C2GE3E

Cradle-to-gate and efficiency studies of major materials used in electrical and electronic equipment

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'Electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) are made of hundreds of components using thousand of materials in their lifespan. The complexity of material flows, coupled with the uncertainty of their sustainable use, makes it evident that a sound method of quantification and assessment is in order. The project aims to quantify the cradle-to-gate of the plastics and metals used in EEE in order to assess their life cycle and efficiency. Inputs and outputs to each process will be accounted by using the material balance principle whereas efficiencies will be calculated using exergy analysis. Exergy represents the potential for work or available energy, and it is not conserved, making it a useful property in determining losses, efficiency and irreversibilities of a system. The results of the C2GE3E project will help obtaining a wider knowledge of the material and energy requirements for the production of EEE but also the wastes generated through their lifespan. The project includes a case study based on a multifunctional mobile phone which uses scarce metals. Research in those metals is crucial to estimate the potential for mass production of emerging technologies and will help develop prospective assessments about future demands and reusing and recycling potential to meet the goals set by the Waste EEE directive. Dr Talens Peiró is a motivated young researcher that expects to advance in the research of life cycle and exergy analyses. The Marie Curie fellowship will provide her a highly qualified supervision by Prof. Ayres who works in efficiency studies since 1970s and did the first studies in life cycle and exergy analyses back in the 1990’s. The fellowship will offer a unique opportunity to advance her career as an independent researcher by consolidating her post-doctoral activities, improving her research, teaching, and vocational skills and enhance her international and multi-cultural experiences.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

EU-funded scientists delivered important insight into the life cycle and efficiency of materials that are necessary to produce electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) components.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The EEE sector is one of the biggest industries in the EU and worldwide. The demand for smaller and lighter electronic devices has raised the false perception that such technologies are intertwined with low material requirements and low energy-intensive processes. For instance, a 2 gramme microchip requires about 630 times its mass of fossil fuel and chemical inputs.

Work through the project 'Cradle-to-gate and efficiency studies of major materials used in electrical and electronic equipment' (C2GE3E) helped provide a better view of the material and energy requirements for producing EEE components and of the waste generated throughout their lifespan.

To calculate material energy efficiency, scientists used the exergy concept. Exergy is a way of describing how much of a given quantity of energy can theoretically be converted to useful work.

Scientists devoted efforts to performing mass balances and exergy analyses of more than 60 industrial chemicals that are used for producing plastics for EEE components. The obtained results were then used to estimate the exergy efficiency of the process chains of five different plastics. Depending on whether processes are considered isolated or integrated as part of a multi-product process chain, the efficiency can greatly vary.

Through a mass flow analysis, scientists provided important insight into the future supply and production of scarce metals. Both should depend on increasing the recovery rate from attractor metals, improving extraction efficiencies and enhancing recycling, given that scarce metals occur on dispersed-element ores.

Results from rare earth production demonstrated that the greatest loss of such elements occurs during mining and the beneficiation of minerals. Scientists also illustrated a possible way to explore the metabolism of each metal by using lithium as an example.

Project work included a case study based on a multifunctional mobile phone that uses scarce metals.

C2GE3E findings should have major impact on metal recycling companies. As a result, they are expected to focus on developing processes that allow recovering a tiny amount of metals embodied in products such as mobile phones, laptops and flat-screen displays.