The Circular Economy: How Nondestructive Testing Extends Life Cycles and Reduces Waste
By Lou Farrell of Revolutionized
Although many aspects of modern society revolve around consumption and disposal, the circular economy prioritizes a different approach. It emphasizes keeping products and resources usable for as long as possible, but people must not aim for that goal at the expense of safety. Sometimes, the most practical action is discarding a product, especially if it is dangerous.
Nondestructive testing can verify an item’s condition before and after it reaches consumers or goes into service, revealing the most effective way to handle it while upholding the circular economy.
What Is Nondestructive Testing?
Nondestructive testing encompasses numerous methods that allow people to determine if a product will perform as necessary or expected and check for flaws before distribution. Visual inspection is the simplest option, but technologies such as X-rays and ultrasonic waves also play important roles in confirming an item’s condition.
Professionals interested in these methods should consider details like an item’s size and value and a company’s anticipated testing volumes before deciding which techniques to pursue. They should also determine whether the most likely defect types will appear at or below a product or material’s surface and select the specific techniques that can reliably detect those problems.
How Does Nondestructive Testing Differ From Its Counterpart?
When evaluating different testing methods, it is important to remember that there is no universally applicable solution for every case. Individual circumstances will always influence which techniques to select. Understanding some of the primary differences between destructive and nondestructive techniques is one of the most helpful starting points for industrial decision-makers and others interested in this topic.
No Alterations Necessary on Tested Products
Nondestructive testing does not require making permanent changes to the examined items. That benefit makes it especially beneficial for large or high-value objects.
In contrast, destructive testing methods prevent companies from selling what they have assessed. The significance of that limitation is that many businesses primarily use destructive testing when assessing prototypes rather than the final versions of marketable merchandise.
Tested Items Remain Usable and in Place
Many technicians can also perform nondestructive tests on structures that must remain in service. That is an essential requirement for infrastructure that undergoes periodic testing as part of ongoing maintenance procedures. In one example, a company used ultrasonic tomography on a concrete chimney stack, deploying climbing robots to gather the data.
This approach has become a valuable option for detecting concrete defects below the surface, enabling it to find flaws that drones miss. Destructive testing was infeasible because the chimneys were on an operational industrial site. Disturbing them would have disrupted regular activities.
Less Waste Created Due to Testing
Preserving a product’s functionality during and after testing minimizes waste generation, unlike destructive techniques. Some professionals may salvage the remnants of what is destroyed during testing, such as by processing them to extract and reuse raw materials. Although such activities can improve overall sustainability, they do not beat techniques that retain an item’s usability by not damaging it during assessments.
Some nondestructive methods require consumables. For example, liquid penetrant tests involve applying a fluorescent dye to a nonporous material to find surface-level defects such as hairline cracks and porosity. Even so, it is typically much more cost-effective and far less wasteful to run those tests than to examine items in ways that make them useless and unsellable.
Discourages Premature Disposal
Nondestructive testing assists technicians in recognizing the early signs of deterioration or verifying the level of wear and tear that occurs after a period of typical use. Professionals can then use that information when creating manufacturer recommendations or clarifying how long an object will likely last and what consumers can do to extend that time frame.
Both angles connect to the circular economy and overall sustainability. When a user has accurate information about a product’s longevity, they are less likely to dispose of it prematurely. Receiving tips about how to maintain their purchases also urges them to remain accountable for upkeep instead of throwing away or replacing products simply because newer alternatives exist.
How Nondestructive Testing Furthers Sustainability
Suggestions that all types of nondestructive testing support sustainability aims are overly broad. However, strategically applied methods undoubtedly achieve that goal when applied to relevant situations.
Equipping Cycling Professionals to Check Carbon Fiber Bikes
A desire to minimize their personal carbon footprint is a driving factor behind many individuals’ use of bicycles as primary or preferred transportation. Numerous material-related advancements have also made cycling an even more enjoyable activity. One example is carbon fiber, which allows bicycle designers to create lighter builds without compromising durability. However, one of the material’s downsides is that it can conceal damage or defects, making them difficult or impossible to spot with visual inspections.
