Aluminum Critical Mineral Production Feasibility via Landfill Mining: Preliminary study of potential project locations and co-benefits

Author

Anabel M. Needham, Michigan Technological UniversityFollow

Date of Award

2024

Document Type

Open Access Master's Report

Degree Name

Master of Science in Environmental Engineering (MS)

Administrative Home Department

Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Advisor 1

Robert Handler

Committee Member 1

Jonathan Robins

Committee Member 2

Paul Sanders

Abstract

In 2022, aluminum was named a critical mineral by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and the global demand for aluminum is projected to increase by 40% from 2020 to 2030 (Aleksić 2023). There are currently no large-scale bauxite mines in the United States to contribute to aluminum production, and this study aims to investigate the feasibility of aluminum landfill mining in the United States to produce secondary aluminum. The feasibility of landfill mining for the purpose of recovering materials and energy is a relatively new technology, and often co-benefits are required to make these projects economically viable. Publicly available databases of national and statewide landfills are utilized, and their aluminum content is estimated. The use of ArcGIS as a mapping and analysis tool for the Houston, Texas area is also part of this study.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Needham, Anabel M., "Aluminum Critical Mineral Production Feasibility via Landfill Mining: Preliminary study of potential project locations and co-benefits", Open Access Master's Report, Michigan Technological University, 2024.

https://doi.org/10.37099/mtu.dc.etdr/1713