LCA of Aluminum Composite Panels

Efficient Building Materials

Aluminium

Composite Panels Life Cycle Assessment

Roopa Iyer

Semester 11: TAE114 – E11

Rachana Sansad’s Institute of Environmental Architecture

YCMOU

CONTENTS

SR.NO DESCRIPTION PAGE

Acknowledgement

1. Introduction to Aluminum Composite panel sheet

2. Introduction to chosen brand

3. Raw material :

• Introduction

• Processing

• Properties

• Source

4. Process of ACP sheet

5. Methods of installation

6. Properties of ACP

7. Energy consumption calculation table:

• Primary Energy

• Transportation

• Total embodied energy

8. Labour

9. Applications

10. Maintenance

11. Cost

12. Environmental impact

13. Modes of reducing the impact

14. Alternative material:

• Clay tile cladding

Bibliography

Efficient Building Materials LCA

1

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

This assignment would not have been possible without the help of my guides

Prof. Roshini Udyavar, Prof. Ashok Joshi.

I would also like to thank Mr. Mehul Joshi, technical manager of Eurobond Industries Pvt. Ltd, &

Mr. Vineet (Fabricator) for helping with the collection of data.

I am Thankful to Ar. Chirag Jain (Partner), UCJ architecture & environment, for helping with data

access & information.

I am grateful to my family for their patience.


2

INTRODUCTION

Today our cityscape consists of these buildings - MODERN BUILDINGS!!!


3

Aluminium Composite Panel (ACP) is a widely-

used term, describing flat panels that consist

of a non-aluminium core bonded between two

aluminium sheets. Aluminium sheets can be

coated with PVDF or Polyester paint. ACPs are

frequently used for external cladding of

buildings (building facades).

The main advantage of ACP is that it is very rigid and strong despite its light weight. Due to the

ability of painting the aluminium in any kind of colour, ACPs are produced in a wide range of

metallic and non-metallic colours as well as patterns that imitate other materials, such as wood

or marble.

Applications of ACPs are not limited to external building cladding, but can also be used in any

form of cladding such as partitions, false ceilings etc. Aluminium Composite Panels are also

widely used within the signage industry as an alternative to heavier, more expensive substrates.

The idea of this ACP came out form the sandwich panel was made for big refrigeration area such

as rooms, the thickness was not less than 10cm and also it is used in big roof bulidings in the area

of the Arabic gulf , The ACP main idea is to have good looking surface along with good isolating

material , as most of ACP's inside layer is made of low density Polyethylene .

Aluminium Composite Panel (ACP) sheet also known as sandwich panels consists of low density

polyethylene (LDP) core sandwiched between two aluminium foils.

The entire panel consists of the following layers:

1. Top Aluminium foil

2. Low density Polyethylene Core

3. Bottom Aluminium foil

The top Aluminium sheet is coated with either Polyester or PVDF paint

The Core is either Low density Polyethylene or a Fire resistant core which is specially treated for

fire resistance

The bottom aluminium sheet comes with anti corrosive primer or (6-8 micron) backside paint

• PROTECTIVE FILM

• PVDF CLEAR COAT

• PVDF BASE COAT

• PVDF PRIMER COAT

• HIGH STRENGTH ALUMINUM FOIL

• ADHESIVE FILM

• LOW DENSITY POLYETHYLENE CORE

• ADHESIVE FILM

• HIGH STRENGTH ALUMINUM FOIL

• BACK COAT

• DOUBLE PE LAYER TO BE REMOVED

AFTER INSTALLATION

PROTECTIVE FILM


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BRAND INTRODUCTION

Eurobond Aluminum Composite panels:

Eurobond Industries' Aluminum Panel Sheet lounge has a very compatible,

composite adaptable and flexible range of decorative products that have got

culminatedly the result of German technology by the names Platinum, Pearl, Ruby,

Gold, Silver, Bronze, Kohinoor, Diamond and Crystal, in their ethnic collection for the

customers.

Eurobond Aluminium panel Sheet is sandwich with top & bottom layers of aluminium, non – toxic

polyethylene cores materials. Both surface of foil coated with special baking varnish.

