Collecting, harmonizing and sharing data on European Raw Materials

Author(s):  
Lisbeth Flindt Jørgensen ◽  
Špela Kumelj ◽  
Teresa Brown

<p>Geological raw materials cover a wide range of materials from sand and gravel over granites and marbles to precious or critical metals and minerals. Man has extracted these materials from the (sub)surface since prehistorical eras, and these indispensable substances have to a very large extent contributed to the evolution of humankind.</p><p>In the latest decades, raw materials of economically and strategically importance for society but with high-risks associated with their supply, referred to as Critical Raw Materials (CRMs). To a large extent they form the basis for modern society as they are essential in key industry sectors. In the latest years, access to CRMs is a strategic security question for Europe’s road towards the green transition.</p><p>In September 2020, The European Commission launched a new list of CRMs as well as a strategy to enhance Europe’s resilience as most of these substances are sourced from other continents, and as the global competitions is increasing (EC, 2020). Among others, one of the suggested actions in this strategy is to ‘strengthen the sustainable and responsible domestic sourcing ……. in the European Union’. Although Europe has a long tradition of mining and extractive activities, it is acknowledged that there are several challenges to reach a situation with European sourcing of a certain amount of CRMs. Challenges include lack of interest in investment, strict permitting procedures or low levels of public acceptance. Nevertheless, it is recognized that the European geological conditions carry significant potential for CRMs, but more harmonised knowledge across borders is needed. This is where the Geological Survey Organisations of Europe play an important role as they are key partners in collecting and storing information on raw materials at national levels, and in making these available for endusers as policy and decision makers.  </p><p>All European countries have a national geological survey organization, some in addition a number of regional surveys. Most host data on raw materials, however, data are typically organized in different ways from one country to another based on different geological traditions and legal commitments. In the GeoERA MINTELL4EU project we build on previous projects as Minerals4EU, ProSUM, SCRREEN, ORAMA, and cooperate with ongoing projects as RESEERVE to collect raw material data in central database and to visualize these data in harmonized way at the European Geological Data Infrastructure (EGDI). Data includes, among other things, the location of individual mineral occurrences, mines, etc. stored in a central database called MIN4EU, and aggregated statistical data at national level on production, trade and reserves etc, compiled in what we know as the electronic Minerals Yearbook. The methods used for collecting (harvesting) and storing data will be discussed, and examples of harmonized visualizations will be shared.</p><p>MINTELL4EU is a part of the GeoERA programme supported by European Union's Horizon 2020, grant agreement no. 731166. </p>

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 598-617 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.V. Ratner

Subject. The article considers the concept of circular economy, which has originated relatively recently in the academic literature, and is now increasingly recognized in many countries at the national level. In the European Union, the transition to circular economy is viewed as an opportunity to improve competitiveness of the European Union, protect businesses from resource shortages and fluctuating prices for raw materials and supplies, and a way to increase employment and innovation. Objectives. The aim of the study is to analyze the incentives developed by the European Commission for moving to circular economy, and to assess their effectiveness on the basis of statistical analysis. Methods. I employ general scientific methods of research. Results. The analysis of the EU Action Plan for the Circular Economy enabled to conclude that the results of the recent research in circular economy barriers, eco-innovation, technology and infrastructure were successfully integrated into the framework of this document. Understanding the root causes holding back the circular economy development and the balanced combination of economic and administrative incentives strengthened the Action Plan, and it contributed to the circular economy development in the EU. Conclusions. The measures to stimulate the development of the circular economy proposed in the European Action Plan can be viewed as a prototype for designing similar strategies in other countries, including Russia. Meanwhile, a more detailed analysis of barriers to the circular economy at the level of individual countries and regions is needed.


Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2237 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Sarika ◽  
Paul Nancarrow ◽  
Abdulrahman Khansaheb ◽  
Taleb Ibrahim

Phenol–formaldehyde (PF) resin continues to dominate the resin industry more than 100 years after its first synthesis. Its versatile properties such as thermal stability, chemical resistance, fire resistance, and dimensional stability make it a suitable material for a wide range of applications. PF resins have been used in the wood industry as adhesives, in paints and coatings, and in the aerospace, construction, and building industries as composites and foams. Currently, petroleum is the key source of raw materials used in manufacturing PF resin. However, increasing environmental pollution and fossil fuel depletion have driven industries to seek sustainable alternatives to petroleum based raw materials. Over the past decade, researchers have replaced phenol and formaldehyde with sustainable materials such as lignin, tannin, cardanol, hydroxymethylfurfural, and glyoxal to produce bio-based PF resin. Several synthesis modifications are currently under investigation towards improving the properties of bio-based phenolic resin. This review discusses recent developments in the synthesis of PF resins, particularly those created from sustainable raw material substitutes, and modifications applied to the synthetic route in order to improve the mechanical properties.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (14) ◽  
pp. 7572
Author(s):  
Gigliola D’Angelo ◽  
Marina Fumo ◽  
Mercedes del Rio Merino ◽  
Ilaria Capasso ◽  
Assunta Campanile ◽  
...  

