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Graedel , Harper, “ A Tale of Three Metals ” in E-Waste Management; From Waste to Resource

Graedel , Harper, “ A Tale of Three Metals ” in E-Waste Management; From Waste to Resource. Uses ??. Copper Pipes, wire, coins Tungsten Light filament, soldering irons Indium LCD TVs, touch screen devices. Resource sustainability. How do we predict long-term demand?

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Graedel , Harper, “ A Tale of Three Metals ” in E-Waste Management; From Waste to Resource

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  1. Graedel, Harper, “A Tale of Three Metals” in E-Waste Management; From Waste to Resource T. Connolly - MSc Sustainable Resource Management 2013/14

  2. Uses ?? • Copper • Pipes, wire, coins • Tungsten • Light filament, soldering irons • Indium • LCD TVs, touch screen devices

  3. Resource sustainability • How do we predict long-term demand? • Use approximate upper limit on integrated demand - U.S.A., Europe, Japan • Assuming a world population of 9 billion by 2050 • Assume these 9 billion people use the same amount per capita as our current richer neighbours • Establish an approximate total requirement

  4. Resource sustainability • Does the predicted requirement match the resource availability?

  5. Copper: A sustainable resource? • Geographical availability?? • Widely distributed • Recycling ?? • Very efficiently recycled • Recycled content 20-30 % • EoL recycling rate of 40-50% • This generates large portions of the demand • Projected demand is equal to the estimated resource available • Satisfactory sustainable resource!!!

  6. Tungsten: A sustainable resource? • Geographical distribution? • China- 70% • Could someday raise geopolitical issues • Recycling? • Recycled content 35% • EoL recycling rate 10-25% • Demand Projections? • Long depletion time making it efficient for a predicted 100-120 years • Sustainability uncertain due to geographical availability

  7. Indium: A sustainable resource? • Geographical distribution? • Very uncertain because its a by product of zinc • Largest zinc stocks in Austrailia, China & U.S. • Recycling? • Recycled content 25-50% • EoL recycling rate <1% • Projected demand • Problematic to determine if the future demand meets the supply • Its rapid increase in demand in the past decade has already brought about disruptions in supply • Sustainability relies on future mining of zinc ores, creating huge uncertainty with this

  8. Conclusions • Copper resources appear adequate and widely available • Tungsten supplies appear adequate • Global supplies could come under pressure as most supplies are in China • Indium is in growing demand • Worryingly its existence depends on uncertainty in the ability for supply to meet demand

  9. Final conclusion • More information is needed • Pay more attention to long-term availability of materials!!!

  10. Thanks for your time! • Any questions???

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