{"title":"Mapping complexity: Analyzing rare earth production life cycle inventories with network analysis","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107894","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107894","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Understanding the significance of process clusters in life cycle inventory networks is crucial for optimizing supply chains, especially for critical elements like rare earth elements (REEs) production. This study employs network analysis (NA) to examine life cycle networks using facility-level energy/material data, extracting information from LCA networks. Based on Chinese facility reports, the investigation evaluates the environmental footprint of various rare earth production pathways, vital to the clean energy sector. It also considers rare earth permanent magnet manufacturing and magnet recycling. Using network metrics, including indegree/outdegree strength, closeness centrality, and betweenness centrality, the study assesses the resilience and sustainability of REEs production networks. Results highlight vulnerable nodes like \"Neodymium Oxide\" and \"Nd Metal,\" aiding in identifying environmentally impactful materials and energy flows to develop more sustainable processes for meeting growing demand while enhancing environmental performance.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142098743","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Innovating the recycling of silicon-based solar panels with an eco-friendly alkaline leaching process","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>As the accumulation of waste from solar panels and solar scraps rapidly increases, recycling these materials has become increasingly critical. Unfortunately, the complexity of disassembling solar panels often renders the recycling process unprofitable due to the low value of the recovered products, resulting in high service fees. Although numerous studies have sought to simplify the disassembly process and enhance the purity of the recovered products, these solutions often involve costly, toxic, and complex methods. In response, we introduce an innovative green recycling technique using a straightforward alkaline leaching process. This method allows for efficient recycling and refining of solar cells, yielding high-purity SiO<sub>2</sub> (99.994 %) at a recycling rate of 92.74 % and generating green hydrogen. A preliminary cost analysis indicates that this process holds substantial commercial potential and high profitability. The proposed technique offers a new pathway towards making renewable energy sources more sustainable and economically feasible.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142099057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Application of solvent-based dissolution for the recycling of polyvinylchloride flooring waste containing restricted phthalate plasticizers","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107889","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107889","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The applicability of a new recycling method for extracting contaminants from polymers, dissolution-based recycling, was tested on a polyvinylchloride equipped with diethylhexyl phthalate, benzylbutyl phthalate, di-isobutyl phthalate, di-n‑butyl phthalate, originating from post-consumer flooring waste. Due to European restrictions on these ortho-phthalate diester-based plasticizers, the mechanical recycling of plasticized polyvinylchloride is no longer feasible. In this study, we have shown that dissolution and consecutive purification of the polymer eliminate 99.9 % of diethylhexyl phthalate's initial concentration at the laboratory scale. The impact of different process parameters, e.g., temperature, agitation, and extraction kinetics, have been tested. The findings were transferred to a technical scale of 5 kg/d, using a multi-step extraction in counter-flow mode. An elimination of 99.4 % of diethylhexyl phthalate initial concentration has been achieved, which fulfills legal requirements. These promising results showed the technical feasibility and served as a preliminary stage for further up-scaling to technical readiness level 6.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344924004828/pdfft?md5=8cc930e3a845a2dc2a4519d2e78afdac&pid=1-s2.0-S0921344924004828-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142098744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Life cycle assessment of Al-Cu-Ag-Si recycling process from photovoltaic waste","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107885","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107885","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>As raw materials become increasingly scarce, it is important to efficiently recycle PV panels to recover the highest quantity and quality of secondary raw materials. This study evaluates the environmental impact and the related benefits of an innovative process for c-Si PV panels recycling, which permits to recover most of the raw materials contained in them. Life Cycle Assessment analysis was carried out with “grave-to-cradle” perspective. Inventory was supported by data from a pilot plant located in Venice (Italy). ReCiPe 2016 method was used for the impact assessment. The results showed that environmental benefits are due to the recovery of aluminium, copper, silicon, silver and glass. Normalization of impact assessment results demonstrates main relevant impact categories of this process, and gravity analysis underlines what steps in the recycling process mainly contribute to the environmental benefits. Sensitivity analysis showed that quality of recovered materials influences the environmental profile of recycling process.