Abstract

n 2003 we wrote a paper for TMS 2003 with the title “PYROMETALLURGICAL REACTORS CLOSERS OF THE RECYCLING MATERIAL CYCLE“ [1]. 20 years further, in 2023 this message is as true as ever, the only difference being the wording has changed to circular economy. We have discussed this aspect in detail also pointing to the opportunities and limits of the circular economy [2]. This topic will surely show the significance and honour Dr. Bert Wasmund. There are so many papers presently discussing the criticality of elements mostly without the depth of physics, few are highlighting the fact that without metallurgical reactors and their infrastructure, all metals and elements become critical [3]. As any metallurgist will know, thermodynamics, kinetics, mass, momentum and heat transfer, reactor type etc. all play a significant role in economically embracing the laws of physics to push the recovery of elements to different material phases to their respective limits, while defining this also in terms of maximizing energy and exergy efficiency [4]. This paper will show the various key roles und technological advancements that have been made and are required to ensure that metallurgical reactors close the loop within the circular economy as we recently discussed [5] as best possible and dictated by the underlying physics and realted economics. This discussion will also be linked to product design as for example done in the EU projects Treasure (www.treasureproject.eu) and CIRC-UITS. [1] M.A. Reuter, J.J. Eksteen, A. van Schaik (2003): Pyrometallurgical reactors – Closers of the material cycle (Invited). Proc. TMS Annual Meeting Yazawa International Symposium on Metallurgical and Materials Processing: Principles and Technologies. 3-6th March 2003 in San Diego, California. Vol. 1. 1005-1018. [2] M.A. Reuter, A. van Schaik, J. Gutzmer, N. Bartie, A. Abadías Llamas (2019): Challenges of the Circular Economy - A material, metallurgical and product design perspective. Annual Review of Materials Research, 49, 253-274. [3] M. Frenzel, J. Kullik, M.A. Reuter, J. Gutzmer (2017): Raw material "criticality" - Sense or nonsense? J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys. 50 (12), 123002 [4] N.J. Bartie, Y.L. Cobos-Becerra, M. Fröhling, R. Schlatmann, M.A. Reuter (2021): The Resources, Exergetic and Environmental Footprint of the Silicon Photovoltaic Circular Economy: Assessment and Opportunities, Resource Conservation Recycling 169, 105516. [5] Y. Wang, J. Wang, L. Cao, Z. Cheng, B. Blanpain, M. Reuter, M. Guo (2023): The State-of-the-Art in the Top Submerged Lance Gas Injection Technology: A Review Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, (online).

Keywords

Furnaces CircularEconomy Metallurgy Simulation Systems DesignForRecycling