Executive summary:  Metals are an integral part of our industrial society.  They are used in a huge number of products, in buildings, in the creation of various consumer goods and to package food.  New metals are introduce in new technologies, these being important for the next generation of high performance, energy-saving technologies. They hold an almost infinite potential for usage in closed loops and are their proper use is therefore integral to achieving sustainability.  This project is researching the cycling of metals through society by focusing on several examples:

• The recycling of those metals normally being very  difficult to separate such as anthanides and platinum group metals made possible by new separation technologies
• Strategic integrated assessment of global supply of strategic elements and metals for human society with emphasis on backcasting of required recycling rates, normally not achieved at present
• Technical challenges associated with sustainable recycling of ships on an Industrial scale and efficiency.

Background:

• Some metals are plentiful and exist in large quantities but some come in limited supply and are sensitive to overexploitation such as lanthanides, lithium, platinum group metals etc..
• It is therefore prudent to determine an efficient means for recycling and reusing these finite materials.
• The recycling of metal products at the end-of-life greatly decreases the cost associated with waste accumulation and new material production.

Purpose:
To better understand the process of metal recycling in industrial context as well as closing the metal and strategic element cycles in society. To estimate the degree of recycling required to maintain sufficient metals in the societal loops without the losses threatening the supply security. The concept involves everything from recycling very large units like whole ships, to  handling small amounts of rare metals, with the purpose of closing the loop.

• Methods for separating metals efficiently
• Methods for recycling ships on an industrial scale
• Integrated assessment models for global use of strategic elements

    - Phosphorus
    - Gold, silver, copper
    - Platinum group metals
    - Lantanide group of metals
    - Lithium
 
For ship recycling, social sustainability aspects will be examined through the integration of the sustainability principles and for the latter new technologies will be used to massive energy and waste savings. More strategic metals are added to the assessment list on a steady basis.

FSSD Integration:
Backcasting from principles of sustainability will help to provide visions statements for the use of these metals in a sustainable development.  Systems analysis tto map the road between the framework steps and Integrated dynamic modeling to provide adequate quantitative baccasting tools. Backcasting is performed through iterative forcasting
 
Implications for Managers:

• Provide integrated assessment tools for market analysis and sustainability strategies
• Provide insights to how planetary limits sets unsurmountable limits for business, and demand long term strategic thinking within sustainability boundaries for corporate survival
• Better understanding of the environmental and sustainability consequences of new technology methods of for extraction, refining and production of metals will lead to a new paradigm that saves businesses money while keeping harmful metals as well as very valuable metals and materials in closed loops. 
• A new scheme for recycling obsolete shipping tonnage would lead to very much more efficient handling of vast amounts of metal without loosing large amounts of the embedded metal quality and energy. By structuring the process, present unsustainable social conditions may be eliminated, providing secure jobs and decreasing extortion and corruption, alleviating poverty.  Reduce large metals losses and environmental hazards existing in the present industry.

Implications for Researchers:
Provide forcasting nad backcasting model tools, demonstrate the importance of intergated assessment tools, demonstrate innovative technology innovations  for creating new sustainable industrial solutions to large strategic problems.

Methods:
Integrated assessment modelling

Project Contact:
Harald Sverdrup, Coordinator  harald.sverdrup@chemeng.lth.se, +46-708 855 683

Project Team:

Lanthanides   
Harald Sverdrup, Professor, Lund University
Terje Pedersen, Research Director K A Rasmussen
 
Industrial Ship Recycling   
Aage Björn Andersen, Merit
Atle Grönlie, Merit
Martin Myraker, Intro Management
Harald Sverdrup, President of  K  A Rasmussen
 
 
Integrated assessment of strategic metals and elements   

Harald Sverdrup, Professor, LTH, Lund
Deniz Koca, Senior Scientist, LTH, Lund
Karl Henrik Robert