This title appears in the Scientific Report :
2020
Please use the identifier:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/adem.201901206 in citations.
Please use the identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/25196 in citations.
Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Neodymium Oxide Electrolysis in Molten Salt
Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Neodymium Oxide Electrolysis in Molten Salt
Rare earth elements are used in renewable energy generation techniques like wind turbines as well as in various high‐tech applications in the automobile industry, electrical engineering, optics, and catalyzers. Due to the environmentally harmful production of rare earths, they have been subject of l...
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Personal Name(s): | Schreiber, Andrea (Corresponding author) |
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Marx, Josefine / Zapp, Petra / Kuckshinrichs, Wilhelm | |
Contributing Institute: |
Systemforschung und Technologische Entwicklung; IEK-STE |
Published in: | Advanced engineering materials, 22 (2020) 6, S. 1901206 - |
Imprint: |
Frankfurt, M.
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Materialkunde
2020
|
DOI: |
10.1002/adem.201901206 |
Document Type: |
Journal Article |
Research Program: |
Assessment of Energy Systems – Addressing Issues of Energy Efficiency and Energy Security |
Link: |
OpenAccess OpenAccess |
Publikationsportal JuSER |
Please use the identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/25196 in citations.
Rare earth elements are used in renewable energy generation techniques like wind turbines as well as in various high‐tech applications in the automobile industry, electrical engineering, optics, and catalyzers. Due to the environmentally harmful production of rare earths, they have been subject of life cycle assessment investigations in the past years. Most of these studies focus on rare earth oxide production. The subsequent reduction of rare earth oxides to the final metal in a molten salt electrolysis has significant environmental impacts especially on human toxicity. The main drivers are rare earth fluoride production and molten salt electrolysis. In this study, exemplarily a comparative life cycle assessment of neodymium oxide electrolysis in molten salt as well as various neodymium fluoride production processes is conducted. The different assumptions regarding inputs and outputs of the electrolysis process are discussed. Then, the impacts of the electrolysis processes modeled in different ways are analyzed in relation to the entire process chain to produce neodymium. The results show a share of the electrolysis process on the entire process chain varying from 9% to 82% depending on different assumptions. Based on this analysis, improvements for the electrolysis process are proposed. |