Demolition activity plays an important role in the total energy consumption of the construction industry in the European Union. The indiscriminate use of non-renewable raw materials, energy consumption, and unsustainable design has led to a redefinition of the criteria to ensure environmental protection. This article introduces an experimental plan that determines the viability of a new type of construction material, obtained from crushed brick waste, to be introduced into the construction market. The potential of crushed brick waste as a raw material in the production of building precast products, obtained by curing a geopolymeric blend at 60 °C for 3 days, has been exploited. Geopolymers represent an important alternative in reducing emissions and energy consumption, whilst, at the same time, achieving a considerable mechanical performance. The results obtained from this study show that the geopolymers produced from crushed brick were characterized by good properties in terms of open porosity, water absorption, mechanical strength, and surface resistance values when compared to building materials produced using traditional technologies.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1197
Author(s):  
Dumitru Mitrica ◽  
Ioana Cristina Badea ◽  
Beatrice Adriana Serban ◽  
Mihai Tudor Olaru ◽  
Denisa Vonica ◽  
...  

The paper is proposing a mini-review on the capability of the new complex concentrated alloys (CCAs) to substitute or reduce the use of critical raw materials in applications for extreme conditions. Aspects regarding the regulations and expectations formulated by the European Union in the most recent reports on the critical raw materials were presented concisely. A general evaluation was performed on the CCAs concept and the research directions. The advantages of using critical metals for particular applications were presented to acknowledge the difficulty in the substitution of such elements with other materials. In order to establish the level of involvement of CCAs in the reduction of critical metal in extreme environment applications, a presentation was made of the previous achievements in the field and the potential for the reduction of critical metal content through the use of multi-component compositions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Pritulska ◽  
I. Motuzka ◽  
A. Koshelnyk ◽  
M. Jarossová ◽  
A. Lacková

A recent tendency in Ukraine is the changes in the structure of food consumption, which are caused by the reduced consumption of some product groups and by their decreasing quality. A persisting problem is that affordable and easy-to-consume food products made with due consideration of the needs of patients with certain categories of diseases can hardly be found on the domestic market. The products present on the domestic market are all imported, available in a limited assortment, very expensive, and not customised to suit all the specific needs of human metabolism. Approaches to the nutrition of patients with certain types of nutrition-dependent and non-infectious diseases have been analysed. It has been established that аn effective component in the diet of patients with non-infectious diseases can be plant-based milk analogues. It has been determined how important it is to use domestic raw materials: it will contribute to expanding domestic production, will help the gross domestic product growth, and will reduce the product’s costs, thus reducing the costs of diagnostic and treatment procedures. It has been established that the assortment of plant-based milk analogues is constantly expanding. The vegetable raw material conventionally used to make this product group has been analysed. It has been shown that fenugreek seeds can be most effectively used to make special food products (in particular, plant-based milk analogues) for the nutritional support of patients with non-infectious diseases. This is feasible due to the availability of the raw material, simple cultivating conditions, the chemical composition of the product (e. g. a wide range of biologically active substances), low costs of the product when it is made from domestic raw materials, and the simple production technology. It is expected that manufacture of milk analogues from fenugreek seeds will widen the assortment of this product group, and satisfy the target consumers’ needs of safe and high quality products that offer an alternative to imports.


Author(s):  
В. В. Поздняков ◽  
Ю. В. Харченко ◽  
Л. Я. Харченко ◽  
О. В. Анцыферова

