More and more automakers are adding EVs to their fleet. (Source: Engineering and Technology)

While all this sounds promising for the environment, EVs don’t automatically translate into lower GHG emissions. According to World Auto Steel (WAS), the emissions from vehicle production will be greater than the amount of emissions from driving. As such, it is becoming increasingly important for manufacturers, policymakers and consumers alike to view material options by considering its life cycle assessment (LCA).

World Auto Steel Case Study

WAS conducted a case study in which they compared two popular lightweight materials for EVS; aluminum and Advanced High-Strength Steel (AHSS). The study followed the University of California Santa Barbara Automotive Energy & GHG Model (UCSB Model) for a comprehensive analysis of each material’s total energy use throughout its entire life cycle, from production to end of life recycling. For the study, WAS examined 1,000,000 BEVs of equal range that were made up of either entirely aluminum or AHSS.

BEVs made of AHSS require over 15 percent less energy than aluminum cars. (Source: World Auto Steel)

The study found that automakers can make over 17 percent more BEVs made of AHSS than aluminum BEVs with the same amount of energy. In other words, with the energy it takes to make 1 million aluminum BEVs, automakers can make 1.17 million AHSS BEVs.

Why is AHSS More Energy Efficient?

Aluminum production requires 8 times more energy per kilogram than steel production because the production process of aluminum is much more complicated and involves more steps than steel production. The aluminum BEVs in the study used up 30 percent more energy than those made from AHSS throughout its entire life cycle. Plus steel is 100 percent recyclable and can be reused almost indefinitely.

There are many sources of emissions output involved in the entire life cycle of a vehicle. (Source: World Auto Steel)

This poses a serious need to reexamine existing policies and regulations that only seek to reduce tailpipe emissions. By also taking into account emissions from the production of materials all the way to how a car is disposed at the end of its life cycle, automakers can grasp a better picture of the real impact of their choices on the environment.

A Sustainable Choice

As a solution-providing partner for automakers, steelmaker POSCO designed the perfect AHSS for cars that is lightweight, extremely strong, highly formable and environmentally friendly. POSCO GIGA STEEL belongs to the highest category for tensile strength of greater than 1GPa (Gigapascal). It can withstand more than 100 kg of force per square millimeter, making it 3 times stronger than aluminum. It is also 3.5 times cheaper than aluminum and 2.1 times cheaper to manufacture.

SEE ALSO: Infographic: Driving the Future with POSCO GIGA STEEL

POSCO GIGA STEEL is three times stronger than aluminum.

In 2016, POSCO sold 9 million tons of steel sheets for cars, making up 10 percent of the entire global automotive market for steel sheets. POSCO GIGA STEEL was designed to further improve the performance and efficiency of POSCO’s auto partners around the world. As the auto industry heads towards a future where environmentally-friendly EVs become the norm, POSCO will strive to equip its auto partners with the materials and tools necessary to stay ahead and competitive.

What are Asphalt Roads Made of?

Asphalt roads are made of a mixture of aggregates, binders and fillers. The aggregates are typically iron and/or steel slag, sand, gravel or crushed rock, and they are bound together with asphalt itself, which is a bitumen.

Asphalt comes from natural deposits, or more commonly, as a by-product of the petroleum industry. It is a prevalent material for waterproofing, caulking and preserving, and is now most frequently used for road surfaces.

The iron and steel slag used as aggregates for asphalt roads are iron and steel by-products. Steel slag is residue from the steelmaking process, made of minerals like silica, alumina and titanium from iron sand, and combinations of calcium and magnesium oxides. During the steelmaking process, slags float on top of the molten iron, forming a barrier against oxygen and maintaining the internal temperature.

In road construction, these are the preferred aggregates as they harden well, enabling a thinner layer of pavement than what can be achieved with crushed stone aggregates. Slag is also very hardy, resistant to both weather and wear.

Steel slag is a sustainable aggregate for asphalt road production. (Source: National Slag Association)

According to the Washington State Department of Transportation’s Use of Steel Slag Aggregate in Pavements report in 2015, a high iron oxide content in steel slag aggregates creates pavement that is both hard and dense, making it a superior choice over natural aggregates such as rocks in creating hot mix asphalt.

Also, when used in bituminous pavements, slag offers the advantages of high skid-resistance, stability, resistance to rutting, fatigue resistance, deformation resistance, high cohesive strength and compatibility with typical asphalt binders. Steel slag is also used as a base course material, the material under the surface layer of an asphalt road, track or surface.

The Environmental Benefits of Steel and Steel Slag

Base course material containing iron and steel slag as well as asphalt mixture containing iron and steel slag were designated as a procurement item under the Green Procurement Law. These materials are recognized as items with environmental benefits. The use of slag minimizes environmental impact as it saves energy and conserves resources.

Steelmakers need to actively find ways to reuse steel by-products to reduce their overall waste. For example, POSCO is dedicated to reusing by-products of steel making as it has a strong commitment to environmentally friendly practices. In 2016, POSCO recycled 98.4 percent of its steelworks-generated by-products, 77 percent of which was blast furnace slag and steelmaking slag.

In fact, 88 percent of POSCO’s blast furnace slag is turned into granulated blast furnace slag for cement material. POSCO carefully tests all of its steel slag products before clearing them for reuse, ensuring that every market item is suitable for its intended application.

Hot slag, or steel waste, is poured into piles to cool before being used for asphalt road construction.(Source: Fractum)

While POSCO works to improve its recycling capabilities, manufacturing and other industries are starting to see the benefits of steel and iron slag. These materials are being used everywhere, from rail ballast to artificial ocean reefs.

Steel slag is far from industrial waste, as POSCO’s efforts show. This steelmaking by-product has serious potential, now and in the future, and is a highly versatile, easily-used material for road making and other applications.

Demand for sustainable materials is on the rise in flourishing industries such as construction and manufacturing. Steelmakers like POSCO who put by-products to full use and invest in research to apply them to different industries will share the economic benefits and play a vital role towards greener business practices in the coming future.