Article
Engineering, Environmental
Qiance Liu, Kun Sun, Xin Ouyang, Burak Sen, Tao Dai, Litao Liu, Gang Liu
Summary: Neodymium, an essential type of rare earth element, has attracted increasing attention due to its significant role in emerging technologies and its imbalanced demand and supply globally. This study analyzed the global and regional neodymium cycles from 1990 to 2020 and revealed complex trade patterns and the dominant but weakening role of China in the global neodymium trade. The study highlighted the importance of recycling to secure neodymium supply and the need for coordinated efforts among different regions for a sustainable future.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sander S. van Nielen, Benjamin Sprecher, Teun J. Verhagen, Rene Kleijn
Summary: The world is experiencing an increasing demand for neodymium, leading to the need for a recycling system to handle future waste flows. This study assessed the neodymium waste in European countries and the recyclability of major end-of-life products. The waste flow for 2019 was found to be 7.7 kt Nd, mainly consisting of NdFeB magnets. HDDs currently contribute to a significant waste flow, while electric vehicle motors and wind turbines are expected to provide a source of recyclable neodymium in the future. To manage changing waste flows, a neodymium recycling system should be developed considering the product properties of future waste flows, and the recyclability of products can be improved by addressing bottlenecks in the recycling chain.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Review
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Mina Shirzadi-Ahodashti, Sobhan Mortazavi-Derazkola, Mohammad Ali Ebrahimzadeh
Summary: Nanostructures composed of rare earth oxides, such as Ho2O3 and Nd2O3, have desirable characteristics, with neodymium oxides known for their distinctive electrical and optical properties. The synthesis of Ho2O3 and Nd2O3 nanostructures through different techniques is comprehensively described and examined in this review.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY-JMR&T
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jing-Jing Liang, Yong Geng, Xian-Lai Zeng, Zi-Yan Gao, Xu Tian
Summary: This study investigates China's tungsten flow patterns through a hybrid dynamic substance flow analysis. The results reveal that China is the largest tungsten supplier and consumer globally, but unstable production capacity leads to tungsten surplus and loss. Additionally, domestic industry upgrade and economic development impact the tungsten trade structure, while only a small percentage of end-of-life products are recycled.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Shinichirou Morimoto, Hiroshi Kuroki, Hirokazu Narita, Aya Ishigaki
Summary: This study evaluated the demand and waste of neodymium until 2050 through scenario assessment and material recycling forecasting. The results showed a continuous growth in waste, but circular economy rebound effect may cause additional production growth.
JOURNAL OF MATERIAL CYCLES AND WASTE MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiuheng Wang, Jingyu Miao, Shijie You, Nanqi Ren
Summary: This study introduces mass joint entropy (MJE) and statistical entropy analysis (SEA) to evaluate the management and utilization of phosphorus resources, demonstrating this entropy-based quantitative evaluation method through a case study.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2021)
Article
Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
Ke Wang, Qin-meng Wang, Yuan-lin Chen, Zhong-chen LI, Xue-yi Guo
Summary: Substance flow analysis was used to study an antimony pyrometallurgical system. Antimony and arsenic were taken as the objective elements, and mass balance and substance flow charts were established based on the production system. Evaluating indicators such as direct recovery rate, waste recovery rate, and resource efficiency were set up. The results showed that the resource efficiency of antimony was 89.21%, and the recovery rates of antimony in volatilization smelting, reduction smelting, and refining were 78.79%, 91.00%, and 96.06% respectively. Moreover, 11.94 kg of arsenic is carried into the smelting system for every 1 ton of antimony produced, indicating its presence as a major impurity element. Recommendations for improving the resource efficiency of antimony and cleaner production were proposed based on the substance flow analysis.
TRANSACTIONS OF NONFERROUS METALS SOCIETY OF CHINA
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Chuke Chen, Nan Li, Jianchuan Qi, Jianlimin Wei, Wei-Qiang Chen
Summary: Dysprosium (Dy) is increasingly being adopted in clean energy products, arousing interest in its availability. However, limited data on Dy supplies and demands across products and countries hinders a comprehensive understanding. To address this, a material flow analysis was conducted for the United States (1987-2018), revealing a significant import dependency due to a large imbalance between domestic supplies and market demands. Import reliance was highest for alloys and lowest for concentrates and chemicals. This import dependency may be attributed to supply chain fragmentation and stricter environmental regulations.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yating Yuan, James Gaugler, Juntian Fan, Bishnu Prasad Thapaliya, Huimin Luo, Abderrahman Atifi, Luis A. Diaz, Sheng Dai
Summary: The electrochemical deposition of rare earth metals at room temperature has gained increasing attention for its energy efficiency advantage over traditional processes. However, the formation of a passivating fluoride layer during electrolyte decomposition is often overlooked, leading to the rapid decay of deposition current and hindering practical application. To address this issue, a fluorine-free electrolyte utilizing borohydride anion was demonstrated, enabling efficient electrodeposition of rare earth metals without passivation effect. Synergetic effects between rare earth borohydride and lithium borohydride were observed, promoting dissociation and improving ionic conductivity and electrochemical performance.
