Enhancing wood efficiency through comprehensive wood flow analysis:Methodology and strategic insights

Wood,an essential natural resource in human civilization,remains widely used despite advances in technology and material substitution.The surge in greenhouse gas emissions and environmental concerns accentuates the need for optimizing wood utilization.Material flow analysis is a powerful tool for tracking material flows and stocks,aiding resource management and environmental decision-making.However,the full extent of its methodological dimensions,particularly within the context of the wood supply chain,remains relatively unexplored.In this study,we delve into the existing literature on wood flow analysis,discussing its primary objectives,materials involved,temporal and spatial scales,data sources,units,and conversion factors.Additionally,data uncertainty,data reconciliation and crucial assumptions in material flow analysis are highlighted in this paper.Key findings reveal the significance of wood cascading and substitution effects by replacing non-wood materials,where they can reduce greenhouse gas emissions more than the natural carbon sink of forests and wood products.The immediate impact of short-term wood cascading might not be as robust as the substitution effect,with energy substitution showcasing better results than material substitution.However,it's crucial to note that these conclusions could experience significant reversal from a long-term and global perspective.Strategies for improving wood efficiency involve maximizing material use,advancing construction technologies,extending product lifespans,promoting cascade use,and optimizing energy recovery processes.The study underscores the need for standardized approaches in wood flow analysis and emphasizes the potential of wood efficiency strategies in addressing environmental challenges.

Study on regional material flow analysis of Chengyang District in Qingdao

Base on the framework of material flow analsis （MFA） proposed by Eurostat, this paper collected related data and conducted a regional MFA for the Chengyang Districgt in Qingdao. The indicators such as Direct Material Input（DMI）, Direct Material Consumption （DMC） and Exports are calculated or estimated for the period of year 1995 through 2004. Several derivable iudicators defining direct material productivity and material intenstiy are also evaluated and some valuable conclusions were drawn. DMI in absolute number increased from about 1645.9 kilotons in 1995to about 8052.5 kilotons in 2004. Imports contribute to about 47 to 69% of DMI, and the biggest component of imports is fossil fuel that approximatley accounts far 50% of imnports. DMI per capita of Chengyang District increased rapidly and reached 17. 4 tons in 2004. Compared with other five economies studied by WRI, material consumption intensity of Chengyang District is significantly lower than developed countries, which indicates that Chengyang District is still in a development stage The direct material productivity （actual GDP per DMI） increased 59.1% from 1995 to 2004 and has been higher than either of stadies in China, which indicates efficiency of resources utilization has improved obviously in Chengyang District. But there was significant increase in material input in the last decade, which shows that rapid increase of economy is highly dependent on requirement and consumption of natural resources. Therefore, in order to promote the sustainahility, it is essential to develop circular economy and improve utilization efficiency of resources.

Preliminary Research on Regional Material Flow Analysis:A Case Study of Chengyang District in Qingdao

The method ＂Material Flow Analysis （MFA）＂ is one of the effective tools to study law and quantification of material flow between economic system and ecological system. On the national level, economy-wide material flow analysis has been published for a number of countries. However, published studies on the regional or local level are still very limited and a standardized method does not exist yet. On the basis of framework of Material Flow Analysis proposed by Eurostat, the paper collected related data and analyzed material input and output for the Chengyang district in Qingdao. The results showed that DMI （Direct Material Input） and TMR （Total Material Requirement） in absolute number increased about 3.6 and 3.9 times, respectively from 1995 to 2004. Fossil fuel and mineral contributed to about 50.3%-76.3% of DMI. Imports of material increased about 5.0 times and became the most important Contributor to DMI, which showed that local economic growth was highly dependent on resources from other regions and countries. DPO （Domestic Processed Output） and TDO （Total Domestic Output） represent slow increasing trend, and DPO contributed to 22.2%-58.1% of TDO, suggesting local hidden flows were of obvious effect on TDO. The biggest component of DPO is CO2, approximately accounting for 90% of DPO. The material productivity increased 57.7% in last decade, reflecting improvement of efficiency of resources utilization in some extent. However, compared to developed countries and regions, material productivity of Chengyang district was relatively low. Therefore, in order to promote the sustainability, it is essential to develop circular economy and enhance materials productivity.

