2014-Sustainable Industrial Processing Summit
SIPS 2014 Volume 2: Mineral Processing
| Editors: | Kongoli F |
| Publisher: | Flogen Star OUTREACH |
| Publication Year: | 2014 |
| Pages: | 446 pages |
| ISBN: | 978-1-987820-04-1 |
| ISSN: | 2291-1227 (Metals and Materials Processing in a Clean Environment Series) |
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Life Cycle Assessment as an Indicator Tool for Sustainable Development in Mineral Processing
Kyle Brashear1; Andrew Louk1; Dylan Rowley1;1VIRGINIA TECH, Blacksburg, United States;
Type of Paper: Regular
Id Paper: 120
Topic: 2
Abstract:
The development of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) software tools over the last 25 years has been well documented in a variety of products and processes, in a multitude of industries. Regardless of the industry or application, mineral processing activities are instrumental in the production and development of these practices, and the focus of sustainable development in mineral processing activities has the potential to effect many downstream industries. Until recently, LCA has rarely been applied to mineral processing and mining related activities, and this paper aimed to look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of this tool, and how the results of LCA can be used to promote sustainable development in the mineral processing sector. This paper overviews some of the previous work done with LCA in different processing applications, while also conducting a LCA of a singular processing related activity (coal flotation). The coal flotation LCA in this paper was used as an illustrative tool of how process-based LCAs works, and how it can be applied to sustainable development, more so than as a formal study. The goal of this paper is to show not only the potential benefits and advantages of using LCA to assist in sustainable development, but also to comment on some of the short comings and hazards of relying on LCA results.