Sustainable Utilization of Metals - Processing, Recovery and Recycling

Dear Colleagues,

The high demand on advanced metallic materials raises the need for an extensive recycling of metals and a more sustainable use of raw materials. Advanced materials are crucial for technological applications, coexisting with an increasing scarcity of natural resources. This Special Issue, "Sustainable Utilization of Metals - Processing, Recovery and Recycling", is dedicated to the latest scientific achievements in efficient production of metals, purposing a sustainable resource use.

The idea of a circular economy is the point of origin for contributions, aiming on the recirculation of metal-rich waste streams—such as Waste Electric and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), multi-metal alloys and composite materials—back into metal production. This topic goes along with pursuing the holistic use of input materials, resulting in the avoidance of waste by-products. In order to minimize material losses and energy consumption, this issue explores concepts for the optimization concerning the interface between mechanical and thermal pre-treatment and metallurgical processes.

Furthermore, the direct re-use of complex alloys and composite materials without splitting them up into their single constituents is taken into account.

Papers in this issue are also engaged with the question, how the properties of indispensable advanced materials and alloys can be preserved by a more responsible input or even avoidance of particular constituents. In this regard, new approaches in material design, structural engineering and substitution are provided.

Considering both principal aspects—circular economy and material design—the recovery and the use of minor metals play an essential role, since their importance for technological applications often goes along with a lack of supply on the world market. Additionally, their ignoble character, as well as their low concentration in recycling materials cause a low recycling rate of these metals, awarding them the status of “critical metals”.

Prof. Dr. Bernd Friedrich
Guest Editor

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