USGS Minerals Information: Materials Flow

Materials extracted from the Earth are necessary to produce our most fundamental needs — food, clothing, and shelter. Materials are needed to maintain and improve our standard of living. Understanding the whole system of materials flow, from source to ultimate disposition, can help us better manage the use of natural resources and protect the environment.

Publications

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General	20th Century U.S. Mineral Prices Decline in Constant Dollars Open-File Report 00-389 A Note on Scrap in the 1992 U.S. Input-Output Tables Open-File Report 00-313 Consumption of Materials in the United States, 1900-1995 Drivers of U.S. Mineral Demand Open-File Report 2006-1025 Economic Drivers of Mineral Supply Open-File Report 02-335 Effects of Regulation and Technology on End Uses of Nonfuel Mineral Commodities in the United States Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5194 Flow Studies for Recycling Metal Commodities in the United States Circular 1196-A-M (chapters on chromium, cobalt, gold, iron and steel, lead, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, niobium, platinum, tantalum, tin, and zinc) Global Flows of Metals and Minerals Open-File Report 2008–1355 "Materials", a report by the U.S. Interagency Working Group on Industrial Ecology, Material and Energy Flows. Materials and Energy Flows in the Earth Science Century Circular 1194 Materials in the Economy -- Material Flows, Scarcity, and the Environment Circular 1221 Materials Flow and Sustainability (PDF) Fact Sheet 068-98 Metal Stocks in Use in the United States Fact Sheet 2005-3090 Obsolete Computers, 'Gold Mine,' or High-Tech Trash? Resource Recovery from Recycling Fact Sheet 060-01 Recycled Cell Phones—A Treasure Trove of Valuable Metals Fact Sheet 2006-3097 Policy -- A Factor Shaping Minerals Supply and Demand Open-File Report 02-418 Raw materials and technology fuel U.S. economic growth Recycled Cell Phones—A Treasure Trove of Valuable Metals Fact Sheet 2006-3097 Sociocultural and Institutional Drivers and Constraints to Mineral Supply Open-File Report 02-333 Technological Advancement -- A Factor in Increasing Resource Use Open-File Report 01-197 Total Materials Consumption: An Estimation Methodology and Example Using Lead – A Materials Flow Analysis Circular 1183 Use of Minerals and Materials in the United States From 1900 Through 2006 Fact Sheet 2009-3008
Aggregates	Aggregates from Natural and Recycled Sources Economic Assessments for Construction Applications -- A Materials Flow Study Circular 1176 Recycled Aggregates -- Profitable Resource Conservation Fact Sheet 181-99 Sociocultural Dimensions of Supply and Demand for Natural Aggregate - Examples from the Mid-Atlantic Region, United States Open-File Report 02-350
Aluminum	Aluminum Recycling in the United States in 2000 Circular 1196-W (Supersedes Open-File Report 2005-1051) Aluminum Stocks in Use in Automobiles in the United States Fact Sheet 2005-3145
Antimony	Antimony Recycling in the United States in 2000 Circular 1196-Q (Supersedes Open-File Report 2005-1079)
Arsenic	Arsenic and Old Waste Interagency Working Group of the President's Council of Environmental Quality The Materials Flow of Arsenic in the United States U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9382
Beryllium	Beryllium Recycling in the United States in 2000 Open-File Report 03-282
Cadmium	Cadmium (Materials Flow) U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9380 Cadmium Recycling in the United States in 2000 Circular 1196-O Flow of Cadmium from Rechargeable Batteries in the United States, 1996-2007 Flow of Cadmium from Rechargeable Batteries in the United States, 1996-2007 Scientific Investigations Report 2007–5198 Material Use in the United States—Selected Case Studies for Cadmium, Cobalt, Lithium, and Nickel in Rechargeable Batteries Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5141
Cement	Crushed Cement Concrete Substitution for Construction Aggregates -- A Materials Flow Analysis Circular 1177
Chromium	Chromium Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-C Chromium Life Cycle Study U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9411
Cobalt	Cobalt Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-M The Materials Flow of Cobalt in the United States U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9350 Material Use in the United States—Selected Case Studies for Cadmium, Cobalt, Lithium, and Nickel in Rechargeable Batteries Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5141
Columbium (Niobium)	Columbium (Niobium) Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-I
Copper	Flows of Selected Materials Associated with World Copper Smelting Open-File Report 2004-1395 Physical Aspects of Waste Storage from a Hypothetical Open Pit Porphyry Copper Operation Open-File Report 03-143
Germanium	Germanium Recycling in the United States in 2000 Circular 1196-V (Supersedes Open-File Report 2005-1274)
Gold	Gold Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-A
Iron and Steel	Iron and Steel Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-G Steel Stocks in Use in Automobiles in the United States Fact Sheet 2005-3144
Lead	Apparent Consumption vs. Total Consumption—A Lead-Acid Battery Case Study Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5155 Lead Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-F Stocks and Flows of Lead-Based Wheel Weights in the United States Open-File Report 2006-1111
Lithium	Material Use in the United States—Selected Case Studies for Cadmium, Cobalt, Lithium, and Nickel in Rechargeable Batteries Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5141
Magnesium	Magnesium Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-E
Manganese	Manganese Materials Flow Patterns U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9399 Manganese Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-H
Mercury	Materials Flow of Mercury in the Economies of the United States and the World Circular 1197 Materials Flow of Mercury in the United States U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9412 Mercury Flow Through the Mercury-Containing Lamp Sector of the Economy of the United States Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5264 Mercury Recycling in the United States in 2000 Circular 1196-U (Supersedes Open-File Report 2005-1236)
Molybdenum	Molybdenum Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-L
Nickel	Material Use in the United States—Selected Case Studies for Cadmium, Cobalt, Lithium, and Nickel in Rechargeable Batteries Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5141 Nickel Recycling in the United States in 2004 Circular 1196–Z
Platinum	Platinum Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-B Platinum-Group Metals--World Supply and Demand Open-File Report 2004-1224
Salt	The Material Flow of Salt U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9343
Silver	Silver Recycling in the United States in 2000 Circular 1196-N
Sulfur	Materials Flow of Sulfur Open-File Report 02-298
Tantalum	Tantalum Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-J
Tin	Tin Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-K
Tungsten	Materials Flow of Tungsten in the United States U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9388 Tungsten Recycling in the United States in 2000 Open-File Report 2005-1028
Vanadium	The Materials Flow of Vanadium in the United States U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9409
Zinc	The Materials Flow of Zinc in the United States 1850-1990 U.S. Bureau of Mines Open-File Report 72-92 Zinc Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular -1196-D

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Materials Flow

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