Process Metallurgy in Circular Economy System Design: Challenges & Solutions


Process Metallurgy in Circular Economy System Design: Challenges & Solutions

Reuter, M. A.; Bartie, N.

Realising the circular economy (CE) is faced with some significant challenges. Process metallurgy and its infrastructure play key roles at the heart of making the CE work. Therefore, the enabling role of process metallurgy within the CE will be central to the discussion in this paper, touching among others on product and system design as well as the key metallurgical and other process fundamentals that need to be investigated and understood to make the CE a reality. The central role of materials and its processing will be discussed in an integrated circular cities perspective. A key focus will be a discussion on designing a resilient “Smart Materials Grid” using and innovating metallurgical process engineering tools, which will manage the flows through Sustainable Circular Cities. The discussion will be using copper as leitmotiv of the discussion i.e. from copper ore, to metal, to complex products, recycling, product design and simulation and its impact.

Keywords: circular economy; Process metallurgy; “Smart Materials Grid”; Sustainable Circular Cities

  • Invited lecture (Conferences)
    COM 2019 Hosting Copper 2019, 18.-21.08.2019, Vancouver, Canada

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-30630
Publ.-Id: 30630