The use phase and end of life stages (C1-C3) were excluded
from this analysis with the exception of end of life disposal (C4), which includes recycling and landfilling. Since this
LCA uses cut-off allocation, recycling from module D is not considered and its benefits beyond the system boundary
are not included.

Table 4 - Description of the System Boundary

Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions According to ISO 14025 & EN 15804
Products of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

Product Construction Use End-of-Life Benefits of loads
Installation beyond the system

boundary

Raw Material
Extraction and

Processing
Transport
Manufacturing
Transport
Construction/
Installation

Use
Maintenance

Repair
Replacement
Refurbishment
Operational
Energy Use
Operational Water

Use
De-Construction/

Demolition
Transport
Waste Processing
Disposal

Reuse
Recovery
Recycling

A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 C1 C2 C3 C4 D D D

X X X X MND MND MND MND MND MND MND MND MND MND MND X MND MND MND

Estimates and Assumptions

The major assumptions for the development of this EPD are listed below:

• Ecoinvent v3.5 database with cut-off allocation processes was used as the primary database source for
conducting the LCA in SimaPro.

• Certain raw materials or assemblies are directly selected from the ecoinvent v3.5 database.
• Certain materials, for which the safety data sheet (SDS) was not provided, or which had missing components,

were modelled as proxy chemical compounds in approximation with similar products and/or best available
practices.
• The LCA results in this EPD are for Painted Aluminum Extrusion as this product has the highest environmental
impact amongst all aluminum extrusions studied. This is therefore considered to be a representative of other
aluminum extrusions since its impacts are on the higher spectrum of the aluminum extrusion product line.

Cut-off Criteria

Processes whose total contribution was less than 1% of the product mass or contribute less than 1% to all considered
impact categories were excluded.

All material flows that exit the system and whose total contribution was more than 1% of the total impact in that impact
category were included.

For the processes within the system boundary, all available energy and material flow data have been included in the
model.

Background Data

Primary data was collected from the manufacturer for the 2018 calendar year, representing the latest data available.
Each dataset used was taken from SimaPro databases, either ecoinvent 3.5, US-EI 2.2, or US LCI. These databases
are widely distributed and referenced within the LCA community and are either partially or fully critically reviewed.

Data Quality

Throughout the creation of the LCA models, a variety of tests and checks were conducted to ensure the highest of
quality of the completed analysis. Checks include an extensive review of the model and the background data.

Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions According to ISO 14025 & EN 15804
Products of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

To ensure precision, completeness, consistency and representativeness of the data, first-hand industry data and
reliable LCI data from ecoinvent 3.5, US-EI 2.2, and US LCI databases were used. Processes and data used are
representative of the global geographical range and the standard or best available practices.

Period Under Review

First-hand industrial data collected from Alutions is representative of Alutions’ aluminum extrusion production for the
2018 calendar year. However, data used from the LCI databases in SimaPro has a wide temporal range, ranging from
1979 to 2020.

Allocation

Allocation was conducted based on energy use and production for the year under consideration. Mass allocation was
used to determine the manufacturing inputs and outputs for aluminum extrusions. This allocation methodology was
chosen since the declared unit for aluminum extrusions is one kg, and the manufacturing inventory data available is for
the total weight of extrusions produced in kg.

Comparability

A comparison can only be possible if all data sets to be compared were created according EN 15804 and the building
context, respectively the product-specific characteristics of performance, are considered.

LCA: Scenarios and Additional Technical Information

Table 5 - Transport to the Building Site (A4)

Name Value Unit
l/100 km
Truck Fuel Economy 3.62 E+01 l/100 km

Ship Fuel Economy 1.57 E+02 l
km
Total Fuel Consumed 3.60 E+03 km
%
Truck Transport Distance 1.36 E+02 kg/m3
-
Ship Transport Distance 2.26 E+03

Capacity Utilization (including empty runs) 6.99 E+01

Gross Density of Products Transported 2.70 E+03

Capacity Utilization Volume Factor 9.70 E-02

Table 6 - Disposal at End-of-Life (C4)

Mode of Disposal Value Unit
kg
Recycling 9.38 E-01 kg

Landfilling 8.52 E-03

Results

Results are reported based on characterization factors from the US EPA Tool for the Reduction and Assessment of
Chemical and Other Environmental Impacts (TRACI 2.1 impact categories). Additionally, impact categories taken from
the University of Leiden (CML) methodology are reported to facilitate the use of this EPD outside of North America.

Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions According to ISO 14025 & EN 15804
Products of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

LCA results are presented per the declared unit (1 kg of aluminum extrusion). Note that, at this point, the reported
impact categories represent impact potentials, i.e., they are approximations of environmental impacts that could occur
if the emissions would (a) follow the underlying impact pathway and (b) meet certain conditions in the receiving
environment while doing so. Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA) results are therefore relative expressions only and
do not predict actual impacts, the exceeding of thresholds, safety margins, or risks.

Table 7 - Life Cycle Impact Results using CML-IA Baseline, per Declared Unit (1 kg)

Raw Material Raw Material Manufacturing Finished Product End-Of-
Life
Parameter Unit Extraction Transport Shipping
(C4)
(A1) (A2) (A3) (A4)

GWP kg CO2-eq. 8.10E+00 5.13E-02 2.22E+00 4.32E-02 6.50E-05

ODP kg CFC11-eq. 2.11E-07 8.33E-09 1.21E-07 7.39E-09 2.34E-11

AP kg SO2-eq. 4.40E-02 9.78E-04 9.32E-03 5.81E-04 4.90E-07
5.00E-03 6.64E-05 1.04E-07
EP kg (PO4)3--eq. 1.16E-02 1.05E-04

POCP kg ethene-eq. 2.84E-03 3.20E-05 5.37E-04 2.01E-05 2.41E-08

ADPE kg Sb-eq. 2.16E-05 2.62E-08 1.93E-06 5.82E-08 7.32E-11

ADPF MJ 7.31E+01 7.16E-01 3.76E+01 6.26E-01 1.97E-03

GWP = Global warming potential; ODP = Depletion potential of the stratospheric ozone layer; AP = Acidification potential of land and water; EP = Eutrophication potential;
POCP = Formation potential of tropospheric ozone photochemical oxidants; ADPE = Abiotic depletion potential for non-fossil resources; ADPF = Abiotic depletion
potential for fossil resources

Table 8 - Life Cycle Impact Results using TRACI 2.1, per Declared Unit (1 kg)

Raw Material Raw Material Manufacturing Finished Product End-Of-
Life
Parameter Unit Extraction Transport Shipping
(C4)
(A1) (A2) (A3) (A4)

GWP kg CO2-eq. 8.00E+00 5.11E-02 2.17E+00 4.30E-02 6.45E-05

ODP kg CFC11-eq. 2.92E-07 1.11E-08 1.51E-07 9.82E-09 3.12E-11

AP kg SO2-eq. 4.45E-02 9.90E-04 9.55E-03 5.88E-04 5.65E-07

EP kg N-eq. 2.22E-02 9.15E-05 1.06E-02 6.63E-05 1.21E-07

SFP kg O3-eq. 5.03E-01 1.48E-02 1.12E-01 8.80E-03 1.34E-05

FF MJ 3.49E+00 9.29E-02 4.13E+00 8.27E-02 2.72E-04

GWP = Global warming potential; ODP = Depletion potential of the stratospheric ozone layer; AP = Acidification potential; EP = Eutrophication potential; SFP = Smog
formation potential; FF = Fossil fuel consumption

Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions According to ISO 14025 & EN 15804
Products of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

Table 9 - Use of Resources, per Declared Unit (1 kg)

Raw Material Raw Material Manufacturing Finished Product End-Of-Life

Parameter Unit Extraction Transport Shipping

(A1) (A2) (A3) (A4) (C4)

PERE MJ 7.84E+00 1.33E-02 1.68E+00 9.13E-03 1.16E-05

PERM MJ 8.50E-01 2.78E-03 3.17E+00 2.24E-03 4.76E-06

PERT MJ 8.69E+00 1.61E-02 4.85E+00 1.14E-02 1.63E-05

PENRE MJ 8.02E+01 7.92E-01 4.49E+01 6.86E-01 2.12E-03

PENRM MJ 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00

PENRT MJ 8.02E+01 7.92E-01 4.49E+01 6.86E-01 2.12E-03

SM kg 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00

RSF MJ 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00

NRSF MJ 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00

FW m3 4.82E-02 1.52E-04 -1.40E-01 1.28E-04 2.08E-06

PERE = Use of renewable primary energy excluding renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials; PERM = Use of renewable primary energy resources
used as raw materials; PERT = Total use of renewable primary energy resources; PENRE = Use of non-renewable primary energy excluding non-renewable primary
energy resources used as raw materials; PENRM = Use of non-renewable primary energy resources used as raw materials; PENRT = Total use of non-renewable
primary energy resources; SM = Use of secondary material; RSF = Use of renewable secondary fuels; NRSF = Use of non-renewable secondary fuels; FW = Use of net
fresh water

Table 10 - Output Flows and Wastes, per declared unit (1 kg)

