Carbon Footprint Analysis with KP Aviation
Faculty Mentor Name
Teresa Eaton
Format Preference
Poster
Abstract
The rapid growth of the aviation industry has intensified the need to reduce its environmental footprint and reliance on vulnerable global supply chains for critical metals. Electronic waste (e-waste), including end-of-life avionics, represents a growing and underutilized secondary source of precious and strategically important elements such as gold (Au), platinum-group metals (e.g., Pt), and rare earth elements (REEs), many of which are subject to geopolitical constraints on mining, processing, and importation. In this study, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and KP Aviation evaluate the potential value of scrapped avionics by quantifying their elemental composition. Avionics components supplied by KP Aviation are manually deconstructed to isolate printed circuit assemblies (PCAs), which are digested using acid solutions. The resulting digests are neutralized and prepared as droplet deposits for total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis. TXRF enables multi-element detection with sensitivities in the parts-per-million to parts-per-billion range, allowing quantification of trace precious and strategically relevant metals. Measured elemental concentrations are used to estimate the intrinsic economic value (IEV) of each component. By contextualizing IEV within e-waste management and supply-chain resilience, this work assesses whether certain avionics components may warrant recovery or repurposing rather than disposal. The results demonstrate the role of high-sensitivity elemental analysis in supporting circular economy strategies and enhancing material security within the aviation aftermarket sector.
Carbon Footprint Analysis with KP Aviation
The rapid growth of the aviation industry has intensified the need to reduce its environmental footprint and reliance on vulnerable global supply chains for critical metals. Electronic waste (e-waste), including end-of-life avionics, represents a growing and underutilized secondary source of precious and strategically important elements such as gold (Au), platinum-group metals (e.g., Pt), and rare earth elements (REEs), many of which are subject to geopolitical constraints on mining, processing, and importation. In this study, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and KP Aviation evaluate the potential value of scrapped avionics by quantifying their elemental composition. Avionics components supplied by KP Aviation are manually deconstructed to isolate printed circuit assemblies (PCAs), which are digested using acid solutions. The resulting digests are neutralized and prepared as droplet deposits for total reflection X-ray fluorescence (TXRF) analysis. TXRF enables multi-element detection with sensitivities in the parts-per-million to parts-per-billion range, allowing quantification of trace precious and strategically relevant metals. Measured elemental concentrations are used to estimate the intrinsic economic value (IEV) of each component. By contextualizing IEV within e-waste management and supply-chain resilience, this work assesses whether certain avionics components may warrant recovery or repurposing rather than disposal. The results demonstrate the role of high-sensitivity elemental analysis in supporting circular economy strategies and enhancing material security within the aviation aftermarket sector.