The water cycle is governed by the thermodynamic laws. Therefore Thermodynamics and more specifically Exergoecology, that is the application of the exergy analysis in the evaluation of natural fluxes and resources on Earth, could help to build a solid cost structure based strictly on Physics and...

There is growing concern about the decline of the ore grade in mines and the increased energy usage for processing and refining metals. In the limit, where no concentrated deposits exist, minerals must be obtained from bare rock. A method for quantitatively assessing the "free bonus" granted by...

The Georgescu-Roegen’s statements about the connexion between the Economy and the Thermodynamics, together with the Eco-integrator approach introduced by Naredo and its relation with the water cost definitions given in the European Water Framework Directive (WFD), are the outline backgrounds...

The Crepuscular Earth presented here is a guess reference model of the planet in which all mineral resources have been extracted and dispersed and fossil fuels have been burnt. It serves as a realistic limit of resources to assess the Earth’s non-renewable exergy capital.

A mineral deposit is a natural resource whose exergy can be calculated from a defined reference environment (RE). This RE can be compared to a thermodynamically dead planet, where all materials have reacted, dispersed and mixed. Like any substance, a mine is characterized by its quantity,...

As man extracts minerals, the natural deposits become depleted in quantity and concentration, and hence the mineral wealth of the Earth decreases. This paper explains the exergoecological method used for calculating the mineral exergy bonus that Nature gives us for free for providing minerals...

The exergy assessment of the mineral capital on Earth has been usually calculated as the minimum and actual exergy required for replacing the minerals in composition, concentration and quantity from a completely degraded state where all resources have been extracted and dispersed to the...

In this paper, an exergy analysis of nickel processing is performed through the application of two methodologies: TEC (thermo-ecological cost) and ERC (exergy replacement cost). The merging of both methodologies allows to have a complete assessment of non-fuel mineral processing. TEC evaluates...

Exergy accounting of energy and material flows for the two main routes of nickel production (from laterites and sulphides ores) is performed so as to identify the main losses which take place in the overall chain. Accordingly, the chemical exergy of the different raw materials and utilities...

Thermoeconomics can play a key role in the analysis of eco-industrial parks because it provides a systemic approach and, by using exergy, expresses matter and energy flows in the same physical units. Besides methodologies developed for thermal systems analysis, diagnosis and optimization,...