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344924004786/pdfft?md5=388d96cb54442c13ba26e030ad7d48d8&pid=1-s2.0-S0921344924004786-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142098601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An experimental study on premium measurement in response to residents' willingness to pay for green housing in urban areas","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107870","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107870","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>As the market continues to progress, the provision of green housing will inevitably increase, leading to a rising significance of residents' willingness to pay in determining the premium pricing and market promotion of these residences. This research measures residents' willingness to pay response experimentally, examining the driving mechanisms behind willingness to pay for green housing and the associated premium levels. Experiments revealed the following findings: (1) Intervention experiments on key driver factor (the mediating variable operational trust) of the theoretical model showed that willingness to pay among experimental group residents (green housing neighborhoods) increased from 269 to 291 CNY/m² (an 8 % increase), while the control group residents (residential building neighborhoods) experienced an increase from 170 to 236 CNY/m² (a 39 % increase). (2) Thirty scenario experiments on key driving factors (the mediating variable informational appeal) in the theoretical model demonstrated that, with information intervention, residents' willingness to pay increased by 27.5 %, which is less than the result derived from direct inquiry (29.4 %). Policy recommendations are based on the conclusions of the study.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142098603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"China-specific unit process dataset for lithium-ion batteries","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107886","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107886","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142098602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"White phosphorus production by a carbothermic reduction of upcycled crude phosphoric acid","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107868","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107868","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>White phosphorous is a critically important material in manufacturing semiconductors and advanced pharmaceuticals. However, white phosphorus is produced by only four countries using the huge energy-consuming electric arc furnace process. These four countries have resorted to banning or restricting their exports causing a supply risk for white phosphorus for many industrialized countries.</p><p>To meet the white phosphorous supply risk, the never-existing white phosphorous production process has been developed by applying the carbothermic reduction of P<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub> gas provided by the thermal decomposition of phosphoric acid. The novel process can produce semiconductor-grade high-purity white phosphorous from crude phosphoric acid recovered from secondary phosphorous resources.</p><p>By supplying phosphoric acid in the form of small droplets, we have achieved continuous operation of white phosphorus production, which was previously impossible, and brings production efficiency to an industrial level. This process could significantly reduce the supply risk for countries that rely entirely on imported white phosphorus.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921344924004610/pdfft?md5=4cb35ff59928bb618d8cecda01018344&pid=1-s2.0-S0921344924004610-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142087265","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Enhancing natural carbon sinks: Simulation of land use change under different carbon market scenarios by developing an ANN-ABM model","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107872","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107872","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The carbon market mechanism presents an innovative approach to achieving carbon neutrality, however, its impact on regional carbon sink enhancement remains uncertain. This paper proposes an analysis framework based on an Artificial Neural Network-Agent-Based Model (ANN-ABM) to simulate the potential contribution of carbon market mechanism in enhancing carbon sinks. Taking the case of Chongming, China, the results demonstrate significant economic potential with forest land expansion from 2010 to 2020, equivalent to 30.69 % of eco-compensation. Under scenarios introducing a carbon market, there is an increased probability of converting land to high carbon sink types. Compared to the baseline scenario, carbon prices at 1.34 US$/t and 6.27 US$/t result in additional funds of 8.94 % and 41.46 %, respectively, and increase the carbon sink by 12.52 % and 30.28 %. The findings contribute to an understanding of how the value of carbon sinks can be realized through market mechanism and offer guidance for innovative eco-compensation approaches.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142058077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Estimation method to achieve desired mechanical properties with minimum virgin polymer in plastics recycling","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107856","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107856","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the mechanical recycling of plastics, recycled polymers are usually mixed with virgin polymers to achieve the required mechanical properties. Maximizing the use of the recycled polymer requires satisfaction of the necessary properties by minimizing the mixing ratio of the virgin polymer. We propose a method for estimating the mixing ratio based on the equivalent box model combined with the percolation theory (EBM-P). After the EBM-P was verified for blends containing the recycled polymers, the proposed method was applied to assess behaviors of the mixing ratio. Thereby, it was revealed that for the recycled polymer with relatively high mechanical properties, a slight increase in the properties of the recycled polymer leads to a marked decrease in the mixing ratio. The salient benefit of our method is that it not only ascertains the appropriate mixing ratio; it also contributes to assessment of the substitutability of recycled plastics.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142050426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Introducing invisible food loss: An essential yet neglected dimension linking food safety and food security towards sustainable food system transition","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107873","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107873","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":21153,"journal":{"name":"Resources Conservation and Recycling","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":11.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142050428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}