| Title |
Flow and stock estimation of tantalum for sustainable supply chain |
| ID_Doc |
12449 |
| Authors |
Agrawal, M; Jha, R; Singh, R; Singh, KK |
| Title |
Flow and stock estimation of tantalum for sustainable supply chain |
| Year |
2022 |
| Published |
|
| DOI |
10.1016/j.spc.2022.10.002 |
| Abstract |
Superior properties of tantalum have made it an element of choice for a wide range of highly specialized appli-cations including electronics, automotive, and aerospace. Indeed, tantalum is a critical metal and its status is con-flict mineral as the supply is limited and is largely controlled by few tantalum producing countries. Despite being the important element, a paucity of knowledge on the flow and economic importance of tantalum exists on a global scale that impedes the proper understanding of the metal. The present research, therefore, aimed to quan-tify the stock and flow of tantalum through its entire life cycle over the year 2010-2019, to find out the economic potential of tantalum that is being discarded. The results indicated that only 21 % of tantalum is entering into the End-of-Life stage, after completing its average residence time, which is the consequence of the relatively long lifespan of key tantalum-bearing products. Nonetheless, the amount of tantalum currently being recycled from the obsolete scrap is <20 %. This is a substantial economic loss, given the criticality of tantalum. Closing the loop of the tantalum life cycle, however, can be a great step towards economic recoveries from waste and pro-moting a circular economy. An increase in collection rate and increased awareness among people regarding tan-talum is necessary to promote recycling to conserve resources as well as to prevent economic loss.(c) 2022 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. |
| Author Keywords |
Tantalum; Critical metal; Material flow analysis; Capacitor recycling; Economic assessment |
| Index Keywords |
Index Keywords |
| Document Type |
Other |
| Open Access |
Open Access |
| Source |
Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED); Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) |
| EID |
WOS:000873775600001 |
| WoS Category |
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology; Environmental Studies |
| Research Area |
Science & Technology - Other Topics; Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| PDF |
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