Current status and future trends for material flow analysis applications at CSC

Material Flow Analysis(MFA) is a crucial instrument for sustainable development and creating industrial ecology system.MFA studies could balance and analyze the sources,flows,and consumes of specific materials or substances.The results of MFA studies could support the strategies or decisions making for energy, resource,and waste management,especially achieving sustainable resource management.At CSC,the dynamic simulating software,STELLA,is used to develop a MFA model for scenario analysis.CSC also uses the freeware STAN 2.0 as a tool for visualizing and simulating material flows and stocks.Case studies of greenhouse gases MFA for integrated steel works are conducted.The results showed that the carbon content of hot-metal is an important hidden flow for balance analysis,and the different GHG emission scenarios and mitigation action scenarios are assessed.In addition,the Iron-making GHG I/O MFA Model,based on worldsteel Global Steel Sector Approach(GSSA),is developed for calculating the CO_2 and energy intensity of coke making,sintering,and BF processes.This MFA model was used to analyze the CO_2 reduction potential for iron-making process.The cases conducted for MFA applications at CSC were such as greenhouse gas,zinc,etc.In the future,CSC is going to develop a 'CSC Environment Management and Decision Supporting System' which combine MFA,LCA(life cycle assessment),and environment risk assessment.This supporting system expects to promoting energy efficiency and best resource use,supporting environment policymaking,creating environmental information value,etc.

Changes in functions,forms,and locations of lead during its anthropogenic flows to provide services

Knowledge of the changes in a material’s function, form, and location during the transfer and transformation of materials to generate human services will improve our understanding of how humanity interacts with the environment and of how services are formed by human activities. We compared lead’s anthropogenic and biogeochemical cycles and found that the services, pathways, and changes in form requiring the most attention. We traced lead through its life cycle and identified the changes in its functions, forms, and locations by examining technology and engineering information. Lead ore and scrap were the two main anthropogenic sources of lead. When lead provides human services, its main functions included the storage and delivery of electricity, anti-corrosion treatments, and radiation protection; the main forms of lead in these products were Pb, PbO2 and PbSO4, and the main location changed from lithosphere in central China to regions in eastern China.

Decomposition Analysis on Direct Material Input and Dematerialization of Mining Cities in Northeast China

Material dematerialization is a basic approach to reduce the pressure on the resources and environment and to realize the sustainable development. The material flow analysis and decomposition method are used to calculate the direct material input (DMI) of 14 typical mining cities in Northeast China in 1995–2004 and to analyze the demateri- alization and its driving factors in the different types of mining cities oriented by coal, petroleum, metallurgy and multi-resources. The results are as follows: 1) from 1995 to 2006, the increase rates of the DMI and the material input intensity of mining cities declined following the order of multi-resources, metallurgy, coal, and petroleum cities, and the material utilizing efficiency did following the order of petroleum, coal, metallurgy, and multi-resources cities; 2) during the research period, all the kinds of mining cities were in the situation of weak sustainable development in most years; 3) the pressure on resources and environment in the multi-resources cities was the most serious; 4) the petro- leum cities showed the strong trend of sustainable development; and 5) in recent years, the driving function of eco- nomic development for material consuming has continuously strengthened and the controlling function of material utilizing efficiency for it has weakened. The key approaches to promote the development of circular economy of min- ing cities in Northeast China are put forward in the following aspects: 1) to strengthen the research and development of the technique of resources’ cycling utilization, 2) to improve the utilizing efficiency of resources, and 3) to carry out the auditing system of resources utilization.