• Eurobond Industries Pvt. Ltd., established in 2002, is one of the leading manufacturing

companies in construction materials. They manufacture ‘Eurobond’ brand Aluminium Panel

Sheet, Fire resistance Aluminium Panel Sheet and so on. The manufacturing unit is in Jammu,

India. Eurobond Industries Pvt. Ltd. is an ISO 9001:2000 Certified Company.

• Eurobond imports the Aluminium foil from China. The Aluminium foil is produced within

China. They use Aluminium alloy 1100-H18. The Aluminium content for unalloyed aluminium

not made by a refining process is the difference between 100% & the sum of all other

analyzed metallic elements present in amounts of 0.010% of more each, expressed to the

second decimal before determining the sum.

• Eurobond uses 2nd grade LDPE which is one time recycled for its production. It is sourced

from local companies

• The protective film (Double PE) protects panels when cutting, transiting, grooving and folding

to avoid mechanical damage and contaminated surface. After finishing installation, protective

film should be peeled off.

• Adhesive film (protective film): EAA – ethylene crylic acid co-polymer.Eurobond panel sheets

adopt the first grade adhesive film supplied by DU Pont. Film thickness >0.07mm for 0.50mm

aluminium sheet & >0.05mm for 0.25mm aluminium sheet

• Coating: PVDF – KYNAR 500 (70% min)


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Map showing Eurobond ACP office (with stocking facilities):

Sandwiching plant location

Depots for ACP’s

Study location


6

• Aluminium foil:

Aluminium foil is aluminium prepared in thin metal leafs,

with a thickness less than 0.2 mm / 0.008 in, although

much thinner gauges down to 0.006 mm are commonly

used. Foils are commonly gauged in Mils. The foil is

extremely pliable, and can be bent or wrapped around

objects with ease. However, thin foils are fragile and

easily damaged, and are often laminated to other

materials such as plastics or paper to make them more

useful. It replaced tin foil in the mid 20th century.

Annual production of aluminium foil was approximately

800,000 tonnes in Europe and 600,000 tonnes (1.3 billion lbs) in the USA in 2003. Approximately

75% of aluminium foil is used for packaging of foods, cosmetics, and chemical products, and 25%

used for industrial applications (eg. thermal insulation, cables and electronics).

Manufacture:

Aluminium foil is produced by rolling sheet ingots cast

from molten aluminium, then re-rolling on sheet and foil

rolling mills to the desired thickness, or by continuously

casting and cold rolling.

To maintain a constant thickness in aluminium foil

production, beta radiation is passed through the foil to a

sensor the other side. The continuous casting method is

much less energy intensive

Some lubrication is needed during the rolling stages;

otherwise the foil surface can become marked with a

herringbone pattern. These lubricants are sprayed on the

foil surface before passing through the mill rolls. Kerosene

based lubricants are commonly used.

Aluminium becomes work hardened during the cold rolling process and is annealed for most

purposes. The rolls of foil are heated until the degree of softness is reached, which may be up to

340°C for 12 hours. During this heating, the lubricating oils are burned off leaving a dry surface.

Lubricant oils may not be completely burnt off for hard temper rolls, which can make subsequent

coating or printing more difficult.

EARTH RAW MATERIAL PROCESS END PRODUCT

Alumina • ALUMINIUM

FOIL

• LDP

• PVDF

• DOUBLE PE FILM

• Sandwiching of

Aluminium

• Product testing

• Pre-fabrication

Installation


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Properties :

• Aluminium foils thicker than 0.025 mm (0.001 in) are impermeable to oxygen and water. Foils

thinner than this become slightly permeable due to minute pinholes caused by the production

process.

• Aluminium foil has a shiny side and a matte side. The reflectivity of bright aluminium foil is

88% while dull embossed foil is about 80%.

World production trend of aluminium: output in 2005

In 2005, the People's Republic of China was the top producer of aluminium with almost a one-

fifth world share, followed by Russia, Canada, and the USA, reports the British Geological Survey.

