The evaporators of sugar plants in Brazil have used carbon steel intensively because of it is, a low priced material, which possesses inferior corrosion resistance. The materials more indicated for the substitution of carbon steel are stainless steels, however, they are considered expensive. The environmental and financial performances of evaporator pipes constructed with carbon steel and with types AISI 304, 444 and 439 stainless steel were evaluated. For the environmental evaluation, the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was used and it, revealed that stainless steel is more environmentally efficient than carbon steel. The life cycle costing (LCC) technique was the tool chosen for the financial evaluation and it showed that stainless steel is a better investment option compared to carbon steel. The results also indicate that LCA and LCC methodologies must be used together. Therefore, it can be seen that safer environmental products can come to be the most profitable investment options.
Life Cycle Assessment - LCA; Life Cycle Costing - LCC; pipes; evaporators; sugar plant; carbon steel; stainless steel; materials selection; sustainability
