IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i13p7535-d843761.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Alloy Profusion, Spice Metals, and Resource Loss by Design

Author

Listed:
  • Thomas E. Graedel

    (School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA)

  • Alessio Miatto

    (School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA)

Abstract

One of the most unfortunate attributes of technology’s routine and widespread use of most of the elements in the periodic table is the abysmal functional recycling rates that result from the complexity of modern technology and the rudimentary technological state of the recycling industry. In this work, we demonstrate that the vast profusion of alloys, and the complexities and miniaturization of modern electronics, render functional recycling almost impossible. This situation is particularly true of “spice metals”: metals employed at very low concentrations to realize modest performance improvements in advanced alloys or complex electronics such as smartphones or laptops. Here, we present a formal definition of spice metals and explore the significant challenges that product design decisions impose on the recycling industry. We thereby identify nine spice metals: scandium (Sc), vanadium (V), gallium (Ga), arsenic (As), niobium (Nb), antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te), erbium (Er), and hafnium (Hf). These metals are considered fundamental for the properties they provide, yet they are rarely recycled. Their routine use poses severe problems for the implementation of closed material loops and the circular economy. Based on the data and discussions in this paper, we recommend that spice metals be employed only where their use will result in a highly significant improvement, and that product designers place a strong emphasis on enabling the functional recycling of these metals after their first use.

Suggested Citation

  • Thomas E. Graedel & Alessio Miatto, 2022. "Alloy Profusion, Spice Metals, and Resource Loss by Design," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-12, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:13:p:7535-:d:843761
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/13/7535/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/13/7535/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Apergis, Nicholas & Carmona-González, Nieves & Gil-Alana, Luis Alberiko, 2020. "Persistence in silver prices and the influence of solar energy," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    2. Dierk Raabe & C. Cem Tasan & Elsa A. Olivetti, 2019. "Strategies for improving the sustainability of structural metals," Nature, Nature, vol. 575(7781), pages 64-74, November.
    3. T. E. Graedel & Barbara K. Reck & Alessio Miatto, 2022. "Alloy information helps prioritize material criticality lists," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Trevor Zink & Roland Geyer, 2019. "Material Recycling and the Myth of Landfill Diversion," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 23(3), pages 541-548, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Alessio Miatto & Nargessadat Emami & Kylie Goodwin & James West & Mohammad Sadegh Taskhiri & Thomas Wiedmann & Heinz Schandl, 2024. "Australia's circular economy metrics and indicators," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 28(2), pages 216-231, April.
    2. Rembrandt H. E. M. Koppelaar & Sreenivaasa Pamidi & Enikő Hajósi & Lucia Herreras & Pascal Leroy & Ha-Young Jung & Amba Concheso & Radha Daniel & Fernando B. Francisco & Cristina Parrado & Siro Dell’A, 2023. "A Digital Product Passport for Critical Raw Materials Reuse and Recycling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-21, January.
    3. Magdalena Klotz & Melanie Haupt & Stefanie Hellweg, 2023. "Potentials and limits of mechanical plastic recycling," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 27(4), pages 1043-1059, August.

