Application of stochastic approach based on Monte Carlo (MC) simulation for life cycle inventory (LCI) of the rare earth elements (REEs) in beneficiation rare earth waste from the gold processing: case study

Bogusław Bieda,Katarzyna Grzesik,B Kaźmierczak,K Piekarska,J Danielewicz,M Kutyłowska,H Jouhara

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/20172200018

Abstract

The study proposes an stochastic approach based on Monte Carlo (MC) simulation for life cycle assessment (LCA) method limited to life cycle inventory (LCI) study for rare earth elements (REEs) recovery from the secondary materials processes production applied to the New Krankberg Mine in Sweden. The MC method is recognizes as an important tool in science and can be considered the most effective quantification approach for uncertainties. The use of stochastic approach helps to characterize the uncertainties better than deterministic method. Uncertainty of data can be expressed through a definition of probability distribution of that data (e.g. through standard deviation or variance). The data used in this study are obtained from: (i) site-specific measured or calculated data, (ii) values based on literature, (iii) the ecoinvent process „rare earth concentrate, 70% REO, from bastnasite, at beneficiation” . Environmental emissions (e.g, particulates, uranium-238, thorium-232), energy and REE (La, Ce, Nd, Pr, Sm, Dy, Eu, Tb, Y, Sc, Yb, Lu, Tm, Y, Gd) have been inventoried. The study is based on a reference case for the year 2016. The combination of MC analysis with sensitivity analysis is the best solution for quantified the uncertainty in the LCI/LCA. The reliability of LCA results may be uncertain, to a certain degree, but this uncertainty can be noticed with the help of MC method.

Highlights

All of the rare earth elements (REEs), were identified in the 20th century
The aim of this study were to develop a stochastic approach for Life cycle assessment (LCA) technique limited to life cycle inventory (LCI) uncertainty assessment for study for rare earth elements (REEs) recovery from the secondary materials processes production applied to the New Krankberg Mine in Sweden
In the present study we discuss and modeled our LCI based on the proposed process for the beneficiation of REE in the flotation tailings from new Kankberg mine [18]

Summary

Introduction

All of the REEs, were identified in the 20th century. Detailed history of REE production is presented in Castor and Hedrick [3]. Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 elements with similar chemical properties, including 15 in the lanthanide group, yttrium, and scandium because of their similar physical and chemical properties [2]. For more than two decades, at least 95% of annual global supply of the rare-earth elements (REEs) has been provided by Chinese rare-earth producers. Life cycle assessment (LCA) takes a holitic approach and provides a complete view of the environmental impacts over the entire life cycle of a proces or product, from raw material extraction and aquisition, manufacturing, transportation and didtribution, use and maintenance, reuse and recycle, and all the way to disposal and waste management [2, 5, 7]

Objectives

Results

Conclusion