Dynamic circulation analysis of lightweight structural materials for automobiles and effect vertification of remanufacturing

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K17918
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 64050:Sound material-cycle social systems-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Zhang Zhengyang 東北大学, 環境科学研究科, 助教 (40875465)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 自動車 / 電動化 / 軽量化 / 金属資源 / リサイクル / リユース / リマニュファクチャリング / マテリアルフロー分析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research has investigated the changes in the circulatory pathways for metal resources associated with the global developments of vehicle electrification and light-weighting, as well as the impacts of technological and policy choices on mitigating resource loss to the environment. The key findings indicate that implementing reuse and remanufacturing in a recycling-centric resource circulation system can reduce the losses of steel, nickel, and cobalt to the environment in Japan by 2 to 5% after 50 years since the first year of production. Further, the newly developed solid-state electrolysis process for the upcycling of aluminium scrap is possible to produce aluminium with a purity of 99.9%, which is comparable to that of primary aluminium from aluminium scrap.This process has the potential to address the looming imbalance in global aluminium cycles due to the global shift to electric vehicles. With this technique, aluminium can be upgraded and utilized as primary aluminium.

Free Research Field

物質循環解析

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で開発した動的なマテリアルフロー分析モデルは、リユースやリマニュファクチャリング、素材リサイクルによる多層な資源循環構造による日本の全産業部門における鋼及び合金元素の損失削減効果の評価、循環経済モデルに基づく国レベルでのリマニュファクチャリングの推進や異なる資源循環政策を検討する際の優先順位付けまたは組合せ最適化に利用できる。加えて、アルミニウムのサステナブルリサイクル新技術の開発により、アルミニウム再生時における質の低下を防ぎつつ、電気自動車や太陽光発電など低炭素技術を支える高純度アルミニウムの需要を満たし、持続可能なアルミニウム利用の実現に向けて一つの技術選択肢を提供した。