Environment impact analysis of primary aluminum and recycled aluminum

Based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a quantitative analysis of resources consumption, energy consumption and pollutants emissions caused by the production of primary aluminum and recycled aluminum in China in year of 2008 were carried out. Compared to the status of the year 2003, the energy consumption of primary aluminum production had reduced by 16%. Global Warming Potential (GWP) also had a sharp reduce. These related to the advanced production technology of the alumina suitable for bauxite in China, phasing out of old plants some using Soderberg technology and the reduction of energy consumption of generating electricity. At the production of recycled aluminum, we can find that the energy consumption of recycled aluminum covering transportation, pretreating and remelting of scrap accounts for less than 5% of the primary aluminum production, and the environmental load is lower than the primary aluminum. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.