Abstract
The US copper, lead, zinc, aluminum and iron and steel sectors exhibit increasing competition for their products from new materials such as plastics and ceramics. The likely result of that competition and increased recycling is a decline in domestic production from virgin materials. Parallel to these developments are continued strong efforts by industry to improve material handling and energy efficiencies, and to switch towards cleaner fuels. What are implications of these trends for material and energy use and CO 2 emissions by the copper, lead, zinc, aluminum and iron and steel sectors? To answer this question, this paper presents a systems view of industrial activity in which the major raw materials and energy flows are traced through the five US metals sectors. Dynamic interrelationships among resource extraction, materials processing, fuel use and technological change are specified on the basis of time series data and engineering information. Projections of material, energy and CO 2 emissions profiles are presented for the years 1990–2020. These projections include energy requirements by the energy sectors to supply various fuels and electricity for the five metals sectors.
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