IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/inecol/v26y2022i4p1318-1332.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Regional analysis of aluminum and steel flows into the American automotive industry

Author

Listed:
  • Nate P. Hua
  • Jarod C. Kelly
  • Geoffrey M. Lewis
  • Gregory A. Keoleian

Abstract

Aluminum and steel represent the two most dominant metals in light‐duty vehicles, yet the flows of these materials into the American automotive industry have not been well characterized. This study proposes and implements a method for analyzing the flow of these metals into the automotive industry. We create a framework for performing regionally linked, sector‐specific material flow analyses and use this framework to trace flows of aluminum and steel entering the American automotive industry, focusing on flows downstream from raw material production. We show that automotive aluminum sheet and extrusions are sourced primarily from the NPCC (23%), SERC (20%), MRO (18%), and RFC (13%) North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) regions, and a spatially unresolved local region within the United States and Canada (18%). We determine that primary aluminum is largely from Canada (70%), nearly all from Quebec (69%). Further upstream, alumina and bauxite originate mostly from Brazil, Australia, and Jamaica. We also show that finished automotive steel is sourced primarily from the RFC (63%) and SERC (20%) regions. The crude steel supply similarly originates mainly from the RFC (69%) and SERC (7%) regions. Upstream raw materials including coke, coking coal, iron ore, lime, and steel scrap are primarily sourced from the United States with only direct reduced iron and pig iron used in electric arc furnace steel production coming mostly from outside the United States. The framework developed here allows for increased spatial resolution of material flows, which can be used to develop more specific life cycle impact factors for life cycle assessments.

Suggested Citation

  • Nate P. Hua & Jarod C. Kelly & Geoffrey M. Lewis & Gregory A. Keoleian, 2022. "Regional analysis of aluminum and steel flows into the American automotive industry," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(4), pages 1318-1332, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:26:y:2022:i:4:p:1318-1332
    DOI: 10.1111/jiec.13268
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13268
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/jiec.13268?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lynette Cheah & John Heywood & Randolph Kirchain, 2009. "Aluminum Stock and Flows in U.S. Passenger Vehicles and Implications for Energy Use," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 13(5), pages 718-734, October.
    2. Chen, Wei-Qiang & Shi, Lei, 2012. "Analysis of aluminum stocks and flows in mainland China from 1950 to 2009: Exploring the dynamics driving the rapid increase in China's aluminum production," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 18-28.
    3. Chen, Wei-Qiang & Graedel, T.E., 2012. "Dynamic analysis of aluminum stocks and flows in the United States: 1900–2009," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 92-102.
    4. Yellishetty, Mohan & Ranjith, P.G. & Tharumarajah, A., 2010. "Iron ore and steel production trends and material flows in the world: Is this really sustainable?," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 54(12), pages 1084-1094.
    5. Joseph S. Colett & Jarod C. Kelly & Gregory A. Keoleian, 2016. "Using Nested Average Electricity Allocation Protocols to Characterize Electrical Grids in Life Cycle Assessment," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 20(1), pages 29-41, February.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Buchner, Hanno & Laner, David & Rechberger, Helmut & Fellner, Johann, 2014. "In-depth analysis of aluminum flows in Austria as a basis to increase resource efficiency," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 112-123.
    2. Cao, Zhi & Shen, Lei & Liu, Litao & Zhao, Jianan & Zhong, Shuai & Kong, Hanxiao & Sun, Yanzhi, 2017. "Estimating the in-use cement stock in China: 1920–2013," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 21-31.
    3. Lu, Bin & Liu, Jingru & Yang, Jianxin, 2017. "Substance flow analysis of lithium for sustainable management in mainland China: 2007–2014," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 109-116.
    4. Chen, Wu & Wang, Minxi & Li, Xin, 2016. "Analysis of copper flows in the United States: 1975–2012," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 67-76.
    5. Sverdrup, Harald U. & Ragnarsdottir, Kristin Vala & Koca, Deniz, 2015. "Aluminium for the future: Modelling the global production, market supply, demand, price and long term development of the global reserves," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 139-154.
    6. Ciacci, Luca & Chen, Weiqiang & Passarini, Fabrizio & Eckelman, Matthew & Vassura, Ivano & Morselli, Luciano, 2013. "Historical evolution of anthropogenic aluminum stocks and flows in Italy," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1-8.
    7. Huang, Chu-Long & Vause, Jonathan & Ma, Hwong-Wen & Yu, Chang-Ping, 2012. "Using material/substance flow analysis to support sustainable development assessment: A literature review and outlook," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 104-116.
    8. Ester Van der Voet & Lauran Van Oers & Miranda Verboon & Koen Kuipers, 2019. "Environmental Implications of Future Demand Scenarios for Metals: Methodology and Application to the Case of Seven Major Metals," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 23(1), pages 141-155, February.
    9. Maung, Kyaw Nyunt & Yoshida, Tomoharu & Liu, Gang & Lwin, Cherry Myo & Muller, Daniel B. & Hashimoto, Seiji, 2017. "Assessment of secondary aluminum reserves of nations," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 34-41.
    10. Li, Shupeng & Wang, Zhe & Yue, Qiang & Zhang, Tingan, 2022. "Analysis of the quantity and spatial characterization of aluminum in-use stocks in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    11. Sevigné-Itoiz, Eva & Gasol, Carles M. & Rieradevall, Joan & Gabarrell, Xavier, 2014. "Environmental consequences of recycling aluminum old scrap in a global market," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 94-103.
    12. Bertram, M. & Ramkumar, S. & Rechberger, H. & Rombach, G. & Bayliss, C. & Martchek, K.J. & Müller, D.B. & Liu, G., 2017. "A regionally-linked, dynamic material flow modelling tool for rolled, extruded and cast aluminium products," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 48-69.
    13. Jan Streeck & Quirin Dammerer & Dominik Wiedenhofer & Fridolin Krausmann, 2021. "The role of socio‐economic material stocks for natural resource use in the United States of America from 1870 to 2100," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(6), pages 1486-1502, December.
    14. Yue, Qiang & Wang, Heming & Gao, Chengkang & Du, Tao & Li, Mingjun & Lu, Zhongwu, 2016. "Analysis of iron in-use stocks in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 315-322.
    15. Li, Qiangfeng & Gao, Tianming & Wang, Gaoshang & Cheng, Jinhua & Dai, Tao & Wang, Huan, 2019. "Dynamic analysis of iron flows and in-use stocks in China: 1949–2015," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 625-634.
    16. Zhou, Na & Su, Hui & Wu, Qiaosheng & Hu, Shougeng & Xu, Deyi & Yang, Danhui & Cheng, Jinhua, 2022. "China's lithium supply chain: Security dynamics and policy countermeasures," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    17. González Palencia, Juan C. & Furubayashi, Takaaki & Nakata, Toshihiko, 2014. "Techno-economic assessment of lightweight and zero emission vehicles deployment in the passenger car fleet of developing countries," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 129-142.
    18. Liang, Xuedong & Yang, Xu & Yan, Fuhai & Li, Zhi, 2020. "Exploring global embodied metal flows in international trade based combination of multi-regional input-output analysis and complex network analysis," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    19. Chen, Qianqian & Gu, Yu & Tang, Zhiyong & Wei, Wei & Sun, Yuhan, 2018. "Assessment of low-carbon iron and steel production with CO2 recycling and utilization technologies: A case study in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C), pages 192-207.
    20. Moynihan, Muiris C. & Allwood, Julian M., 2012. "The flow of steel into the construction sector," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 68(C), pages 88-95.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:26:y:2022:i:4:p:1318-1332. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=1088-1980 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.