BYK Additives & Instruments is now carrying out lifecycle assessments (LCA) for a number of its products and having them certified by TÜV Rheinland.

WESEL, Germany - BYK Additives & Instruments is now carrying out lifecycle assessments (LCA) for a number of its products and having them certified by TÜV Rheinland. The internationally recognized standards ISO 14040 and 14044 provide the basis for the LCA. Now, certified statements on environmental impact factors, including the carbon footprint, can be made for up to four products.

TÜV Rheinland is an internationally acknowledged and accredited testing institute. The company initially certified DISPERBYK®-190, a dispersion agent for aqueous systems, along with three defoamers: BYK-012, BYK-023 and BYK-1740. These are used in products such as architectural coatings or paper coatings. The defoamers are food compatible and are characterized by their exceptionally low VOC content. Produced from renewable materials, BYK-1740 is also biodegradable.

Data on the manufacturing process, as well as on the upstream processes, are required as the basis for the LCA. In addition, such factors as energy consumption, transport routes and the raw materials used are taken into consideration. The findings obtained are documented in the form of an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) in accordance with the international standard ISO 14025.