TPO SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT YOUR ROOFING AND WATERPROOFING PARTNER

FOREWORD In the past industrial design was principally market driven. Today, we also consider the mode of manufacture, from first concept to end product, that product’s use and even the issuses of waste and recycling. This new way of thinking about industrial projects respects the environmental and ecological sensitivity that is now evident throughout the world. THE PRODUCTION OF TPO Synthetic rubbers were developed as early as 1839, but production on an industrial scale began in the USA in 1942. In 1954, G. Natta, using a Ziegler catalyst, produced high molecular-weight polymers from propylene...

TPO PROCESSING The new generation of TPO membranes is manufactured by processing polymers and additives in granule or powder form. This method reduces the risk of accident to a minimum during granulation, stocking and movement during production. The risk of environmental impact is thus minimised. Powder and gas emission are much lower than the maximum average concentration (MAC) acceptable in working environments. Water for plant cooling is re-circulated in a closed-circuit avoiding any environmental pollution. Such a very low level of noxious substances is emitted from the manufacturing site...

4 TPO enviroment THE DISPOSAL OF TPO As with other plastic products waste is disposed by : 1. Monitored landfills 2. Incineration 3. Recycling Let’s examine TPO behaviour using the three systems: 1. Monitored landfills Disposal in landfills, in compliance with local laws, avoids ecological problems because the raw materials and additives used are inert and perfectly stable. Micro-organisms in the ground do not attack polymers. But this is not the most ecological way to process TPO membrane at the end of its life because the remaining energy in the sheet is not recycled. FLAGON TPO liners

5 TPO enviroment 2. Incineration In compliance with local laws, combustion of TPO membranes in a modern incinerator doesn’t cause any environmental problems. During the pyrolysis process, non-polluting gases are produced in the atmosphere. The inorganic part undergoes an oxidising process that, after proper neutralisation, can be stocked in a waste dump without damage to the environment. The polymeric material is a source of useful energy when incinerated. The neutral nature of the combustion fumes and the solid waste resulting from pyrolysis means the process is absolutely safe, in terms of...

6 TPO enviroment 3. Recycling TPO membranes, like other kinds of synthetic sheets, can be recycled at the end of their life. Mechanical recycling has no environmental impact. While the manufacturing process itself creates some unavoidable waste, this can be recycled and used to replace new raw materials, thereby helping to save energy. At the end of their life, TPO membranes can easily be recycled thus justifying any costs incurred for collection, treatment and energy expenditure. In terms of pollution, recycling is comparable to the original manufacturing process. On this point Flag has already...

CONCLUSIONS The choice and evaluation of materials or manufacturing processes must be based on comparable tests and technologies. Each aspect must be examined in terms of general environmental impact. TPO has been studied and tested for decades to ensure that, today, it can be used in total safety. Both during production, and when installed in location, elasto-olefin polymers are considered harmless to human health and the environment. The conclusion about the environmental impact of TPO membranes is, therefore, positive. 7 TPO enviroment

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