Orlando, Florida - Replacing conventional wood floors with composite materials can impact the overall life cycle of transport containers and deliver energy savings to the shipping industry, according to a recent study by Bayer MaterialScience.
Three Bayer experts will present the results of a recent study comparing environmental impacts of relevance to the logistics community at Composites 2013 in Orlando, Florida.
The presentation, "Life Cycle Assessment of Composite Shipping Container Floors Compared to Conventional Wood Flooring", will detail life-cycle assessments of flooring made with fibreglass/polyurethane composites, plywood and bamboo wood.
Bayer said the presentation will show how lighter weight composite flooring compared with conventional wood flooring could save energy due to reduced fuel consumption on container ships and transport applications in general. The company added that a lighter weight container also provides the possibility of adding more cargo weight.
According to BMS, the study finds that although composite may require more energy during manufacturing than wood floors, the composite floor saves more energy during its use.
Bayer will present its polyurethane composite solutions for shipping containers at the Composite's 2013 event, to be held 29-31 Jan 2013.
LMH