Euro Source :

Aluminium foil is outsourced from China.


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• Low Density Polyethylene:

Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is a thermoplastic made from petroleum. LDPE is commonly

recycled, and has the number "4" as its recycling symbol.

Properties:

• LDPE is defined by a density range of 0.910 - 0.940 g/cm³.

• It is unreactive at room temperatures, except by strong oxidizing agents, and some solvents

cause swelling.

• It can withstand temperatures of 80 °C continuously and 95 °C for a short time. Made in

translucent or opaque variations, it is quite flexible, and tough but breakable.

• LDPE has more branching (on about 2% of the carbon atoms) than HDPE, its tensile strength is

lower, and its resilience is higher.

• Its density is lower.

• LDPE contains the chemical elements carbon and hydrogen.

Chemical resistance:

• Excellent resistance (no attack) to dilute and concentrated acids, alcohols, bases and esters

• Good resistance (minor attack) to aldehydes, ketones and vegetable oils

• Limited resistance (moderate attack suitable for short-term use only) to aliphatic and aromatic

hydrocarbons, mineral oils, and oxidizing agents

• Poor resistance, and not recommended for use with Halogenated hydrocarbons.

Euro Source :

LDPE sourced from a local company.


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• PVDF:

Polyvinylidene Fluoride or PVDF is a highly non-reactive and pure

thermoplastic fluoropolymer.

Processing:

PVDF may be synthesized from the gaseous VDF monomer via a

free radical (or controlled radical) polymerization process.

This may be followed by processes such as melt casting, or

processing from a solution (e.g. solution casting, spin coating, and

film casting).

A quantitative defluorination process was described by mechanochemistry (Zhang , 2001), for

safe eco-friendly PVDF waste processing.

KYNAR 500 PVDF:

Kynar 500® is a premier finish for colorful metal buildings. Originally specified by many architects

for long life finishing on metal curtain walls for tall buildings and large industrial parks, Kynar 500

has grown in use for painted aluminum extrusions such as windows and storefronts.

KYNAR 500 paint haS extremely good gloss and color retention, and they have been used on

many prominent buildings around the world, e.g. the Petronas Towers in Malaysia and Taipei 101

in Taiwan, as well as on commercial and residential metal roofing.

Euro Source :

PVDF sourced from a local company.

• Double PE protective film:

Polyethylene film is a resinous material with thermoplastic

properties that is synthesized by inducing oxidative

polymerization of ethylene gas.

While the polyethylene is still supple, the tube is closed off at

one end and then blown to inflate and stretch the film into the

desired length and thickness.

The thickness of polyethylene film can be as thin as .0004 inch (10.16 microns).

Polyethylene or polythene (IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most widely

used plastic, with an annual production of approximately 80 million metric tons.

Properties:

• Polyethylene film has ability to self-seal under controlled heat.

• Polyethylene sheets can be sewn or stapled together, or even bonded with glue.

• This material also helps to prevent the escape of moisture and heat.

Euro Source :

Double PE is sourced from DU PONT.


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1. Sandwiching of Panel:

• The raw materials used in

EUROBOND APS production are

Aluminium sheet (0.50mm,

0.30mm, 0.25mm & 0.21mm) of

thickness in the form of coils, Low

density Polyethylene & special

adhesive in the roll form.

• The melted thermoplastic is

blended with special adhesive &

passes between the two

aluminium foils.

• With qualified high molecular film,

proper technology & strict quality

control, composite panel is

produced.

• The three parts (two aluminium

sheets & adhesive along with

polyethylene) are highly

compressed within the rolls

resulting in panel sheet.


Alumina • Aluminium Foil

• LDP

• PVDF

• Double PE film

• SANDWICHING

OF

ALUMINIUM

• PRODUCT

TESTING

• PRE-

FABRICATION

Installation


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2. Product testing (@ Jammu plant):

The test includes :

• 180◦ peeling strength

• Dynamic character of raw materials by electronic universal tester,

• Colour difference,

• Boiling water resistance,

• finish coating thickness,

• Impact resistance,

• Gloss test,

• Adhesion test,

• Peel off Strength,

• Pencil hardness etc.


