A Technical Evaluation Framework for Recycling Technologies

A Technical Evaluation Framework for Recycling Technologies

his project seeks to develop a framework for determining a temporal hierarchy of technical recycling constraints and corresponding recycling parameters (recycling rates, recycled contents, and environmental benefits), develop a consistent quantitative methodology for defining the performance of recycling technologies, and collect sufficient material flow, composition, and recycling technology data to demonstrate the framework by evaluating the merits of emerging metal and polymer recycling technologies for select scrap streams.

Upon completion, this project aims to validate the Python‐based Recycling Constraint Evaluation Framework (RCEF) model containing the metal and polymer case study results that can be easily adapted to any material stream, an excel‐based Recycling Technology Performance (RTP) model (input to the RCEF model) containing a quantitative description of >11 emerging recycling technology processes and that can be easily adapted to add new technology definitions, and a published report on A New Framework for Evaluating Recycling Constraints and the Efficacy of Emerging Recycling technologies. Systems Analysis and Integration projects do not directly impact TPMs. 

Project Team:
University of Michigan, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), The Plastics Industry Association, The Aluminum Association, Steel Manufacturers Association

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21-01-SA-5034

Course on Systems Thinking for Material Management: Benefit and Tools

Course on Systems Thinking for Material Management: Benefit and Tools

The objective of this project is to develop awareness, practitioner, and expert level training focused on benefits and tools of systems thinking for material management, content will be prepared for both in-person and online delivery.

Upon completion, awareness level training will provide an overview of systems analysis tools and applications, namely MFA, LCA, and life cycle cost analysis. Practitioner level training will give students a sound understanding of systems analysis tools available, an overview of references and experts to contact for follow-up questions, and the ability to conduct basic material flow, life cycle, and cost analysis. Students will use some software products and web-based tools as part of this course. Expert level training will include an introduction to LCA tools and methods, criticality assessments, the NREL material flows in industry tool, and combined systems analysis. This expert level training will build upon the awareness and practitioner training and case studies. Students will be instructed on conducting MFAs and LCAs independently.

The target audience for this project include workforce engineers, technicians, managers and executives throughout the supply chain for metals, polymers, fibers, and electronics. This project will coordinate outreach with partners, including Green Blue, to disseminate training.

Project Team:
Georgia Institute of Technology, Yale University, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), GreenBlue, The Aluminum Association

21-01-EWD-5116

Material and Vehicle Design for High-Value Recycling of Aluminum and Steel Automotive Sheet

Material and Vehicle Design for High-Value Recycling of Aluminum and Steel Automotive Sheet

This project seeks to increase automotive sheet metal EOL (post‐consumer) recycled content; thus, reducing vehicle embodied energy and primary feedstock consumption. The objectives are to produce a new analytical design for recycling tool tailored for automotive metal sheets, and to generate new knowledge on how EOL sheet recycling is affected by vehicle design (e.g., alloy specification), recycling system infrastructure (e.g., deployment of emerging separation processes), and sheet manufacturing process decisions (e.g., temperature profiles informed by new Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) tools).

Project Team:
University of Michigan, Ford Motor Company, Novelis, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), The Aluminum Association, Light Metal Consultants

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20-01-DE-4030