Thermodynamic Modeling of Sustainable Non-ferrous Metals Production: Part I

The conventional non-ferrous metals production processes were developed when scarcity of natural resources and environmental impacts were not issues. Currently, there are efforts underway for advancing sustainable metallurgical processes that enable resource efficiency. The recent increase in the non-ferrous metals demand, complexities of the available raw materials and earth’s intrinsic limitations pose a challenge to the prevailing sustainable production of the metals. The global increase in the demand for the non-ferrous metals has also amplified their recovery from waste streams. While efficiency in the recovery of resources from waste streams are important in closing the metals loop, emphasis should also be placed on advancing the current primary resources processing technologies to reduce environmental footprints and improve energy efficiency. The widely applied extraction methods via hydrometallurgy processing routes are done using large volume of acids. Future research should also focus on creating alternative strategies such as applying novel electrochemical extraction methods that could be more sustainable.