Metal,as the indispensable material,is functioning the society from technology to the environment.Niobium(Nb)is considered a unique earth metal as it is related to many emerging technologies.The increasing economic gr...Metal,as the indispensable material,is functioning the society from technology to the environment.Niobium(Nb)is considered a unique earth metal as it is related to many emerging technologies.The increasing economic growth exerts an increasing pressure on supply,which leads to its significance in the economic sector.However,few papers have addressed Nb sustainability,which forms the scope of this paper in order to start the process of Nb market forecasting based on some previous data and some assumptions.Therefore,this paper will discuss different thoughts in material substitution and the substance flow of Nb throughout a static flow using Nb global data to have a better understanding of the process of Nb from production to end of life.This shall lead to the identification of the market needs to determine its growth which is around 2.5% to 3.0%.Moreover,due to China’s huge Nb consumption which comes from the continuous development that is happening over the years,it will also briefly mention the Nb situation as well as its growth which according to statistics will grow steadily till 2030 by a rate of 4.0% to 6.0%.The results show that there should be some enhancement to Nb recycling potentials out of steel scrap.In addition,there should be more involvement of Nb in different industries as this would lead to less-used materials which can be translated to less environmental impact.展开更多
The strategy of carbon neutrality is reshaping the global landscape of resource flow and recycling.As the final sink of geological minerals,the proliferated anthropogenic minerals,also called secondary resources,play ...The strategy of carbon neutrality is reshaping the global landscape of resource flow and recycling.As the final sink of geological minerals,the proliferated anthropogenic minerals,also called secondary resources,play an increasingly important role in resource supply enrichment.Niobium is a critical metal that lacks full concern for its sustainability.The fundamental principle of niobium circularity is to recycle and maintain the material as close to the manufacturing process as possible.Here we estimate the niobium-containing applications lost at their end-of-life,underscoring the imperative to minimize such disposal.Additionally,we elucidate the extraction processes for scrap and alloy quantities throughout the industry's lifecycle.Drawing from anticipated waste generated by the majority of niobium applications,a forecast indicates a potential loss of approximately 168 kt by 2090 in the absence of recycling.Contrastingly,with a recycling efficiency of 90%for niobium,the projected loss diminishes to approximately 16 kt.We delve into the significance of niobium's circular economy and explore various aspects that demand further investigation for a seamless transition from linear to circular practices.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.92062111)the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2019YFC1903711).
文摘Metal,as the indispensable material,is functioning the society from technology to the environment.Niobium(Nb)is considered a unique earth metal as it is related to many emerging technologies.The increasing economic growth exerts an increasing pressure on supply,which leads to its significance in the economic sector.However,few papers have addressed Nb sustainability,which forms the scope of this paper in order to start the process of Nb market forecasting based on some previous data and some assumptions.Therefore,this paper will discuss different thoughts in material substitution and the substance flow of Nb throughout a static flow using Nb global data to have a better understanding of the process of Nb from production to end of life.This shall lead to the identification of the market needs to determine its growth which is around 2.5% to 3.0%.Moreover,due to China’s huge Nb consumption which comes from the continuous development that is happening over the years,it will also briefly mention the Nb situation as well as its growth which according to statistics will grow steadily till 2030 by a rate of 4.0% to 6.0%.The results show that there should be some enhancement to Nb recycling potentials out of steel scrap.In addition,there should be more involvement of Nb in different industries as this would lead to less-used materials which can be translated to less environmental impact.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.92062111&72394402)。
文摘The strategy of carbon neutrality is reshaping the global landscape of resource flow and recycling.As the final sink of geological minerals,the proliferated anthropogenic minerals,also called secondary resources,play an increasingly important role in resource supply enrichment.Niobium is a critical metal that lacks full concern for its sustainability.The fundamental principle of niobium circularity is to recycle and maintain the material as close to the manufacturing process as possible.Here we estimate the niobium-containing applications lost at their end-of-life,underscoring the imperative to minimize such disposal.Additionally,we elucidate the extraction processes for scrap and alloy quantities throughout the industry's lifecycle.Drawing from anticipated waste generated by the majority of niobium applications,a forecast indicates a potential loss of approximately 168 kt by 2090 in the absence of recycling.Contrastingly,with a recycling efficiency of 90%for niobium,the projected loss diminishes to approximately 16 kt.We delve into the significance of niobium's circular economy and explore various aspects that demand further investigation for a seamless transition from linear to circular practices.
