title: The Environmental and Economic Impacts for Producing the Port Jackson from Novatein®

authors: van der Merwe, De Wet

subjects: LCA

abstract: Preserving meat quality is paramount during meat processing. Contamination is reduced by preventing contact between faecal matter and the carcass. Rectal plugs are used for this purpose during slaughtering, and the animal’s intestines can be removed and entered directly into the rendering process. Polypropylene plugs contaminate rendered products, while Novatein® plugs (the Port Jackson) will break down during the rendering process. 

A life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to determine and compare the environmental impacts of plugs made from either polypropylene or Novatein®. Two scenarios were considered, in which the production of the plugs could be contracted out, or manufactured in-house. On an environmental basis, the difference was negligible. Resin production accounted for 73% of the total non-renewable primary energy (NRPE) use and global warming potential (GWP), with the balance shared between plug production, use, and disposal. 

Injection moulding and packaging each contributed 31% to GWP, as well as 25.8% and 40% of the NRPE use respectively during plug production and disposal, dominating impacts during plug production. In contrast, operations with the lowest impacts were conditioning and transport, collectively contributing to less than 4% of the entire LCA impacts. 

The life cycle impacts were particularly sensitive to packaging, the allocation method used for farming impacts on bloodmeal production, and the ratio of the electricity grid mix. By eliminating cardboard boxes reduced GWP and NRPE use by 6.1% and 6.9%. Allocating impacts from farming to bloodmeal production could increase the GWP by up to 193%, and NRPE by 14%. Allocation is not under the control of the manufacturer, and is a limitation of the assumptions made in this study. By using coal-based electricity, the GWP can increase by 66%, and NRPE by 20%. Impacts from electricity use could change noticeably if the plugs were manufactured overseas. 

The net present value (NPV) of capturing 10% of the market, and selling the plugs at $0.15 NZD, at a 35% discount rate was $143,629 when contracting out plug production. Under all costing assumptions, contracting out provided a higher NPV than manufacturing in-house. This is primarily due to the large capital costs when producing in-house. 

The critical factor that will cause manufacturing in-house to be more financially viable is the capital cost. The difference between the NPV of the two scenarios is $240,442, and the estimated total cost of buying, shipping, and installing the injection moulder is $355,153. If this can be reduced to $114,711, the two scenarios become equal. Because manufacturing in-house has a higher ongoing cash inflow per year, this scenario will also benefit more from scaling up volume above the 10% market share threshold. 

When comparing the Port Jackson with the polypropylene plug, the Novatein® plug has a higher GWP (0.0166 kg CO₂eq per plug) than the PP plug (0.0126 kg CO₂eq per plug), however, it requires less NRPE (0.302 MJ per plug and 0.430 MJ per plug respectively), and if contracted out, can be sold competitively at a matching market value of $0.15 or $0.16 per plug. The price may be lowered even further to $0.12, and still have a positive NPV. These factors are slightly in favour of producing Novatein plugs, but the Port Jackson’s advantage over PP is the fact that it not only breaks down during rendering, but it is also non-toxic, so simply becomes part of part of meat and bone meal.

text: The Environmental and Economic Impacts for Producing the Port Jackson from Novatein® Preserving meat quality is paramount during meat processing. Contamination is reduced by preventing contact between faecal matter and the carcass. Rectal plugs are used for this purpose during slaughtering, and the animal’s intestines can be removed and entered directly into the rendering process. Polypropylene plugs contaminate rendered products, while Novatein® plugs (the Port Jackson) will break down during the rendering process. 

A life cycle assessment (LCA) was used to determine and compare the environmental impacts of plugs made from either polypropylene or Novatein®. Two scenarios were considered, in which the production of the plugs could be contracted out, or manufactured in-house. On an environmental basis, the difference was negligible. Resin production accounted for 73% of the total non-renewable primary energy (NRPE) use and global warming potential (GWP), with the balance shared between plug production, use, and disposal. 

Injection moulding and packaging each contributed 31% to GWP, as well as 25.8% and 40% of the NRPE use respectively during plug production and disposal, dominating impacts during plug production. In contrast, operations with the lowest impacts were conditioning and transport, collectively contributing to less than 4% of the entire LCA impacts. 

