000127780 001__ 127780 000127780 005__ 20240731103346.0 000127780 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.3390/vehicles5030067 000127780 0248_ $$2sideral$$a134893 000127780 037__ $$aART-2023-134893 000127780 041__ $$aeng 000127780 100__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-6148-1253$$aOrtego, Abel 000127780 245__ $$aExergy Assessment of Plastic Car Parts 000127780 260__ $$c2023 000127780 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted 000127780 5203_ $$aLight-duty vehicles are increasingly incorporating plastic materials to reduce production costs and achieve lightweight designs. On average, a conventional car utilizes over 200 kg of plastic, comprising more than 23 different types, which often present challenges for recycling due to their incompatibility. Consequently, the focus on plastic recycling in end-of-life vehicles has intensified. This study aims to analyze critical car parts based on the plastics used, employing a novel thermodynamic approach that examines the embodied exergy (EE) of different plastics. Six vehicles from various segments, years, and equipment levels were assessed to understand their plastic compositions. The findings reveal that, on average, a vehicle contains 222 kg of plastic, accounting for 17.7% of its total weight. Among these plastics, 47.5% (105 kg) are utilized in car parts weighing over 1 kg, with plastics comprising over 80% of the part’s weight. The identified critical car parts include the front door trim panel, front and rear covers, fuel tank, floor covering, front lighting, dashboard, rear door trim panel, plastic front end, backrest pad, door trim panel pocket, plastic foam rear seat, rear lighting, window guide, molded headliner, bulkhead sound insulation, foam seat part, and wheel trim. Regarding their contribution to EE, the plastics with the highest shares are polypropylene—PP (24.5%), polypropylene and ethylene blends—E/P (20.3%), and polyurethane- PU (15.3%). Understanding the criticality of these car parts and their associated plastics enables targeted efforts in design, material selection, and end-of-life management to enhance recycling and promote circularity within the automotive industry. 000127780 536__ $$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EC/H2020/101003587/EU/leading the TRansion of the European Automotive SUpply chain towards a circulaR futurE/TREASURE$$9This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No H2020 101003587-TREASURE$$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/PID2020-116851RB-I00 000127780 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby$$uhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/ 000127780 592__ $$a0.52$$b2023 000127780 593__ $$aElectrical and Electronic Engineering$$c2023$$dQ2 000127780 593__ $$aAutomotive Engineering$$c2023$$dQ2 000127780 594__ $$a4.1$$b2023 000127780 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 000127780 700__ $$aRusso, Sofia 000127780 700__ $$aIglesias-Émbil, Marta 000127780 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0003-3330-1793$$aValero, Alicia$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza 000127780 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-7115-5902$$aMagdalena, Ricardo 000127780 7102_ $$15004$$2590$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. Ingeniería Mecánica$$cÁrea Máquinas y Motores Térmi. 000127780 773__ $$g5, 3 (2023), 1211-1226$$tVehicles$$x2624-8921 000127780 8564_ $$s2118921$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/127780/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada 000127780 8564_ $$s2613283$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/127780/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada 000127780 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:127780$$particulos$$pdriver 000127780 951__ $$a2024-07-31-09:52:31 000127780 980__ $$aARTICLE