Parameter Unit Raw Material Raw Material Manufacturing Finished Product End-Of-Life
Extraction Transport (A3) Shipping (C4)

(A1) (A2) (A4)

HWD kg 2.82E-04 4.45E-07 7.60E-05 3.97E-07 1.34E-09

NHWD kg 1.33E+00 6.22E-03 2.71E-01 1.75E-02 1.23E-02

RWD kg 9.04E-05 4.89E-06 6.96E-05 4.27E-06 1.32E-08

CRU kg 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00

MFR kg 9.38E-01 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00

MER kg 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00

EEE MJ 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00

EET MJ 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00 0.00E+00

HWD = Hazardous waste disposed; NHWD = Non-hazardous waste disposed; RWD = Radioactive waste disposed; CRU = Components for re-use; MFR = Materials for
recycling; MER = Materials for energy recovery; EEE = Exported electrical energy, EET = Exported thermal energy

LCA Interpretation

It is evident from the results that raw material extraction (A1) followed by manufacturing (A3) are the most impactful
stages across most of the impact categories in the life cycle of extruded aluminum.
Amongst raw materials, primary aluminum use drives the raw material impacts across all impact categories.

Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions According to ISO 14025 & EN 15804
Products of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

For the manufacturing process, electricity usage drives the results for manufacturing impacts across most of the
impact categories, except fossil fuel depletion during manufacturing, which is primarily driven by the use of natural gas.
Use of natural gas also has a significant impact, same as electricity use, on the cumulative energy demand during the
manufacturing process.

While aluminum is typically recycled at the end-of-life, the end-of-life impacts (C4) are positive since cut-off
methodology was used for this LCA and recycling offsets were not considered. The end-of-life impact results represent
the impact of landfilling the 5% non-recyclable aluminum that is part of the final extruded aluminum product.

Environmental Impact

100%
80%
60%
40%
20%
0%

GWP ODP AP EP SFP
Raw Material Transport (A2)
Raw Material Extraction (A1) Finished Product Shipping (A4)
Manufacturing (A3)
End-of-Life (C4)

Figure 1 - Environmental Impact of Life Cycle of 1 kg Painted Aluminum Extrusion (TRACI 2.1)

References

EN 15804:2011-04: Sustainability of construction works — Environmental Product Declarations — Core rules for the
product category of construction products.

ISO 14025. DIN EN ISO 14025:2009-11: Environmental labels and declarations — Type III environmental declarations
— Principles and procedures.

UL Environment General Program Instructions Version 2.0, April 2015

UL Addendum Part B: Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys Version 1.6, November 30, 2017

UL Environment (2018) Product Category Rules for Building-Related Products and Services Part A: Life Cycle
Assessment Calculation Rules and Report requirements 2018 https://www.ul.com/businesses/environment

IBU (2012). PCR 2011 Part B. Institut Bauen und Umwelt e.V., Königswinter (pub.): Product Category Rules for
Construction Products from the range of Environmental Product Declarations of Institut Bauen und Umwelt (IBU), Part
B: Requirements on the EPD for Products of Aluminium and Aluminium Alloys. 2012. www.bau-umwelt.de

Anodized and Painted Aluminum Extrusions According to ISO 14025 & EN 15804
Products of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloys

Wernet, G., Bauer, C., Steubing, B., Reinhard, J., Moreno-Ruiz, E., and Weidema, B., 2016. The ecoinvent database
version 3 (part I): overview and methodology. The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, [online] 21(9),
pp.1218–1230. Available at: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11367-016-1087-8

"U.S. Life Cycle Inventory Database." (2012). National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2012. Accessed November 19,
2012: https://www.lcacommons.gov/nrel/search

ASTM B221-13/B221M-13 Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Bars, Rods, Wire,
Profiles, and Tubes

ASTM B429/B429M-10e1 Standard Specification for Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Structural Pipe and Tube

ASTM B491/B491M-06 Standard Specification for Aluminum and Aluminum-Alloy Extruded Round Tubes for General-
Purpose Applications.

Icontec, Norma Técnica Colombiana NTC-ISO 14001:2004 Sistemas de gestión ambiental. Requisitos con orientación
para su uso, Bogotá: Icontec, 2004.

Contact Information

Study Commissioner

Alutions by Tecnoglass
Avenida Circunvalar a 100 mts de la Via 40
Barrio Las Flores Barranquilla-Colombia
PBX: (+575) 373 40 00
[email protected]
www.tecnoglass.com

LCA Practitioner

Sustainable Solutions Corporation
155 Railroad Plaza, Suite 203
Royersford, PA 19468 USA
(+1) 610 569-1047
[email protected]
www.sustainablesolutionscorporation.com