The life cycle impacts were particularly sensitive to packaging, the allocation method used for farming impacts on bloodmeal production, and the ratio of the electricity grid mix. By eliminating cardboard boxes reduced GWP and NRPE use by 6.1% and 6.9%. Allocating impacts from farming to bloodmeal production could increase the GWP by up to 193%, and NRPE by 14%. Allocation is not under the control of the manufacturer, and is a limitation of the assumptions made in this study. By using coal-based electricity, the GWP can increase by 66%, and NRPE by 20%. Impacts from electricity use could change noticeably if the plugs were manufactured overseas. 

The net present value (NPV) of capturing 10% of the market, and selling the plugs at $0.15 NZD, at a 35% discount rate was $143,629 when contracting out plug production. Under all costing assumptions, contracting out provided a higher NPV than manufacturing in-house. This is primarily due to the large capital costs when producing in-house. 

The critical factor that will cause manufacturing in-house to be more financially viable is the capital cost. The difference between the NPV of the two scenarios is $240,442, and the estimated total cost of buying, shipping, and installing the injection moulder is $355,153. If this can be reduced to $114,711, the two scenarios become equal. Because manufacturing in-house has a higher ongoing cash inflow per year, this scenario will also benefit more from scaling up volume above the 10% market share threshold. 

When comparing the Port Jackson with the polypropylene plug, the Novatein® plug has a higher GWP (0.0166 kg CO₂eq per plug) than the PP plug (0.0126 kg CO₂eq per plug), however, it requires less NRPE (0.302 MJ per plug and 0.430 MJ per plug respectively), and if contracted out, can be sold competitively at a matching market value of $0.15 or $0.16 per plug. The price may be lowered even further to $0.12, and still have a positive NPV. These factors are slightly in favour of producing Novatein plugs, but the Port Jackson’s advantage over PP is the fact that it not only breaks down during rendering, but it is also non-toxic, so simply becomes part of part of meat and bone meal.

year: 2014

title: Fabrication of TiAl target by mechanical alloying and applications in physical vapour deposition coating

authors: Gabbitas, Brian

subjects: mechanical alloying

abstract: The research involves the development of a powder metallurgical route for producing good quality TiAl targets for making physical vapour deposition (PVD) coatings. Mixtures of elemental titanium and aluminium powders were mechanically milled using a novel discus milling technique under various conditions. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) was then employed for consolidation of the mechanically alloyed powders. A cathodic arc vapour deposition process was applied to produce a TiAIN coating. A microstructural examination was conducted on the target material and PVD coatings, using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It has been found that combining mechanical alloying and HIP enable us to produce a fairly good quality of TiAl based target. The PVD coatings obtained from the TiAl target showed very high microhardness values.

text: Fabrication of TiAl target by mechanical alloying and applications in physical vapour deposition coating The research involves the development of a powder metallurgical route for producing good quality TiAl targets for making physical vapour deposition (PVD) coatings. Mixtures of elemental titanium and aluminium powders were mechanically milled using a novel discus milling technique under various conditions. Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) was then employed for consolidation of the mechanically alloyed powders. A cathodic arc vapour deposition process was applied to produce a TiAIN coating. A microstructural examination was conducted on the target material and PVD coatings, using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It has been found that combining mechanical alloying and HIP enable us to produce a fairly good quality of TiAl based target. The PVD coatings obtained from the TiAl target showed very high microhardness values.

year: 2007

title: Waikato shallow lakes modelling

authors: Lehmann, Moritz K.

subjects: Lakes

abstract: The principal aim of this study is to apply a modelling approach to identify, evaluate and prioritise specific in-lake and catchment restoration options which could be applied to improve the water quality and ecological health of peat and riverine lake types across the Waikato Region. Four representative lakes have been selected as case studies for this work based on their social, cultural and ecological significance, as well as the availability of historical monitoring data and the potential transferability of the study findings to similar lake systems. The lakes include Rotomānuka, Ngāroto, Waahi and Waikare.

text: Waikato shallow lakes modelling The principal aim of this study is to apply a modelling approach to identify, evaluate and prioritise specific in-lake and catchment restoration options which could be applied to improve the water quality and ecological health of peat and riverine lake types across the Waikato Region. Four representative lakes have been selected as case studies for this work based on their social, cultural and ecological significance, as well as the availability of historical monitoring data and the potential transferability of the study findings to similar lake systems. The lakes include Rotomānuka, Ngāroto, Waahi and Waikare.

year: 2017