Mass, enthalpy, and chemical‐derived emission flows in mineral processing

Seth Kane and Sabbie A. Miller

Journal of Industrial Ecology, 2024, vol. 28, issue 3, 469-481

Abstract: The production of materials from mineral resources is a significant contributor to anthropogenic CO2 emissions. This contribution is driven primarily by chemical CO2 emissions from the conversion of mineral resources and emissions tied to energy demands for material processing. In this work, we synthesize the thermodynamically required enthalpy and chemically derived emissions of mineral processing and consumption in the United States. We quantify mass, enthalpy, and emissions flows for minerals described by the US Geological Survey, with 882 mass flows and 155 chemical reactions analyzed. In total, 503 PJ of enthalpy is thermodynamically required for 398 Mt of chemically converted material consumption in the United States, resulting in 129 Mt of chemically derived CO2 emissions. Additionally, 249 PJ of fuel resources such as coke are stoichiometrically required for the chemical conversion of minerals. These enthalpy requirements and CO2 emissions are primarily from high‐mass consumption materials such as cement, carbon steel, fertilizer, and aluminum. Cumulatively, the dataset synthesized in this work provides a complete view of the chemical requirements of mineral processing and can aid in guiding decarbonization or sustainable growth in critical minerals sectors, including construction materials and materials for energy storage or generation.

Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13476

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:inecol:v:28:y:2024:i:3:p:469-481

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=1088-1980

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Industrial Ecology is currently edited by Reid Lifset

More articles in Journal of Industrial Ecology from Yale University
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().