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3. Pre – fabrication:

The process of designing is mainly subjected to geometrical sizes of building & local wind load

etc. to calculate the parameters of the geometrical size of the single panel the density of the

reinforcement & the span of the column.

Ordinary Aluminium processing & wood working machines and tools can be used for fabrication

of the panel.

o Saw cutting: Usually vertical saws, of good quality

are being used. Even portable circular saws equipped

with a system of guides can be used, so as to ensure

straight-line cuttings.

o Shearing: Shear cutting can also be used for sizing a large

quantity of panels. Some shear drop may be observed at

the cut edge.

o Grooving:

� Hand operated router machine: These tools are consisted of

routers that are available in the market and are used for wood

processing. If they are equipped with special routing bits-carbide

tipped cutter – the hand operated router can be used for a limited

number of processes. In this case the stability of the tool and the

guide - system considerably affect the quality of the routing.

� Circular routing blades & router bits: Details of various types of

circular blades & router bits are shown in the figure. The supplier

of vertical panel saw offer special circular blades for the routing process of composite

aluminium panels.


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o Bending: Grooved panels can be bent with jig. Press brake or

plate punch.

o Bending with brake press: While bending the panel with press

brake, use of top die having desired radius

o Bending with 3 – Roller bender: Eurobond panels are bent in 3 –

roller bending machine for large size bending radius.

o Fastening / Riveting & Bolting: Eurobond panels can be faster together or joined to

aluminium extruded elements with rivets which are quite common to aluminium construction

works.

o Welding: Eurobond panel edges can be joined by

welding the core with the help of hot jet gun.


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Alumina • Aluminium Foil

• LDP

• PVDF

• Double PE film

• Sandwiching of

Aluminium

• Product testing

• Pre-fabrication

INSTALLATION


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PROPERTIES OF ACP SHEET

Panel thickness Units 3mm 4mm 6mm

Panel Dimensions

Alumnium

thickness

mm 0.25 0.50 0.50

EUROBOND

weight

Kg/m2 3.8 5.6 7.4

Max. standard

width

mm 1220, 1550

Standard Length mm 2440, 3050, 3660

Panel Dimensions Tolerances

Panel Thickness mm + 0.20

Panel width mm + 2.0

Panel length mm + 4.2

+ 3.0

Mechanical characteristics of Aluminum

Tensile strength

tolerances (Rm)

N/mm2 145

Yield strength

(Rp0.2)

N/mm2 120

Elongation (AS) % 5%

Modulus of

elasticity

N/mm2 70000

Rigidity KNm 0.11 0.25 0.60

Alloy Al.1100 H18

Surface paint characteristics

Visible surface

layers

3 layers & 2 layers PVDF 70% KYNAR - 500

Temperature behaviour

Behavior in

temperatures

From -50 C to + 80 C

Thermal

expansion

1.4mm per liner meter for temperature difference of 60 C

Thermal Insulation

Thermal

insulation of LDP

W/m2K 0.29

Sound Insulation

Average

airborne

Db 24 25 26

Panel thickness Units 3mm 4mm 6mm

Visible surface protection

Surface covered with self – adhesive

film, for protection against damage

from handling and placing of the

material

Film thickness of 80 microns, film to be removed within

45 days after installation


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ENERGY CONSUMPTION CALCULATIONS

Primary energy:

204 MJ/KG

103 MJ/KG

90.4 MH/KG

85.9 MJ/KG

1.92 MJ/KG

0.018MJ/KG

20.1MJ/KG (RE-CYCLED) ALUMINUM FOIL

LDPE

PVDF

DOUBLE PE FILM

ACP SHEET

PRE - FABRICATION

0.002MJ/KG INSTALLATION

TOTAL PRIMARY ENERGY = 485.24 MJ/KG

TOTAL PRIMARY ENERGY(re-cycled aluminium)

