IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/inecol/v26y2022i5p1701-1713.html

Toward an efficient recycling system: Evaluating recyclability of end‐of‐life stainless steels by considering elements distribution during a remelting process

Author

Listed:
  • Xin Lu
  • Hajime Ohno
  • Osamu Takeda
  • Takahiro Miki
  • Yasushi Sasaki
  • Hongmin Zhu
  • Tetsuya Nagasaka

Abstract

Stainless steel is a special category of steel and contains high chromium and nickel. With particular attention to chromium and nickel, the solvent metal phase of recycling of end‐of‐life (EoL) ferritic and austenitic stainless steels by remelting is considered Fe–Cr alloy and Fe–Cr–Ni alloy instead of pure iron, respectively. Understanding the element elimination behavior from the solvent metal phase during the remelting process is important for the improvement of the resource efficiency of the stainless steel recycling. The elimination behavior of 23 alloying elements from Fe–Cr alloy and 22 alloying elements from Fe–Cr–Ni alloy were quantitatively evaluated by the thermodynamic method. The conventional metallurgical process, including slagging (oxidation) and evaporation, can efficiently eliminate lots of alloying elements but has its limitation for the elimination of some alloying elements such as copper, antimony, and tin. Moreover, improvement of the elimination is hard to expect with optimizing remelting conditions. Developing novel metallurgical refining processes, such as chlorination and sulfurization, is efficient for eliminating specific alloying elements. However, besides the effort from metallurgical technologies, developing advanced physical separation technologies of collected EoL products in the short term and optimizing the alloy/products design principle in the long term are much more important for improving the resource efficiency of recycling of EoL stainless steel products. Feedback of the alloying elements' elimination behavior during the remelting process to the upstream of the stainless steel cycle is critical.

