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Where is all the zinc going: The stocks and flows project, Part 2

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Abstract

Quantitative assessment of the flows of materials from resource extraction to final disposal informs resource policy, energy planning, environmental science, and waste management. This article reports the worldwide technological cycle of zinc for 1994. Of the 7,800 kt of zinc contained in ore mined worldwide, 17% was lost in conversion to metal and another 17% lost or recycled in fabrication and manufacturing leaving 6,970 kt to enter use. Since only a third as much left use in the form of discarded products, the stock of zinc in use throughout the global economy grew substantially. Recycling captured 41% of the worldwide discard flow. The per-capita rate of zinc use was about 1.4 kg/y, and of zinc discards, 0.5 kg/y.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Yale University Department of Geology and Geophysics, USA

    R. B. Gordon

  2. the School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, USA

    R. J. Lifset, M. Bertram, B. Reck & T. E. Graedel

  3. the Department of Civil Engineering, the University of Toronto, Canada

    S. Spatari

Authors
  1. R. B. Gordon
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  2. R. J. Lifset
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  3. M. Bertram
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  4. B. Reck
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  5. T. E. Graedel
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  6. S. Spatari
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Additional information

For more information, contact Thomas E. Graedel, Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, 205 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06520; e-mail thomas.graedel@yale.edu.

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Gordon, R.B., Lifset, R.J., Bertram, M. et al. Where is all the zinc going: The stocks and flows project, Part 2. JOM 56, 24–29 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-004-0266-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-004-0266-4

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