= 301.34 MJ/KG


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TOTAL EMBODIED ENERGY = PRIMARY + TRANSPORTATION

580.863 MJ/KG

TOTAL EMBODIED ENERGY = PRIMARY + TRANSPORTATION

396.963 MJ/KG

Transportation energy:

89.88 MJ/KG

ANDHERI MALAD

DEPOT PRE -

FAB

MALAD SITE

PRE -

FAB

INSTALL

JAMMU MUMBAI

ACP

SHEET

DEPOT

5.65 MJ/KG

0.022 MJ/KG

0.071 MJ/KG

3210km

CHINA JAMMU

AL FOIL PLANT

1982 km

8 km

25 km

TOTAL TRANSPORTATION ENERGY = 95.623 MJ/KG


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MALAD SITE 2500 Rs/Truck

LABOUR

Assuming installation of ACP sheet for a building of 30,000sq.ft.

Labour required for fabrication : 6nos.

Labour required for fixing : 4nos.

4 x 4 ft panel installation would take : 30 mins.

COST

Transportation Cost:

Market Cost: (After Pre – Fabrication)

4mm(0.50mm) – 200 to 250 per sq. ft.

Labour Cost:

450 Rs. /day

4000 Rs/MT

ANDHERI MALAD

JAMMU MUMBAI 33,000 Rs/Truck

1000 Rs/Truck

CHINA JAMMU


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APPLICATIONS

Externally ACP is used as a cladding material.

1. Exteriors of Multi storey apartment

2. Curtain wall

3. Industrial & commercial construction

4. Wall cladding

5. Fascias & Soffit

6. Canopies

7. Elevators

8. Sign boards

9. Kitchen units

10. Display unit

11. Shop fronts


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MAINTENANCE

• Routine cleaning of the APS surface is recommended. It may be washed with solution of water

& detergent, followed by clean water rinse.

• The frequency with which the cleaning is to be carried out and the choice ofsuitable

cleaning agent depends largely on the position of the building being cleaned and

degree of contamination.

• The cleaning procedure involves the following steps:

o Machine cleaning

o Pre cleaning

o Soil removal

o Clean detergent & solutions

o Operation sequence

o Coating protection

o Scratch prevention

• Frequency of washing for various building types:

Rural area : 1-2 times/ year

Urban area : 2-3 times/ year

Low rainfall/coastal area : 3-4 times/ year

Heavy industrialized area : 6-8 times/ year


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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

• ACP sheet is a composite material which is made up of high embodied raw materials.

• Waste produced during manufacturing process is approximately 10% of the material

produced. The waste produced is sent to Landfill sites or Incinerated.

• The Double Polyethylene film is to be removed after application, recycling the same involves

high energy & is difficult to re-cycle.

• The energy spent on importing & transportation of the material is 16% approx. of the total

embodied energy.

• Transportation cost is very high due to import of raw material from China.

• Material is manufactured & pre-fabricated in an enclosed, supervised environment. No

harmful gases are produced during the manufacturing process.

• Economic considerations:

o The high cost of Aluminum making process because of the huge amounts of electricity it

uses.

o The end product cost is very high.

• The individual raw material production has a huge impact on the environment:

o Environmental problems in mining and transporting the bauxite:

� Loss of landscape due to mining, processing & transporting the bauxite.

� Noise, water & air pollution involved in the operation.

� Disposal of red mud into unsightly lagoons.

� Transport of the finished aluminium.

• The life of the material is approx 12 – 20 yrs. As compared to almost lifetime of a

conventional material used building.

• The building would require a lot of maintainance energy, as given in the section above,

resulting in wastage of water.

• The main problems with aluminium are the very high energy costs when using virgin material,

and the unnecessary use of polyester powder coatings to colour the sheets.

• Once the life of the building is over, the panels cannot be recycled due to its composite

nature, where it becomes difficult to separate each raw material. Separation of the material

is a high energy involved process, even then the energy only 10 – 15% of the material can be

recycled & reused, and the energy involved is high.


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MODES OF REDUCING IMPACT

• Use of Re-cycled Aluminum:

o Saving of raw materials and particularly electrical energy by not having to extract the

aluminium from the bauxite. Recycling aluminium uses only about 5% of the energy used

to extract it from bauxite.

o Avoiding the environmental problems in the extraction of aluminium from the bauxite.