Гибриды сахарной и сверхсахарной кукурузы являются хорошим сырьем для производства функциональных пищевых продуктов, в том числе диетического и детского питания. Важными показателями высокого качества этих продуктов являются повышенное содержание белка и ценного масла, незначительное количество плохо усвояемого кукурузного крахмала и высокое содержание антиоксидантов, а также отменные вкусовые качества. В работе представлены данные по оценке антиоксидантной активности большой группы новых перспективных гибридов сверхсахарной кукурузы среднеспелой группы, созданных с целью получения ценных источников сырья для консервной промышленности. Значения показателя общей антиоксидантной активности варьировали в широком интервале значений (от 31,8 % до 60,4 %, 568,4–1008 мкг/г семян), что указывает на перспективность использования этого важного биохимического параметра в селекции сверхсахарной кукурузы на качество. Hybrids of excess sugar maize are good raw material for the production of functional food products, including baby food and diet. Important indicators of high quality of these products are high protein content and a valuable oil, a small amount of poorly digestible maize starch and a high content of antioxidants, and also excellent taste qualities. The paper presents data on the evaluation of the antioxidant activity of a large group of promising new hybrids of excess sugar maize of mid-group created in order to obtain valuable raw materials for the canning industry. Index value of total antioxidant activity varied over a wide range (from 31,8 % to 60,4 %, 568,4–1,008 mg/g of seed), which indicates on promising use of this important parameter in the breeding of biochemical excess sugar maize on quality.


Author(s):  
A. Jarna ◽  
A. Bang-Kittilsen ◽  
C. Haase ◽  
I. H. C. Henderson ◽  
F. Høgaas ◽  
...  

Geology and all geological structures are three-dimensional in space. Geology can be easily shown as four-dimensional when time is considered. Therefore GIS, databases, and 3D visualization software are common tools used by geoscientists to view, analyse, create models, interpret and communicate geological data. The NGU (Geological Survey of Norway) is the national institution for the study of bedrock, mineral resources, surficial deposits and groundwater and marine geology. The interest in 3D mapping and modelling has been reflected by the increase of number of groups and researches dealing with 3D in geology within NGU. This paper highlights 3D geological modelling techniques and the usage of these tools in bedrock, geophysics, urban and groundwater studies at NGU, same as visualisation of 3D online. The examples show use of a wide range of data, methods, software and an increased focus on interpretation and communication of geology in 3D. The goal is to gradually expand the geospatial data infrastructure to include 3D data at the same level as 2D.


Policy-Making in the European Union explores the link between the modes and mechanisms of EU policy-making and its implementation at the national level. From defining the processes, institutions and modes through which policy-making operates, the text moves on to situate individual policies within these modes, detail their content, and analyse how they are implemented, navigating policy in all its complexities. The first part of the text examines processes, institutions, and the theoretical and analytical underpinnings of policy-making, while the second part considers a wide range of policy areas, from economics to the environment, and security to the single market. Throughout the text, theoretical approaches sit side by side with the reality of key events in the EU, including enlargement, the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon, and the financial crisis and resulting Eurozone crisis, focusing on what determines how policies are made and implemented. This includes major developments such as the establishment of the European Stability Mechanism, the reform of the common agricultural policy, and new initiatives to promote EU energy security. In the final part, the chapters consider trends in EU policy-making and the challenges facing the EU.


2020 ◽  
Vol 992 ◽  
pp. 253-258
Author(s):  
M.P. Lebedev ◽  
V.N. Tagrov ◽  
E.S. Lukin

The article deals with the manufacture of modern structural ceramic materials from clay and loam deposits of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The importance and relevance of the development of the production of building materials from local raw materials is emphasized, since this will certainly affect the effectiveness of the construction complex as a whole. The successful development of the construction complex is capable of not only stimulating growth in all sectors of the economy, but also contributes to solving the most pressing social problems. Today, Yakutia has huge reserves of mineral raw materials for the production of a wide range of building materials and products. Of practical interest are wall materials made from clay soils. Given the features of the region’s raw material base, this work focuses on additional processing of traditional material. Controlling the complex physicochemical and structural-mechanical transformations that occur during heat treatment, a methodology has been developed for creating a composite material that will allow competitive innovative materials with enhanced strength properties to be produced with a reinforcing element with a glassy phase matrix of mullite crystals. The fabricated samples have a wide range of physical and mechanical properties and allow using it as a high-quality structural building ceramics, as well as industrial floor technical tile.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 ◽  
pp. 04003
Author(s):  
Sergei Tkach

The article deals with the problems of mineral raw material losses of quality and quantity management in developing of large-scale complex-structure and composition deposits of solid minerals. It is shown that a very high degree of mining and geological conditions variability in time and space for the development of mining units is typical for such deposits. This significantly complicates the qualitative and quantitative operating losses setting and accounting of mineral raw materials during its extraction in the framework of existing general and industry regulatory documents. Conceptual principles for face-by-face operational setting of losses and impoverishment of minerals for the conditions of bulk mining of complex-structure deposits with the formation of gross mining flow with economically feasible and specified level of quality (the content of commercial and harmful components) are stated. These principles generally do not contradict effective instructions main provisions and are made to minimize the total operating losses during the processing of several mine sections (faces).


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