Substance Flow Analysis of Indium for Flat Panel Displays in Japan

With increased understanding of the effects of human activities on the environment and added awareness of the increasing societal value of natural resources, researchers have begun to focus on the characterization of elemental cycles. Indium has captured significant attention due to the potential for supply shortages and nonexistent recycling at end of life. Such a combination of potentially critical features is magnified for countries that depend on imports of indium, notably many European countries. With the aims of analyzing the dynamics of material flows and of estimating the magnitude of secondary indium sources available for recycling, the anthropogenic indium cycle in Europe has been investigated by material flow analysis. The results showed that the region is a major consumer of finished goods containing indium, and the cumulative addition of indium in urban mines was estimated at about 500 tonnes of indium. We discuss these results from the perspective of closing the metal cycle in the region. Securing access to critical raw materials is a priority for Europe, but the preference for recycling metal urban mines risks to remain only theoretical for indium unless innovations in waste collection and processing unlock the development of technologies that are economically feasible and environmentally sustainable. Keywords:industrial ecology industrial metabolism life cycle assessment (LCA) material flow analysis (MFA) recycling waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)Supporting information is linked to this article on the JIE website

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“…; Nakajima et al. ), Taiwan (Chang et al. ), the United States (Goonan ), Australia (Werner et al ), and the world (Licht et al.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Backlighting the European Indium Recycling Potentials

Ciacci

Werner

Vassura

et al. 2018

J of Industrial Ecology

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“…During further processing, 105.1 t of In ended up in the waste streams. A total of 75.1 t of In were etched from the substrate, 30 t ended in faulty panels, and only 45.1 t were deposited in the end‐use products (Nakajima et al ) (section 3.4.1 in the supporting information on the Web). We assume that the scrap from further processing was fully included in the preconsumer scrap recovery cycle, providing new raw material for further production.…”

Section: Substance Flow Analyses Of Scarce Metalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global Substance Flow Analysis of Gallium, Germanium, and Indium: Quantification of Extraction, Uses, and Dissipative Losses within their Anthropogenic Cycles

Licht¹,

Peiró²,

Villalba³

2015

J of Industrial Ecology

128

122

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SummaryThis study provides a global substance flow analysis for gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), and indium (In) for 2011, quantifying the amount of metal lost during extraction, beneficiation/smelting/refining, manufacturing of intermediate products, and the amount embodied in end-use products. Thus far, studies illustrating their cradle to end-use life cycle on a global scale are either missing or outdated, and thus opportunities to increase their supply remain unknown and/or not quantified. The results illustrate the losses and inefficiencies stages, thereby identifying potential additional supply by process improvement, recovery, and recycling. Results show that there are significant opportunities to meet future demand of Ga and Ge by concentrating recovery efforts in the extraction and beneficiation/smelting/refining stages. Further, 1.4% Ga, 0.7% Ge, and 54% In of the theoretical available amount in the attractor ores are extracted to meet the primary refined demand in 2011. Of the 9,065 tonnes (t) of Ga embodied in the Bayer liquor (from aluminum production), only 263 t are refined. This is owing to low capacities of Ga refining, combined with a refining efficiency of 60%. Ge presents a similar case for the same reasons, in which only 43 t of Ge of the 7,636 t of Ge available from zinc leach residue are refined. Meeting future In demand, on the other hand, will require greater efforts in increasing end-of-life recycling. Process efficiencies for Ga (46%), Ge (56%), and In (78%) demonstrate further potential. We quantify the flows into use by distinguishing among dissipative and nondissipative end uses, as well as the recyclable fraction for each metal for 2011. Keywords:criticality industrial ecology metal demand scarce metals sustainable metal management waste Supporting information is available on the JIE Web site

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“…In the case of Cd, on a global basis, 80% of Cd usage in batteries is used in nickel‐cadmium batteries in power tools and other cordless devices, with the balance used in large industrial batteries (International Cadmium Association ). In is primarily used as an indium tin oxide (ITO) coating for flat panel displays, most of which employ liquid crystal display (LCD) technology (Chipman ; Nakajima et al ). As the demand for devices with LCD screens increases, the demand for ITO coating is also expected to climb.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Criticality of the Geological Zinc, Tin, and Lead Family

Harper¹,

Kavlak²,

Burmeister³

et al. 2015

J of Industrial Ecology

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Summary Concerns about the future availability and continuity of metal supplies have triggered research efforts to define and assess metal criticality. In this study, we apply a comprehensive methodology to the elements of the geological zinc, tin, and lead family: zinc (Zn); germanium (Ge); cadmium (Cd); indium (In); tin (Sn); and lead (Pb). Zn, Sn, and Pb have played important roles in various technological sectors for centuries, whereas Ge, Cd, and In are by‐product metals that are increasingly utilized in emerging and strategic technologies. Criticality assessments are made on national (i.e., the United States) and global levels for 2008. The results are presented with uncertainty estimates in three‐dimensional “criticality space,” comprised of supply risk (SR), environmental implications, and vulnerability to supply restriction (VSR) axes. SR is the highest for In for both the medium (i.e., five to ten years) and long term (i.e., a few decades). Pb and Zn have the lowest SR for the medium term and Pb the lowest SR for the long term. In and Ge production have the highest environmental burdens, mainly as a result of emissions from Zn smelting and subsequent metals purification and recovery from Zn leaching residues. VSR is highest for Pb at the global and national levels.

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Substance Flow Analysis of Indium for Flat Panel Displays in Japan

Cited by 8 publications

References 7 publications

Backlighting the European Indium Recycling Potentials

Backlighting the European Indium Recycling Potentials

Global Substance Flow Analysis of Gallium, Germanium, and Indium: Quantification of Extraction, Uses, and Dissipative Losses within their Anthropogenic Cycles

Criticality of the Geological Zinc, Tin, and Lead Family

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