ACS SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY & ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alvaro Mayor, Emma Beltran, J. L. Cortina, C. Valderrama
Summary: Nitrogen is an essential macronutrient for improving agricultural yields, but its excessive use in fertilisation and presence in wastewater and sludge lead to emissions and eutrophication. The Haber-Bosch process is the main method for nitrogen production, but it is energy-intensive and relies heavily on imports. Sustainable alternatives and efficient management schemes are necessary to address these issues.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Brian A. Haley, Yingzhe Wu, Jesse M. Muratli, Chandranath Basak, Leopoldo D. Pena, Steven L. Goldstein
Summary: Data on dissolved rare earth elements and neodymium isotopes in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific were compared with other data to evaluate current geochemical theories, revealing inconsistencies and suggesting non-conservative components may be at play in the water column.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jingxuan Geng, Han Hao, Xin Sun, Dengye Xun, Zongwei Liu, Fuquan Zhao
Summary: This study focuses on conducting a static material flow analysis of neodymium in China to quantitatively analyze the industrial chain structure of neodymium and to calculate the neodymium output from illegal mining. The results show that a considerable amount of primary neodymium resources in China come from illegal mining, emphasizing the importance of recycling neodymium from end-of-life products to reduce illegal mining and meet the increasing demand for neodymium.
JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Giani de Vargas Briao, Meuris Gurgel da Silva, Melissa Gurgel Adeodato Vieira
Summary: Rare earth metals (REM) are critical resources that have attracted attention from governments, economy experts, and scientists worldwide due to supply concerns. Neodymium and dysprosium metals are vital for clean energy technologies, and adsorption shows potential for the recovery of REM from spent magnets.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Carolina M. G. B. Pires, Alexandra P. Ribeiro, Eduardo A. Mateus, Haroldo Ponte, Maria Jose J. S. Ponte
Summary: Rare earth elements are important for green energy technologies, but are considered critical raw materials. Electric field assisted mining using biodegradable electrolytes, such as organic acids, shows potential as an eco-friendly alternative for metal extraction. The selectivity of different electrolytes varies, with organic acids achieving better results compared to deep eutectic solvents.
SUSTAINABLE CHEMISTRY AND PHARMACY
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
S. F. Lu, L. Ma, J. Wang, Y. S. Du, L. Li, J. T. Zhao, G. H. Rao
Summary: Rare earth high-entropy alloys show promising magnetocaloric properties, with the addition of non-magnetic elements decreasing the isothermal magnetic entropy change and refrigerant capacity. Meanwhile, the addition of magnetic elements increases configuration entropy and magnetism, but still negatively impacts the magnetic entropy change values.
JOURNAL OF ALLOYS AND COMPOUNDS
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yui Kawasaki, Sayaka Nagao-Sato, Misa Shimpo, Kahori Fujisaki, Emi Yoshii, Rie Akamatsu, Petra Warschburger
Summary: This study qualitatively describes sustainable dietary behaviors (SDBs) that Japanese and German adults can implement in their lives, and quantitatively compares the similarities and differences in understanding SDBs between the two samples. The study found that Japanese participants were more focused on food waste prevention, while German participants were more focused on solving environmental problems.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kechun Chen, Yuan Ding, Liming Yang, Zhihao Wang, Haoxuan Yu, Difan Fang, Yufa Feng, Liying Hu, Chenxi Xu, Penghui Shao, Xubiao Luo, Liang Chen
Summary: This study proposes a targeted repair scheme for the recovery of graphite anodes from spent LIBs by systematically characterizing and analyzing the structure and composition of spent graphite (SG). The results show that the repair scheme achieves effective SG repair and the repaired graphite anode displays excellent lithium storage performance.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Takao Ueda, Shigeki Koyanaka, Tatsuya Oki
Summary: Fires caused by accidental crushing of batteries are a serious issue in the e-waste recycling process. A new in-line sorting system that uses X-ray scanning and deep learning has been developed to accurately detect batteries. Through a validation study, the system achieved higher accuracy compared to other existing programs.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hannes Geist, Frank Balle
Summary: Research on circular economy often lacks empirical data, especially in the theory of circular process design and design for remanufacturing. This study systematically collected and analyzed engineering data on seven remanufacturing processes in the European automotive remanufacturing industry for the first time, providing empirical support for circular engineering challenges, potentials, and solutions.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Xiaojing Li, Fan Lue, Nanlin Liao, Hua Zhang, Na Yang, Pinjing He
Summary: This study assesses and predicts the greenhouse gas emissions on the timeline as waste treatment technologies develop in Shanghai from 1991 to 2025 using the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology. The findings demonstrate that GHG emission has reached net-zero in 2019 owing to the application of alternative technologies and waste segregation.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Bingchun Liu, Haoyang Wang, Xiaoqin Liang, Yibo Wang, Zijie Feng
