Environmental Assessment of Global Magnesium Production

Abstract

Concerns about climate change call for a careful assessment of the environmental impact of the supply chain of critical materials such as magnesium (Mg) which has a broad range of applications. Enhancing the circularity of this material is vital for ensuring its sustainable use. However, systematic analysis of the sustainability of the global production of magnesium and its circularity is still missing. We propose a novel dynamic model based on geology and processing routes to quantify the key environmental concerns across the life cycle of primary and secondary magnesium.Energy consumption, water use and related emissions are assessed for recycling including functional (recovered Mg reused in the closed-loop supply chain) and nonfunctional (recovered Mg as an element used in aluminum alloys as open-loop supply chain), as well as casting and molding. Results show a significant potential contribution of circularity of magnesium to energy (up to 31 billion GJ) and water (up to 2.7 Km 3 ) savings, as well as the mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (up to 3 billion tonnes CO2 eq), globally. However, the analysis indicates that 87% of secondary magnesium comes from non-functional recycling. The result shows the possible increase of non-functional recycling of magnesium from 612 kt in 2020 to 1 mt in 2050, and the growth of functional recycling of magnesium from 96 kt in 2020 to 161 kt in 2050. The finding highlights the necessity for improving supply chain policies of Mg through technological developments and operational changes to ensure its sustainable circular economy.

Effect of Surface Dissolution on the Floatability of Brucite in Three Anionic Collector Systems

“…Brucite is a rare and precious nonmetallic mineral with a high magnesium content [1]. Its mineral deposits are generally small and concentrated worldwide, primarily distributed in the United States, Russia, Canada, North Korea, Norway, and other places [2][3][4]. Based on their genesis, structure, and bene ciation process, brucite minerals can be generally categorized into spherical, brous, and block types [5,6].…”

Numerical simulation and experimental investigation on friction stir welding of AZ31 magnesium alloy

“…Magnesium alloys are widely acknowledged as the lightest structural metals globally, thereby underscoring their immense potential in future development amid the urgent pursuit of lightweight materials [1,2]. Additionally, magnesium alloys exhibit outstanding machining capabilities [3], high specific strength and stiffness [4], remarkable damping properties [5], and effective electromagnetic shielding capabilities [6].…”