Technical Options for Conservation of Metals. Case Studies of Selected Metals and Products

摘要

The shortages in many critical metals and other materials that the United States has experienced in recent years, along with its increasing dependence on foreign sources of supply for those materials has intensified interest in the prospects for making less wasteful and more efficient use of materials. This study explores the kinds and amounts of waste that occur in this Nation's use of eight critical metals and the technical options for reducing that waste. The eight metals studied are: iron, copper, aluminum, manganese, chromium, nickel, tungsten, and platinum. In their levels of import dependence and in other respects, these metals are a representative sample of commercially important metals. This study was requested by the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the U.S. Senate.