    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. Jae Bok Seol & Won-Seok Ko & Seok Su Sohn & Min Young Na & Hye Jung Chang & Yoon-Uk Heo & Jung Gi Kim & Hyokyung Sung & Zhiming Li & Elena Pereloma & Hyoung Seop Kim, 2022. "Mechanically derived short-range order and its impact on the multi-principal-element alloys," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Xavier Tanguay & Gatien Geraud Essoua Essoua & Ben Amor, 2021. "Attributional and consequential life cycle assessments in a circular economy with integration of a quality indicator: A case study of cascading wood products," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(6), pages 1462-1473, December.
    3. Khashayar Razghandi & Emad Yaghmaei, 2020. "Rethinking Filter: An Interdisciplinary Inquiry into Typology and Concept of Filter, Towards an Active Filter Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-34, September.
    4. Zhong, Like & Yao, Erren & Zou, Hansen & Xi, Guang, 2022. "Thermodynamic and economic analysis of a directly solar-driven power-to-methane system by detailed distributed parameter method," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 312(C).
    5. Carlos Pablo Sigüenza & Bernhard Steubing & Arnold Tukker & Glenn A. Aguilar‐Hernández, 2021. "The environmental and material implications of circular transitions: A diffusion and product‐life‐cycle‐based modeling framework," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(3), pages 563-579, June.
    6. Jessie E. Bradley & Willem L. Auping & René Kleijn & Jan H. Kwakkel & Benjamin Sprecher, 2024. "Reassessing tin circularity and criticality," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 28(2), pages 232-246, April.
    7. Xuyang Zhou & Ali Ahmadian & Baptiste Gault & Colin Ophus & Christian H. Liebscher & Gerhard Dehm & Dierk Raabe, 2023. "Atomic motifs govern the decoration of grain boundaries by interstitial solutes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    8. Elena Rangoni Gargano & Alessia Cornella & Pasqualina Sacco, 2023. "Governance Model for a Territory Circularity Index," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-15, February.
    9. Oliver Heidrich & Alistair C. Ford & Richard J. Dawson & David A. C. Manning & Eugene Mohareb & Marco Raugei & Joris Baars & Mohammad Ali Rajaeifar, 2022. "LAYERS: A Decision-Support Tool to Illustrate and Assess the Supply and Value Chain for the Energy Transition," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-19, June.
    10. Ali Zakeri & Kenneth S. Coley & Leili Tafaghodi, 2023. "Hydrogen-Based Direct Reduction of Iron Oxides: A Review on the Influence of Impurities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(17), pages 1-25, August.
    11. Binglu Zhang & Qisi Zhu & Chi Xu & Changtai Li & Yuan Ma & Zhaoxiang Ma & Sinuo Liu & Ruiwen Shao & Yuting Xu & Baolong Jiang & Lei Gao & Xiaolu Pang & Yang He & Guang Chen & Lijie Qiao, 2022. "Atomic-scale insights on hydrogen trapping and exclusion at incoherent interfaces of nanoprecipitates in martensitic steels," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    12. Agata Mesjasz-Lech & Pál Michelberger, 2019. "Sustainable Waste Logistics and the Development of Trade in Recyclable Raw Materials in Poland and Hungary," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-17, August.
    13. Jhon Zartha & Gina Orozco & Diana Barreto & Diego García, 2024. "Sustainable Innovation in Organizations: A Look from Processes, Products, and Services," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-16, March.
    14. Ren, Kaipeng & Tang, Xu & Wang, Peng & Willerström, Jakob & Höök, Mikael, 2021. "Bridging energy and metal sustainability: Insights from China’s wind power development up to 2050," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 227(C).
    15. Song, Huiling & Wang, Chang & Lei, Xiaojie & Zhang, Hongwei, 2022. "Dynamic dependence between main-byproduct metals and the role of clean energy market," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
    16. Liang, Yanan & Kleijn, René & Tukker, Arnold & van der Voet, Ester, 2022. "Material requirements for low-carbon energy technologies: A quantitative review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 161(C).
    17. Aikins Abakah, Emmanuel Joel & Gil-Alana, Luis A. & Tripathy, Trilochan, 2022. "Stochastic structure of metal prices: Evidence from fractional integration non-linearities and breaks," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    18. Alessio Miatto & Nargessadat Emami & Kylie Goodwin & James West & Mohammad Sadegh Taskhiri & Thomas Wiedmann & Heinz Schandl, 2024. "Australia's circular economy metrics and indicators," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 28(2), pages 216-231, April.
    19. Pfadt-Trilling, Alyssa R. & Widyolar, Bennett K. & Jiang, Lun & Brinkley, Jordyn & Bhusal, Yogesh & Winston, Roland & Fortier, Marie-Odile P., 2023. "Life cycle greenhouse gas emissions of low-temperature process heat generation by external compound parabolic concentrator (XCPC) solar thermal array," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 205(C), pages 992-998.
    20. Shenghua Wang & Dake Zhang & Wu Wang & Jun Zhong & Kai Feng & Zhiyi Wu & Boyu Du & Jiaqing He & Zhengwen Li & Le He & Wei Sun & Deren Yang & Geoffrey A. Ozin, 2022. "Grave-to-cradle upcycling of Ni from electroplating wastewater to photothermal CO2 catalysis," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.

    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:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:13:p:7535-:d:843761. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.