Abstract
Purpose
Ferro niobium (FeNb) is a metallic alloy whose industrial use has been increasing steadily in the last decades. This work aims to systematize the available information on FeNb production, provide its inventory data and generate its first technologically representative publicly available life cycle impact assessment (LCIA).
Methods
The production of 1 kg of FeNb from pyrochlore in the baseline year 2017 was modelled following a cradle-to-gate approach. Primary information on mass, energy and water flows was collected when possible from the Brazilian leading FeNb supplier, CBMM (80% of the world market). The CML method (CML-IA 4.7) was applied for the impact assessment including global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), eutrophication potential (EP), ozone layer depletion potential (ODP), abiotic depletion potential (fossil and elemental) (ADPfossil and ADPelemental) and photochemical ozone creation potential (POCP).
Results and discussion
The first stage of pyrochlore processing (pyrochlore ore extraction, mechanical processing and flotation) and the last stage (aluminothermic reaction) bear the highest impact in all analyzed CML impact categories. The primary aluminium consumption has the most important contribution in five out of seven impact categories (50% in ADPfossil, 55% in AP, 35% in EP, 57% in GWP and 40% in POCP). In this sense, the industry should promote a higher share of secondary aluminium in the production process. Also, the impact from electricity consumption and processing chemicals showed to be relevant.
Conclusions
This work is the first LCIA on ferro niobium to be published with representative, high-quality data. A dataset was produced in order to enable ferro niobium to be incorporated to future LCIA-modelling.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alves A (2015) Proposição de um modelo para a avaliação do ciclo de vida do nióbio. Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba
Alves AR, dos Reis Coutinho A (2019) Life cycle assessment of niobium: A mining and production case study in Brazil. Miner Eng 132:275–283
Bach V, Finkbeiner M (2017) Approach to qualify decision support maturity of new versus established impact assessment methods—demonstrated for the categories acidification and eutrophication. Int J Life Cycle Assess 22:387–397
Baitz M, Makishi Colodel C, Kupfer T et al (2019) GaBi Database and Modelling Principles. Leinfelden-Echterdingen
Bradley DC, Stillings LL, Jaskula BW et al (2017) Critical Mineral Resources of the United States — Economic and Environmental Geology and Prospects for Future Supply: Niobium and Tantalum. USGS Science Publishing NetworkReston Publishing Service Center
CBMM (2018a) Sustainability Report 2017 CBMM. Belo Horizonte
CBMM (2018b) About CBMM. http://www.cbmm.com.br/. Accessed 10 Jul 2018
Chatham House (2018) ‘resourcetrade.earth.’ http://resourcetrade.earth/. Accessed 5 Jun 2019
CML - Department of Industrial Ecology (2016) CML-IA Characterisation Factors. https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/research/research-output/science/cml-ia-characterisation-factors. Accessed 5 Jun 2019
Comissão de Minas e Energia (2017) Session 1182/17. Brasília
Eckert J (2012) Niobium and Niobium Compounds. In: Ullmann’s Encyclopedia of industrial chemistry. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co.KGaA
Gediga J, Morfino A, Finkbeiner M et al (2019) Life Cycle Assessment of Zircon Sand. Int J Life Cycle Assess 24(11):1976–1984
Gupta CK, Suri AK (1994) Extractive Metallurgy of Niobium, 1st edn. CRC Press, Boca Raton
ISO 14040 (2006) International Standard – Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Principles and framework
ISO 14044 (2006) International Standard – Environmental management – Life cycle assessment – Requirements and guidelines
Lemos M (2012) Estudos para avaliação da capacidade de reservatório de rejeitos de nióbio. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto
Moura HRS, De Moura L (2007) Melting and purification of niobium. AIP Conf Proc 927:165–178
Nikishina EE, Drobot DV, Lebedeva EN (2014) Niobium and tantalum: State of the world market, application fields, and sources of raw materials. Part 2. Russ J Non-Ferrous Met 55:130–140
Nuss P, Eckelman MJ (2014) Life cycle assessment of metals: A scientific synthesis. PLoS One 9:1–12
Oliveira JF, Saraiva SM, Pimenta JS, Oliveira APA (2001) Technical note: Kinetics of pyrochlore flotation from Araxa mineral deposits. Miner Eng 14:99–105
Santero N, Hendry J (2016) Harmonization of LCA methodologies for the metal and mining industry. Int J Life Cycle Assess 21:1543–1553
Schulz K, DeYoung J, Seal R, Bradley D (2017) Niobium and Tantalum. In: Critical Mineral Resources of the United States—Economic and Environmental Geology and Prospects for Future Supply. Mineral Resources Program Coordinator U.S. Geological Survey, pp M1–M34
U.S. Geological Survey (2019) Mineral Commodity Summaries
Acknowledgements
Part of the work presented here was prepared in the context of the DFG project RessMob (Assessment of abiotic and biotic resources within the mobility sector–development of assessment criteria, methods and concepts) (project number: FI 1622/6-1). We would like to thank the DFG for the financial support. The authors are also thankful for the production data kindly provided by CBMM.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Responsible editor: Andrea J. Russell-Vaccari
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dolganova, I., Bosch, F., Bach, V. et al. Life cycle assessment of ferro niobium. Int J Life Cycle Assess 25, 611–619 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-019-01714-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11367-019-01714-7