Estimation and prediction of plastic waste annual input into the sea from China

Marine plastic debris has been a pervasive issue since the last century, and research on its sources and fates plays a vital role in the establishment of mitigation measures. However, data on the quantity of plastic waste that enters the sea on a certain timescale remain largely unavailable in China. Here, we established a model using material flow analysis method based on life cycle assessment to follow plastic product from primary plastic to plastic waste with statistical data and monitoring data from accurate sources. This model can be used to estimate and forecast the annual input of plastic waste into the sea from China until 2020. In 2011, 0.547 3-0.751 5 million tons of plastic waste entered the seas in China, with a growth rate of 4.55% per year until 2017. And the amount will decrease to 0.257 1 to 0.353 1 million tons in 2020 under the influence of governmental management. The amount of plastic waste discharged from coastal areas calculated in this study was much larger than that from river, thus it is suggested to strengthen the governance and control of plastic waste in coastal fishery activities in China in order to reduce the amount of marine plastic waste input.

Sulfur Flow Analysis for New Generation Steel Manufacturing Process

Sulfur flow for new generation steel manufacturing process is analyzed by the method of material flow analysis, and measures for SO2 emission reduction are put forward as assessment and target intervention of the results. The results of sulfur flow analysis indicate that 90 % of sulfur comes from fuels. Sulfur finally discharges from the steel manufacturing route in various steps, and the main point is BF and BOF slag desulfurization. In sintering process, the sulfur is removed by gasification, and sintering process is the main source of SO2 emission. The sulfur content of coke oven gas （COG） is an important factor affecting SO2 emission. Therefore, SO2 emission reduction should be started from the optimization and integration of steel manufacturing route, sulfur burden should be reduced through energy saving and consumption reduction, and the sulfur content of fuel should be controlled. At the same time, BF and BOF slag desulfurization should be optimized further and coke oven gas and sintering exhausted gas desulfurization should be adopted for SO2 emission reduction and reuse of resource, to achieve harmonic coordination of economic, social, and environmental effects for sustainable development.

Sustainable Intensification of Cultivated Land Use and Its Influencing Factors at the Farming Household Scale: A Case Study of Shandong Province, China

Promoting the sustainable intensification of cultivated land use(SICL) has become crucial for ensuring a sufficient supply of grain and important agricultural products, as well as for the sustainable use of resources. Taking widely used areas of Shandong Province in China as examples, an analytical scale and level framework for SICL is constructed in this study. It measures the level of SICL through material flow analysis, constructs Tobit models to analyze the influencing factors of SICL at the farming household scale,and analyzes the transition mechanisms of SICL. The results show that the overall level of SICL in Shandong Province is low, and the spatial distribution is uneven. There are relatively more farmers participating in unsustainable intensification than in medium or low levels of SICL, with farmers working at a high level of SICL making up the smallest proportion. The factors that determine the level of SICL at which farmers work vary significantly. More male farmers operate at a low SICL level than female farmers, while females outnumber males at a high SICL level. This is mainly related to the regional distribution of age and population. Meanwhile, with larger cultivated land areas, there is a lower degree of land fragmentation, with a higher level of SICL corresponding to a smaller distance to the nearest town closer within 1–5 km from the town center. We can see the level of SICL and its processes themselves are closely related to time and space scales. Based on the above analysis, it is necessary to clarify the standard processes of SICL to adapt them to local conditions. This includes instructing managers on how to improve resource utilization, increase the sustainable development of cultivated land and establish a comprehensively efficient and functional SICL mechanism. The sustainable intensification of cultivated land use and its specific application in the new era are conducive to enriching the frontier theories and methodology of sustainable development, and are of great significance to the advancement of green agriculture and the decision-making of rural high-quality development.

