Dynamic analysis of iron flows and in-use stocks in China: 1949–2015

Iron is an indispensable basic resource in national construction, and secondary iron resources are key to solving China's resource and environmental problems in the future. This study uses substance flow analysis (SFA) to calculate the iron stock since China's founding to provide data support for the recycling of secondary iron resources. The results indicate：as of the end of 2015, China's accumulated iron in-use stock was 6506 million tonnes (Mt); accumulated imported iron ore was 5092 Mt; accumulated domestic iron ore was 5933 Mt; accumulated domestic iron-ore-dressing loss was 1780 Mt; accumulated iron-smelting loss was 832 Mt; accumulated steel-smelting loss was 252 Mt; accumulated iron inventory for rolled steel was 78 Mt; and cumulative iron dissipation for end-use rolled steel was 479 Mt. Of all the accumulated iron in-use stock, the cumulative iron in-use stock in construction steel was 55%, followed by 19% in machinery manufacturing steel, 12% in transportation equipment steel, and 14% in other steel. At the end of 2015, the accumulated per capita iron in-use stock in China reached 4.73 t but is not near the 8–12 t level in developed countries. Compared with developed countries, China's per capita accumulated iron in-use stock has room for growth. The theoretical scraps of rolled steel on four consumption fields was increasing during the whole period. At the end of 2015, China's accumulated theoretical scrap volume was 1335 Mt.