Suggested Citation

  • Xin Lu & Hajime Ohno & Osamu Takeda & Takahiro Miki & Yasushi Sasaki & Hongmin Zhu & Tetsuya Nagasaka, 2022. "Toward an efficient recycling system: Evaluating recyclability of end‐of‐life stainless steels by considering elements distribution during a remelting process," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(5), pages 1701-1713, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:inecol:v:26:y:2022:i:5:p:1701-1713
    DOI: 10.1111/jiec.13304
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13304
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/jiec.13304?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. Hajime Ohno & Kazuyo Matsubae & Kenichi Nakajima & Shinichiro Nakamura & Tetsuya Nagasaka, 2014. "Unintentional Flow of Alloying Elements in Steel during Recycling of End-of-Life Vehicles," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 18(2), pages 242-253, April.
    2. Ohno, Hajime & Matsubae, Kazuyo & Nakajima, Kenichi & Kondo, Yasushi & Nakamura, Shinichiro & Nagasaka, Tetsuya, 2015. "Toward the efficient recycling of alloying elements from end of life vehicle steel scrap," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 100(C), pages 11-20.
    3. Johnson, Jeremiah & Reck, B.K. & Wang, T. & Graedel, T.E., 2008. "The energy benefit of stainless steel recycling," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 181-192, January.
    4. Carina Harpprecht & Lauran van Oers & Stephen A. Northey & Yongxiang Yang & Bernhard Steubing, 2021. "Environmental impacts of key metals' supply and low‐carbon technologies are likely to decrease in the future," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(6), pages 1543-1559, December.
    5. Daigo, Ichiro & Matsuno, Yasunari & Adachi, Yoshihiro, 2010. "Substance flow analysis of chromium and nickel in the material flow of stainless steel in Japan," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 54(11), pages 851-863.
    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. Pauliuk, Stefan & Kondo, Yasushi & Nakamura, Shinichiro & Nakajima, Kenichi, 2017. "Regional distribution and losses of end-of-life steel throughout multiple product life cycles—Insights from the global multiregional MaTrace model," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 84-93.
    2. Ryosuke Yokoi & Jun Nakatani & Yuichi Moriguchi, 2018. "An Extended Model for Tracking Accumulation Pathways of Materials Using Input–Output Tables: Application to Copper Flows in Japan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Tsiliyannis, Christos Aristeides, 2015. "Sustainability by cyclic manufacturing: Assessment of resource preservation under uncertain growth and returns," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 155-170.
    4. Edgar Battand Towa Kouokam & Vanessa Zeller & Wouter Achten, 2019. "Input-output models and waste management analysis: A critical review," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/359535, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    5. Wang, Xiao-Qing & Wu, Tong & Zhong, Huaming & Su, Chi-Wei, 2023. "Bubble behaviors in nickel price: What roles do geopolitical risk and speculation play?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    6. Diener, Derek L. & Tillman, Anne-Marie, 2015. "Component end-of-life management: Exploring opportunities and related benefits of remanufacturing and functional recycling," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 80-93.
    7. John A. Mathews, 2020. "Schumpeterian economic dynamics of greening: propagation of green eco-platforms," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 30(4), pages 929-948, September.
    8. Angus, A. & Casado, M. Rivas & Fitzsimons, D., 2012. "Exploring the usefulness of a simple linear regression model for understanding price movements of selected recycled materials in the UK," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 10-19.
    9. Aramendia, Emmanuel & Brockway, Paul E. & Taylor, Peter G. & Norman, Jonathan B., 2024. "Exploring the effects of mineral depletion on renewable energy technologies net energy returns," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 290(C).
    10. Jessica Zhang & Sarah Palmer & David Pimentel, 2012. "Energy production from corn," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 14(2), pages 221-231, April.
    11. Cristina T. Matos & Fabrice Mathieux & Luca Ciacci & Maren Cathrine Lundhaug & María Fernanda Godoy León & Daniel Beat Müller & Jo Dewulf & Konstantinos Georgitzikis & Jaco Huisman, 2022. "Material system analysis: A novel multilayer system approach to correlate EU flows and stocks of Li‐ion batteries and their raw materials," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(4), pages 1261-1276, August.
    12. Gutsch, Moritz & Leker, Jens, 2024. "Costs, carbon footprint, and environmental impacts of lithium-ion batteries – From cathode active material synthesis to cell manufacturing and recycling," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 353(PB).
    13. Gauffin, Alicia & Andersson, Nils Å.I. & Storm, Per & Tilliander, Anders & Jönsson, Pär G., 2017. "Time-varying losses in material flows of steel using dynamic material flow models," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 70-83.
    14. Qingshi Tu & Edgar G. Hertwich, 2022. "A mechanistic model to link technical specifications of vehicle end‐of‐life treatment with the potential of closed‐loop recycling of post‐consumer scrap alloys," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(3), pages 704-717, June.
    15. Abel Ortego & Alicia Valero & Antonio Valero & Eliette Restrepo, 2018. "Vehicles and Critical Raw Materials: A Sustainability Assessment Using Thermodynamic Rarity," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 22(5), pages 1005-1015, October.
    16. Carlos Scheel & Bernardo Bello, 2022. "Transforming Linear Production Chains into Circular Value Extended Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-17, March.
    17. Zhou, Kaile & Yang, Shanlin, 2016. "Emission reduction of China׳s steel industry: Progress and challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 319-327.
    18. Jan Streeck & Stefan Pauliuk & Hanspeter Wieland & Dominik Wiedenhofer, 2023. "A review of methods to trace material flows into final products in dynamic material flow analysis: From industry shipments in physical units to monetary input–output tables, Part 1," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(2), pages 436-456, April.
    19. Alexandre Tisserant & Stefan Pauliuk, 2016. "Matching global cobalt demand under different scenarios for co-production and mining attractiveness," Journal of Economic Structures, Springer;Pan-Pacific Association of Input-Output Studies (PAPAIOS), vol. 5(1), pages 1-19, December.
    20. Alberto Biancardi & Idiano D’Adamo & Ernesto D. R. Santibanez-Gonzalez & Joaquín Francisco Varela Bascur, 2025. "A Flexible and Circular Management of Copper in Chile: New Perspectives Toward Sustainable Development," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 26(4), pages 813-837, December.

    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:5:p:1701-1713. 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.