Dynamic phosphorus budget for lake-watershed ecosystems

Lake eutrophication caused by excess phosphorus （P） loading from point sources （PS） and nonpoint sources （NPS） is a persistent and serious ecological problem in China. A phosphorus budget, based on material flow analysis（MFA） and system dynamic （SD）, is proposed and applied for the agriculture-dominated Qionghai Lake watershed located in southwestern China. The MFA-SD approach will not only cover the transporting process of P in the lake-watershed ecosystems, but also can deal with the changes of P budget due to the dynamics of watershed. P inflows include the fertilizer for agricultural croplands, soil losses, domestic sewage discharges, and the atmospheric disposition such as precipitation and dust sinking. Outflows are consisted of hydrologic export, water resources development, fishery and aquatic plants harvesting. The internal P recycling processes are also considered in this paper. From 1988 to 2015, the total P inflows for Lake Qionghai are in a rapid increase from 35.65 to 78.73 t/a, which results in the rising of P concentration in the lake. Among the total P load 2015, agricultural loss and domestic sewage account for 70.60% and 17.27% respectively, directly related to the rapid social-economic development and the swift urbanization. Future management programs designed to reduce P inputs must be put into practices in the coming years to ensure the ecosystem health in the watershed.

The Building of Papermaking Enterprise's Recycling Economy Evaluation Index System Based on Value Flow Analysis

At present,the research on circular economy has made a lot of substantive results both at home and abroad.But for the papermaking enterprise,which is the representative of the light industry,few studies have analyzed the evaluation index system of circular economy.Since the current material flow analyses have limitations that the researchers cannot calculate materials with different units.The authors take advantage of the intrinsic correlation between the basic principle of value flow analysis and circular economy,and then analyze the dynamic changes of material flow and value flow through enterprises internal production process.Considering the resource output,the authors set up the layered structure of the evaluation index system,and then preliminarily determine the index form.Next,the authors use the frequency statistics analysis method to adjust indicators,forming a preliminary index system.After that,the principal component analysis and independent analysis are applied for screening.Finally,the authors build a circular economy evaluation index system for papermaking enterprise to provide scientific guidance for the process of circular economy.

End-of-life batteries management and material flow analysis in South Korea

Consumers increasingly have worn-out batteries as electrical and electronic equipment with new technical developments are introduced into the market and quickly replace older models. As a result, large amounts of end-of-life （EOL） or waste batteries are generated. Such batteries may contain a variety of materials that includes valuable resources as well as toxic elements. Thus, the proper recycling and management of batteries is very important from the perspective of resource conservation and environmental effect. The collection and recycling of EOL batteries is relatively low in South Korea compared to other countries, although an extended producer responsibility （EPR） policy was adopted for battery recycling in 2003. In this study, the management and material flow of EOL batteries is presented to determine potential problems and quantitative flow, based on literature review, site visits to battery recycling facilities, and interviews with experts in the Korea Battery Recycling Association （KBRA）, manufacturers, and regulators in government. The results show that approximately 558 tons of manganese-alkaline batteries, the largest fraction among recycling target items, was disposed in landfills or incinerators in 2015, while approximately 2,000 tons of batteries were recovered at a recycling facility by simple sorting and crushing processes. By raising environmental awareness, more diverse and effective collection systems could be established for consumers to easily dispose of EOL batteries in many places. Producers, retailers and distributors in South Korea should also play an important role in the collection of EOL batteries from consumers. Lithium-ion batteries from many electronic devices must be included in the EPR system for resource recovery.

Material flow analysis(MFA)of an eco-economic system:a case study of Wujin District,Changzhou,China

The economic and ecological aspects of a social system are coherently linked and can be examined by its material and energy flows.In this study,we used the material flow analysis(MFA)to model the material input and output of the Wujin District of Changzhou City,Jiangsu Province in China.It was revealed that:(1)total material input and material input per capita increased with economic development,while the total material out-put and material output per capita decreased consistently;(2)except for water,the total material input continued to increase.Input of solid materials grew faster than that of gaseous materials,while the total material output declined.The gas output accounted for the largest pro-portion of the output resulting in primary environmental pollution as burned fossil fuel;(3)water use in agriculture continued with an increasing trend while that in industrial and residential sectors decreased per capita.The total wastewater discharge and wastewater discharge per capita decreased with a faster decreasing rate of residential was-tewater discharge followed by industrial wastewater discharge;(4)material input per unit GDP fluctuated and material output per unit GDP decreased.A decreasing trend in both water use and wastewater discharge per unit GDP was disclosed.These results suggest that the efficiency of resource use in the Wujin District has improved.This weakened the direct link between economic development and environmental deterioration.Additionally,we discussed the harmonic development between environment and economy.Potential limitations of MFA’s application were also discussed.It is suggested that effective measures should be taken for the enforcement of cir-cular economic strategies and the construction of a resource-saving economy.