Summary: The expansion of the photovoltaic market has resulted in a significant increase in PV waste. Therefore, conducting scientific research to determine the importance of the circular economy for sustainable growth in the PV industry is essential. The study demonstrates that accurate prediction of PV installed capacity and quantifying the importance of recycling in balancing the supply and demand of raw materials can be achieved through a multi-factor installed capacity prediction model and recovery potential prediction.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Chuanzhen Zhang, Baojing Gu, Xia Liang, Shu Kee Lam, Yi Zhou, Deli Chen
Summary: Reactive nitrogen is crucial for agriculture and human nutrition, but mismanagement can have detrimental effects on human health and ecosystem services, hindering the achievement of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards nitrogen-related targets varies across countries, highlighting the need for integrated management to achieve overall synergies.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Alessandro Gatto, Marijke Kuiper, Corina van Middelaar, Hans van Meijl
Summary: This study examines the economic and environmental effects of transitioning towards more circular food systems in the European Union (EU27) by feeding animals with low-opportunity-cost feed and better utilizing local feed resources. The results show that providing subsidies for circularity and promoting the use of low-cost feed can increase animal production, but also have negative impacts on land use and emissions. On the other hand, promoting domestic feed sourcing through import tariffs can decrease animal production and greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. However, complementary policies are needed to mitigate drawbacks and enhance benefits of a more circular agri-food system.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Jinbo Zhang, Liu Chen, Yulei Xie, Pingjian Yang, Zheng Li, Huaicheng Guo, Yang Zhang, Lirong Liu
Summary: This study examines the impact of carbon taxes on low-carbon development and climate change mitigation. By constructing a cross-system bi-layer model, the study finds that reasonable carbon taxes can promote the stability of the energy network, reduce carbon emissions and air pollutants, and optimize production efficiency and the structure of the energy system. This study contributes to a better understanding of the effects and implementation pathways of carbon taxes.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Konstantin Born, Mehmet Metehan Ciftci
Summary: Increasing recycling of metals is important for reducing reliance on mining, but it cannot fully meet future metal demand. Primary production of metals is expected to continue rising, highlighting the need for alternative circular economy strategies such as demand reduction and mitigating harmful impacts of primary metal production.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yinqiu Ma, Lin Huang, Jiahui Li, Wei Cao, Yumei Cai
Summary: Afforestation and reforestation, such as China's Grain for Green Program, have shown to effectively mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to carbon sink capacity. This study highlights the significant carbon potential of the program and its potential application in other countries to reduce CO2 in the atmosphere.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Arlind Dervishaj, Kjartan Gudmundsson
Summary: This paper reviews digital tools for supporting the Circular Economy (CE) in the built environment and provides suggestions. The study identifies limitations in the functionalities of current tools, including a lack of representative data for LCA and underdeveloped circularity indicators. Further development is needed in terms of interoperability aspects, integration of more sources of data for LCA and circularity, and possibilities for a comprehensive evaluation of design choices.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Mohamadreza Y. Azarfam, Anuj Maheshwari, Frank D. Blum, Siddhesh Chaudhari, Clinton Switzer, Ranji Vaidyanathan, Jay C. Hanan, Sudheer Bandla
Summary: This study introduces a feasible method for manufacturing recycled composites using post-consumer carpets and recycled resin. The resulting composites have impressive strength and modulus, surpassing commercial thermoplastics and making them suitable for structural applications. This research presents a promising approach to address carpet landfilling and reduce reliance on additives.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Pujiang Shi, Tianle Huang, Hong Kit Lim, Chiew Kei Tan, Jong-Min Lee, Chor Yong Tay
Summary: This study developed a highly porous bioadaptive 3D sponge-like construct from plastic materials in discarded keyboards for advanced in vitro applications. The findings demonstrate the potential of using discarded keyboards as a waste-to-resource feedstock to achieve waste reduction and maximize value-capture.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Kuo-Jui Wu, Hailing Qiu, Caiyan Huang, Anthony S. F. Chiu, Ming-Lang Tseng
Summary: Government resource allocation practices for achieving carbon neutrality should be guided by dynamic system theory to identify potential dynamics. Carbon intensity control dynamics have a significant influence on other dynamics.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2024)