Life cycle assessment of flax-fibre reinforced epoxidized linseed oil composite with a flame retardant for electronic applications

The comparative life cycle assessment documented in this paper shows that a biobased printed circuit board substrate offers a clear impact reduction compared to the conventional design for most impact categories, except for freshwater toxicity, eutrophication, and land use. These are well-known problems for agro-products with pesticide and fertilizer use in cultivation. The environmental impact caused in the End-of-Life stage is generally negligible compared to the production stage for both types of printed circuit board substrates. However, the biobased substrate has a higher embodied energy compared to the conventional substrate, and consequently enables lowering of the fuel use for incineration or providing a higher energy output in the case of a combustion scenario. It can be concluded that the biobased design, composed of flax-fibre reinforced epoxidized linseed oil, is characterized by a lower overall environmental impact. The aggregated weighted eco-points score obtained using the ReCiPe methodology is 42% lower than for the conventional design for the chosen functional unit and scenario. Because the extensively measured technical properties of the biobased substrate were found to comply with almost all international standard specifications, the biobased design offers promising perspectives for further study. However, for industrial application, the major weaknesses of biobased materials, such as the high water absorbance, must be addressed. In addition, the higher land use raises considerable concern, indicating conflicts over food cultivation for use of biobased materials for manufacturing purposes.