• Transportation of raw material from long distances to be controlled or avoided completely.

• Centrally located plants, to minimize transportation energy & cost

• Use of biodegradable plastic: Biodegradable plastics are plastics that will decompose in

natural aerobic (composting) and anaerobic (landfill) environments. Biodegradation of

plastics can be achieved by enabling microorganisms in the environment to metabolize the

molecular structure of plastic films to produce an inert humus-like material that is less

harmful to the environment.

o Bio-derived polyethylene

� The basic building block (monomer) of polyethylene is ethylene. This is just one small

chemical step from ethanol, which can be produced by fermentation of agricultural

feedstocks such as sugar cane or corn. Bio-derived polyethylene is chemically and

physically identical to traditional polyethylene - it does not biodegrade but can be

recycled. It can also considerably reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Brazilian chemicals

group Braskem claims that using its route from sugar cane ethanol to produce one

tonne of polyethylene captures (removes from the environment) 2.5 tonnes of carbon

dioxide while the traditional petrochemical route results in emissions of close to 3.5

tonnes.


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ALTERNATIVE MATERIAL

Though building façade design should be such that an external cladding application is not

required. Even if required Clay tile cladding could be adopted.

Clay tiles are manufactured from kaolinite clay with various additives. The minerals are vitrified

to bind the tiles at a high firing temperature in excess of 1100°C, the higher the temperature the

longer the life of the tile. The high temperatures involved lead to a high embodied energy.

Though the embodied energy is high,toxicity issues involved in the manufacture of clay tiles is

less.

The embodied energy of a single clay tile = 5-15MJ/KG

Clay tile façade:

Alupro Building systems –

Moeding Clay tile façade

(Ventilated Clay Tile Cladding

based on the rain screen

principle.)

The Concept of Rain screen:

Rain screen system

The Rain Screen Principle is based on fundamental laws of physics

• Resists water penetration not by sealing joints, but by

eliminating pressure differentials > Pressure equalization

• Back ventilation

• Heat-insulation fitted on the outside of the building


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Various clay tile sections:

Characteristics:

Based on the excellent material properties of clay the façade comes with additional advantages

of a natural material.

• Natural Clay with good insulation properties.

• Wide Variety of colours & finishes.

• Effective water drainage, base channel and weather protection of rear wall.

• A single tile could be replaced separately.

• High resistance with uniform weathering. Non-fading, anti fungal properties, UV resistant.

• Remarkable reduced heat losses.

• Effective weather protection and drainage of moister.

• High resistance against aggressive environmental effects of any nature.

• Uniform but natural weathering.

• Long life and high cost-effectiveness.

• Resistant to frost, UV, fire and salt-water. Non-fading colours.

• Noise insulation.

• Fully recyclable.


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Technology of Clay tile façade:


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Bibliography:

1. Information from Eurobond catalogue

2. http://eurobondindia.com

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_composite_panel

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium_foil#Manufacture

5. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium#Production_and_refinement

6. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-density_polyethylene

7. http://www.gganeshan.com/picture/PE_LDPE_Process.jpg

8. http://www.symonite.co.nz/alucomat_xsec.jpg

9. http://www.alustrong.com/wall.jpg

10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kynar

11. http://www.arkema-inc.com/kynar/page.cfm?pag=979

12. http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-polyethylene-film.htm

13. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Container_ship#Specifications

14. http://www.aluproindia.com/s-moeding.htm

15. http://www.archdaily.com/32778/nbk-terracotta-facade-panels-hunter-douglas-contract/

16. Embodied Energy in Buildings by Prof. B. V. Venkatarama Reddy Department of Civil

EngineeringIndian Institute of Science, Bangalore

17. http://www.greenbuildingpress.co.uk/archive/sustainable_roofing.php

18. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bioplastic

19. http://www.chemguide.co.uk/inorganic/extraction/aluminium.html

LCA of Aluminum Composite Panels

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