The impact of circular strategies on titanium supply and demand in the aviation industry

IF 10.9 1区环境科学与生态学 Q1 ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL

Resources Conservation and Recycling Pub Date : 2025-07-07 DOI:10.1016/j.resconrec.2025.108476

Tim Hoff , Benjamin Sprecher , Ahmad Ali Pohya , Gerko Wende , David Peck

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Abstract

The supply of critical raw materials, especially titanium, poses a significant challenge for the aviation sector. Increased circularity is often proposed as a solution by industry and policymakers. However, the effects of circular strategies remain insufficiently understood. Therefore, this paper analyses different circular strategies, namely recycling, a pure lifetime extension, and an enhanced lifetime extension that includes an engine aircraft, based on real-world data up to the year 2040. The findings indicate that recycling retired aircraft only marginally affects the required rising inflow of titanium by less than 5%. The engine upgrade strategy shows similar results. In contrast, a pure lifetime extension shows the greatest potential for mitigating supply constraints and can be further enhanced to a potential of more than 10% when combined with recycling. The results highlight the complexity of circular strategies and emphasise a stronger focus on lifetime extension for the aviation sector and other industrial sectors.

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循环战略对航空工业钛供需的影响

关键原材料的供应，特别是钛，对航空部门构成了重大挑战。业界和政策制定者经常提出增加循环性的解决方案。然而，循环战略的影响仍然没有得到充分的了解。因此，本文基于到2040年的真实数据，分析了不同的循环策略，即回收、纯寿命延长和包括发动机飞机在内的增强寿命延长。研究结果表明，回收退役飞机对所需的钛上升流入的影响不超过5%。发动机升级策略也显示了类似的结果。相比之下，单纯延长使用寿命显示出最大的缓解供应限制的潜力，如果结合回收利用，可以进一步提高10%以上的潜力。研究结果突出了循环战略的复杂性，并强调了对航空部门和其他工业部门延长使用寿命的更大关注。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Resources Conservation and Recycling 环境科学-工程：环境

CiteScore

22.90

自引率

6.10%

发文量

625

审稿时长

23 days

期刊介绍： The journal Resources, Conservation & Recycling welcomes contributions from research, which consider sustainable management and conservation of resources. The journal prioritizes understanding the transformation processes crucial for transitioning toward more sustainable production and consumption systems. It highlights technological, economic, institutional, and policy aspects related to specific resource management practices such as conservation, recycling, and resource substitution, as well as broader strategies like improving resource productivity and restructuring production and consumption patterns. Contributions may address regional, national, or international scales and can range from individual resources or technologies to entire sectors or systems. Authors are encouraged to explore scientific and methodological issues alongside practical, environmental, and economic implications. However, manuscripts focusing solely on laboratory experiments without discussing their broader implications will not be considered for publication in the journal.