A research of material input and environmental impact for Chinese economy:1990-2005

The process of economic activities is on the basis of tremendous material inputs.China has been discharging an enormous amount of waste,giving rise to a wide range of environmental impacts.The method of economy-wide material flow analysis(EW-MFA)is one of the effective tools to examine the flow of materials entering physical economies,and recognize early environmental problems.Relevant researches are still at the early stage in China and most focus on material throughput but are rarely concerned about the utilization of recycling resource and environmental impact.Based on more than 3,000 items of data related,materials entering Chinese economy are classified into three types,and then the characteristics of material input and environmental impact are presented for the years 1990-2005 by using the indicators derived from EW-MFA.The Ratio of Recycled Material(RRM) is added as the new indicator in order to be in accordance with the need of circular economy being promoted in China.Results show that the great changes in the structure of material input cause the continuous increase of industrial solid waste emissions and the bogging down of material productivity.The RRM reveals that the utilization of recycling resources remains at a fairly low level in China.Finally,some weakness of EW-MFA is discussed according to the calculated results.

Exploring the potential for improving material utilization efficiency to secure lithium supply for China's battery supply chain

Lithium-ion battery(LIB)is the key technology for climate change mitigation.The sustainability of LIB supply chain has caused widespread concern since the material utilization efficiency of LIB supply chain has not been well investigated.This study aims to fill this research gap by conducting a dynamic material flow analysis of lithium in China from 2015 to 2021.Results indicate that within the temporal boundary,lithium flow and in-use stock grew significantly in China due to the rapid development of the EV market,with lithium flow in domestic production of basic chemicals increasing by 614%to 100 kt,end-use consumption increasing by 160%to 35 kt,and in-use stock increasing by 62%to 195 kt.China has been a net importer of lithium,of which cumulative imports and exports were 343 kt and 169 kt,respectively.In addition,103 kt of lithium was converted to inventories or was lost during the processing from 2015 to 2021.By optimizing inventory and processing,developing substitutes for lithium for non-battery applications,and improving lithium recycling,China's net import dependency of lithium could be reduced from 27%-86%to 0%-16%.Our study demonstrates that it is urgent to improve material utilization efficiency so that the lithium resource supply can be secured.

Development of the Physical Input Monetary Output Model for Understanding Material Flows within Ecological-Economic Systems

利用经济投入产出表所提供的经济数据以及物质流分析所提供的社会代谢数据,建立了物质投入价值产出(PIMO)模型对生态经济系统的代谢进行量化分析。该模型基于一系列经济部门的物质平衡方程,可以较为方便地对生态经济系统的物质代谢进行模拟和分析。以中国为例,本文对该模型的建立和使用进行了演示,各类经济活动对生态经济系统代谢的影响得到了量化。

Characteristics of metal flow in cold extrusion under electric-hydraulic chattering

An experimental setup for cold extrusion process with electric-hydraulic chattering was developed and its working principle was introduced. The finite element （FE） model for a kind of cup part （material： 20Cr） was built by using the software Deform-3D. FE simulation experiments with and without electric-hydraulic chattering were carried out to analyze the velocity fields and the metal grid flow lines. The extrusion ex- periments of the cup part were also performed under different conditions. The difference of metal flow lines with and without electric-hydraulic chattering was discussed via a scanning electron microscope （SEM） and the Keyence super-depth three-dimensional microscopic system. The results showed that with the electric-hydraulic chattering, the velocity of material flow increases, whereas deformation resistance decreases. Electric hydraulic chattering results in easy metal flow, small bending degree of metal flow lines, slender and dense metal grains, and thereby an improved quality of the deformed parts.