That limitation may lead cyclists to discard their bicycles after severe crashes, even if they are still OK to ride. They may understandably decide that the safest approach is to stop using them and not risk selling them to others in case their wrecks have caused invisible structural issues. It is then more challenging for them to participate in the circular economy, even if they remain conscious of how they use resources in other contexts.
One Australian company addressed that issue by debuting a program that teaches the cycling industry nondestructive inspection methods using ultrasound devices. Participants got comprehensive training in composite material theory, helping them understand why the materials used in their bicycles have become so popular.
This offering targets manufacturers, bicycle maintenance or repair specialists, and people seeking to enter these fields. These people can then use their newly acquired knowledge to give trustworthy guidance about what cyclists should do following crashes or other events that may have compromised structural integrity.
Repurposing Food That Fails Quality Checks
Nondestructive testing has become so widely used in the food industry that many entities offer specialized versions of the consumables required for some techniques. Leaders can then assess their equipment using these options without contaminating the product. Some companies have sophisticated machine-vision cameras that check the internal and external properties of food along assembly lines. These installations enable businesses to maintain high output levels while simultaneously tightening quality control.
Sustainability is a factor because items that do not pass inspection often end up as food waste. That is the safest option and an assumed necessity, but some brands envision viable alternatives. One participates in the circular economy by converting the substandard products into fertilizer. That option keeps the items within the supply chain, albeit in a different format.
This food-recycling approach uses industrial anaerobic digestion to capture the biogas released during natural food degradation. Customers can then combust the gas to generate renewable energy or upgrade it for injection into the gas grid. The company collects and processes over 400,000 metric tons of food waste annually while also using renewable energy in its facilities and consulting with other business leaders who wish to do the same.
Local farmers use the brand’s food-waste-derived fertilizer as an alternative to chemical formulations. This multifaceted example illustrates how forward-thinking and motivated people can tackle daunting problems such as food waste by exploring creative and interconnected solutions. Then, professionals responsible for testing have more reasons to consider nondestructive methods rather than those that render the items unfit for their original or other purposes.
Analyzing Internal Details to Prevent Unnecessary Demolition
Demolition was once the primary approach for handling buildings that had become unusable due to age or damage. Now, a greener approach called deconstruction offers a different way, as it involves categorizing remnants into items people can reuse versus those they must discard. That option salvages many usable materials, placing them in the circular economy, which extends their lifespans and encourages decision-makers to think differently about sourcing materials for building projects.
The rise in nondestructive testing has opened other relevant opportunities. Using portable devices for real-time evaluations supports first responders’ safety by identifying structures at risk of imminent collapse. Such applications also aid civil engineers in developing comprehensive recovery plans, including determining what they could repair versus what they must demolish.
They also promote cultural preservationists’ work, providing them with trustworthy data on which parts of buildings they can safely retain. Keeping as much of the original building as possible is a common goal for people who work at historical sites. It is not always possible to save and maintain structures erected centuries ago, but nondestructive testing shapes these worthy efforts.
The data could inform conversations with city planners and others who wish to tear down buildings, especially if a closer examination shows few or no structural flaws. These sustainable nondestructive testing opportunities urge people to take part in the circular economy with an open mind, recognizing that creating structures from scratch is not necessarily the only or even the best option.
Nondestructive Testing Complements the Circular Economy
Nondestructive testing emerged long before the circular economy concept. However, these fascinating examples show the numerous applications beyond the industrial testing for which it was first known. Circular economy focuses on keeping products usable for as long as possible, but destructive testing methods make that impossible. Keeping items intact upholds sustainability while also often reducing costs and saving time for professionals who use relevant techniques.
Lou Farrell
Lou is the senior editor of environmental science and technology for Revolutionized, with over four years of experience covering topics related to sustainability, eco-friendly practices, green construction, and much more. He greatly enjoys being able to both pursue his passion for writing, and share his knowledge with others.