Toward a Sustainable Impeller Production: Environmental Impact Comparison of Different Impeller Manufacturing Methods

Impellers are the core components of turbomachinery in petrochemical and aeronautical engineering. In addition to conventional manufacturing (CM), additive manufacturing (AM) and remanufacturing (RM) can also be used in impeller production. This article presents a life cycle assessment method comparing the environmental impacts of different impeller manufacturing methods, including plunge milling (CM), laser cladding forming (AM combined with CM), and additive remanufacturing (RM). Results show that RM is the most environmentally favorable option, followed by AM and CM, in terms of global warming potential (GWP), Chinese resource depletion potential (CADP), water eutrophication potential (EP), and acidification potential. However, AM is not always more environmentally friendly than CM. The comparison of impeller production by CM and pure AM, in this case, indicates that the environmental burden of production using pure AM is approximately twice than that of CM. Compared with CM, the RM of impellers would reduce GWP, CADP, and EP by 64.7%, 66.1%, and 75.4%, respectively. The results of this study contribute to a scientific basis for the selection of manufacturing methods and the sustainable manufacturing of impeller production enterprises.