Comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) in the Aerospace Industry Regarding Aviation Seat Frame Options

The aerospace industry is actively seeking sustainable solutions within the aviation sector to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions driven by increasing population demands. This study presents the first environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) of economy-class seating frames, comparing conventional alloy steel with lightweight alternative materials, including magnesium alloy, aluminum alloy, and titanium. Seat frames account for an aircraft’s total weight, making them a critical component for innovation toward more sustainable solutions. Using SolidWorks V3.1, economy-class seat frames were designed and evaluated through a cradle-to-grave assessment of a functional unit (FU) representing the interior of a single aircraft. The analysis was conducted using SimaPro V8.4.0 with the Ecoinvent V3.10 database. The total GHG emissions associated with seat frames composed of alloy steel, titanium, aluminum alloy, and magnesium alloy were 208 kt CO2 equivalent (eq.), 120 kt CO2 eq, 71.1 kt CO2 eq, and 44.9 kt CO2 eq per FU, respectively. This study identifies alloy steel and titanium to be the most sustainable seat frame materials relative to other considered materials for commercial aircrafts.