Comparative analysis of flax & carbon fibers in automotive structures with life cycle analysis

Dodd, Matthew James (2025). Comparative analysis of flax & carbon fibers in automotive structures with life cycle analysis. University of Birmingham. M.Sc.

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Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the environmental impact of utilising natural flax fibers over an industry-standard synthetic carbon fiber for the construction of an automotive vehicle chassis. A comparative life cycle analysis (LCA) focusing on the carbon emissions and resource usage from flax and carbon fiber chassis with equivalent strength is performed. Raw material production, manufacturing and use across a
standard automotive life are explored.

The findings of this study indicate that using flax fibers in the chassis construction leads to net reductions of carbon emissions ranging from 4.1% to 6.3%. In total this is equivalent to over 1.2 tonne decrease in CO2 equivalent emissions over the vehicle lifespan.

The reduction in carbon footprint is primarily attributed to significantly lower energy requirements during the production of flax fibers despite the lower mechanical properties and larger quantity of flax required to meet the same strength. The study concludes that flax fibers environmental impact should put them into consideration for automotive use – where sustainability and environmental impact are seeing greater importance. This study highlights the potential of natural fibers to reduce the environmental impact of the automotive industry

Type of Work:

Thesis (Masters by Research > M.Sc.)

Award Type:

Masters by Research > M.Sc.

Supervisor(s):