Process information
| Key Data Set Information | |||
| Location | DE | ||
| Reference year | 2024 | ||
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| Use advice for data set | Scope: This Environmental Product Declaration refers to a declared unit of 1 m unfaced or uncoated, resin-bonded stone wool from ROCKWOOL in the low bulk density range (≤ 60 kg/m). It is produced at the sites in Gladbeck, Neuburg and Flechtingen (Germany) for which the production data for the year 2022 were collected and weighted according to the mass-based production quantity. The declared average considers the total amount of stone wool in the defined bulk density range produced at the three sites. The averaging results in an average bulk density of 38 kg/m for stone wool insulations in the low bulk density range. The environmental impacts of the facings can be found in appendix 1. The life cycle assessment therefore represents 100 % of the stone wool produced by ROCKWOOL. The products represented by this EPD are listed in appendix 2. System boundary: The life cycle assessment of stone wool insulation material includes a cradle-to-gate analysis of the products environmental impacts with the modules C1-C4 and module D (A1-A3 + C + D). Subsequent life cycle phases are part of the analysis: Module A1–A3 | Production stage The production stage includes the upstream burdens of raw material supply (basalt, dolomite, sand, secondary raw materials, binding agents, etc.), and of energy carriers, the respective transports to the ROCKWOOL sites. The system boundary for secondary raw materials used in production is set after the end of waste status has been reached. The system boundary for secondary raw materials is defined according to EN 15804. During production, melting in the melting furnace, fiberization, injection of binder, compacting, curing, cutting and packaging of the stone wool are considered. The manufacturing process is modelled based on the primary data of all sites considered. The production of the facings of stone wool products is declared in a separate appendix to the EPD. Module A4 | Transport to construction site The transport from the plants to the customer is considered as a weighted average based on a representative scenario (350 km truck transport). Module A5 | Assembly For installation in the building, a scenario of 2 % waste is declared according to EURIMA (2019). The losses during installation are highly dependent on the building geometry and the specific application. Thus, the percentage of waste can vary greatly in the building context and must be adjusted at the building level according to the actual conditions. In addition to the losses during installation, module A5 includes the environmental impacts from the processing of the packaging of the products. Module C1 | Deconstruction and demolition For the disassembly of the stone wool products, a manual dismantling was assumed. Referring energy demand is considered to be negligible. Module C2 | Transport to disposal Module C2 includes the transport to waste treatment. In this case, transport by truck over a transport distance of 50 km is assumed. This corresponds to the recommendations according to EURIMA (2019). Module C3 | Waste processing The declared scenario assumes landfilling of the stone wool, therefore no environmental impacts from the waste treatment of the products are declared in C3. Module C4 | Disposal Module C4 refers to the emissions from the disposal of the insulation material. The chosen scenario, therefore, includes the environmental burdens of landfilling of the product. The biogenic carbon in the binder of the products is treated as emissions of biogenic CO2 from the technosphere into the natural environment. Module D | Benefits and loads beyond the system boundary In module D the substitution potential from the energy recovery of the packaging is declared. | ||
| Technical purpose of product or process | Stone wool insulation materials are used in buildings and industrial plants for thermal insulation as well as noise and fire protection. The main application areas of the products declared in this EPD are: - All areas of application according to DIN 4108-10 for wall, ceiling and roof applications with the specified requirements regarding thermal and sound insulation and the mechanical properties - Blowing wool and loose-fill insulation - Technical insulation and building services (e.g. insulation of pipes for ventilation, heating and hot water, district heating pipelines, boilers and equipment) - Fire protection elements and industrial applications (e.g. air-conditioning ducts, fire protection doors, prefabricated components, chimney systems, cable penetration sealing) | ||
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| General comment on data set | Stone wool is a non-combustible insulating material consisting mainly of amorphous fibres obtained from a silicate melt. The stone wool insulation materials described in this declaration are produced in the form of rolls, boards, mats, lamella mats, pipe sections, moulded parts as well as loose-fill insulation and blowing wool in the low bulk density range (up to 60 kg/m). The ready-made products are supplied in thicknesses between 10 mm and 400 mm. For certain applications, the insulation materials are provided with a functional facing or coating on one or both sides. The environmental effects of the facings and coatings are shown in appendix 1 on the basis of 1 m. | ||
| Copyright | Yes | ||
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| Data set valid until | 2029 | ||
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| Technology description including background system | For production, the required quantities of the raw materials are weighed, mixed and fed into a melting furnace. The raw materials are melted in a furnace at temperatures of approx. 1,400-1,500 °C. The manufacture of the fibres depends on the product. Three processes are used: - Rotary process (mainly glass wool): After passing the melting furnace, a thin jet of glass is led into a rapidly rotating metal basket where it is ejected through thousands of small holes in the outer wall of the basket. The resulting filaments are drawn out into fibres using a gas burner and compressed air. - Cascade centrifugal process (stone wool): After passing the cupola furnace, a thin jet of the liquid melt is directed onto rapidly rotating metal wheels. Their rotational movement spins the melt into fibres. - Steam-Blown process (stone wool): After passing the melting furnace, the glass melt flows through many nozzles. The resulting filaments are drawn out into fibres by compressed air or high-pressure steam. To ensure dimensional stability and to reduce dust and make the fibres water-repellent, they are sprayed with an aqueous solution of binder, dust-binding oil, adhesive agent and - depending on the product - silicones. They are then placed on conveyor belts under negative pressure.Facings can then be applied optionally. (The corresponding environmental impacts for thisare specified in the Appendix.) In a curing oven, which runs continuously, the binder is cured at above 200 °C. The structure and density of the product are adapted to the exact application requirements. The mineral wool is cut according to the desired size and shape, for example in the form of rolls, mats or boards. The finished products are packed and prepared for shipping. Cut-offs and other mineral wool residues are returned to the production process. Quality assurance: - RAL-GZ 388 - Factory production control and third-party monitoring in accordance with CE marking according to European regulations - KEYMARK according to Insulation KEYMARK Scheme Rules 2.1; for technical insulation according to VDI 2055 according to KEYMARK Scheme Rules and AGI-Q 132 - EUCEB - Quality management system according to ISO 9001 - For technical insulation, VDI 2055 / AGI-Q 132 (depending on the product) Declared unit: This EPD refers to a declared unit of 1 m unfaced stone wool insulation material with a declared bulk density of 38 kg/m (low bulk density range < 60 kg/m). | ||
Modelling and validation
| Subtype | average dataset | ||||
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| Compliance |
Compliance system name
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Approval of overall compliance
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Nomenclature compliance
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Methodological compliance
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Review compliance
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Documentation compliance
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Quality compliance
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Administrative information
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| Time stamp (last saved) | 2024-08-30T00:00:00 |
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| Publication and ownership | |
| UUID | 15fb59fb-085b-4d66-9240-d098e4724112 |
| Data set version | 00.12.000 |
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| Registration number | EPD-DRW-20240315-IBC4-DE |
| Owner of data set | |
| Copyright | Yes |
| License type | Free of charge for all users and uses |
| Access and use restrictions | None |
Environmental indicators
Indicators of life cycle