Win-Win:Anthropogenic circularity for metal criticality and carbon neutrality

Resource depletion and environmental degradation have fueled a burgeoning discipline of anthropogenic circularity since the 2010s.It generally consists of waste reuse,remanufacturing,recycling,and recovery.Circular economy and“zero-waste”cities are sweeping the globe in their current practices to address the world’s grand concerns linked to resources,the environment,and industry.Meanwhile,metal criticality and carbon neutrality,which have become increasingly popular in recent years,denote the material's feature and state,respectively.The goal of this article is to determine how circularity,criticality,and neutrality are related.Upscale anthropogenic circularity has the potential to expand the metal supply and,as a result,reduce metal criticality.China barely accomplished 15%of its potential emission reduction by recycling iron,copper,and aluminum.Anthropogenic circularity has a lot of room to achieve a win-win objective,which is to reduce metal criticality while also achieving carbon neutrality in a near closed-loop cycle.Major barriers or challenges for conducting anthropogenic circularity are deriving from the inadequacy of life-cycle insight governance and the emergence of anthropogenic circularity discipline.Material flow analysis and life cycle assessment are the central methodologies to identify the hidden problems.Mineral processing and smelting,as well as end-of-life management,are indicated as critical priority areas for enhancing anthropogenic circularity.

Spatiotemporal evolution and driving factors for GHG emissions of aluminum industry in China

China’s aluminum(Al)production has released a huge amount of greenhouse gas(GHG)emissions.As one of the biggest country of primary Al production,China must mitigate its overall GHG emission from its Al industry so that the national carbon neutrality target can be achieved.Under such a background,the study described in this paper conducts a dynamic material flow analysis to reveal the spatiotemporal evolution features of Al flows in China from 2000 to 2020.Decomposition analysis is also performed to uncover the driving factors of GHG emission generated from the Al industry.The major findings include the fact that China’s primary Al production center has transferred to the western region;the primary Al smelting and carbon anode consumption are the most carbonintensive processes in the Al life cycle;the accumulative GHG emission from electricity accounts for 78.14% of the total GHG emission generated from the Al industry;China’s current Al recycling ratio is low although the corresponding GHG emission can be reduced by 93.73% if all the primary Al can be replaced by secondary Al;and the total GHG emission can be reduced by 88.58% if major primary Al manufacturing firms are transferred from Inner Mongolia to Yunnan.Based upon these findings and considering regional disparity,several policy implications are proposed,including promotion of secondary Al production,support of clean electricity penetration,and relocation of the Al industry.

Occurrence of antibiotics in typical pig farming and its wastewater treatment in Thailand

This study investigated antibiotics in pig feed and drinking water and their excretion together with manure and wastewater at a typical pig farm in Thailand.Among the 21 antibiotics analyzed,tetracyclines,macrolides,b-lactams,aminoglycosides,quinolones,sulfonamides,pleuromutilin,and florfenicol classes,were found as active ingredients in feed and drinking water and excreted together with pig wastes.Among them,doxycycline,tilmicosin,and amoxicillin were detected higher concentrations in wastewater(12.9e459.1 mg L^(-1)),sediment(0.074e0.62 mg kg^(-1)),and pig manure(0.45e4.1 mg kg^(-1)).During wastewater treatment,those major antibiotics were remaining in pond water and settled sludge up to 79.5 mg L-1 and 24.2 mg kg^(-1),respectively.The normalized excretion mass of total antibiotics was determined as 11.2 mg head-1 day-1,contributed mainly from doxycycline(5.9 mg head-1 day-1),tilmicosin(2.8 mg head-1 day-1),and amoxicillin(2.2 mg head-1 day-1).Based on total pig production in Thailand,the excreted mass of antibiotics was estimated at 79.3 tons year-1.