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.

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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 Byproduct Metals and Rare-Earth Elements Used in the Production of Light-Emitting Diodes桹verview of Principal Sources of Supply and Material Requirements for Selected Markets Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5215 Byproduct mineral commodities used for the production of photovoltaic cells Circular 1365 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�94 Estimates of Electricity Requirements for the Recovery of Mineral Commodities, with Examples Applied to Sub-Saharan Africa Open-File Report 2011�53 Flow Studies for Recycling Metal Commodities in the United States Circular 1196 (Supersedes Open-File Report 2005-1051) Global Flows of Metals and Minerals Open-File Report 2008�55 International Mineral Exploration Activities From 1995 Through 2004 Data Series 139 http://me.smenet.org/reader.cfm?webArticleID=301 "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 Mines and Mineral Processing Facilities in the Vicinity of the March 11, 2011, Earthquake in Northern Honshu, Japan Open-File Report 2011�69 Obsolete Computers, 'Gold Mine,' or High-Tech Trash? Resource Recovery from Recycling Fact Sheet 060-01 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桝 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 U.S. Nonfuel Mineral Exploration -- Selected Findings for 1995 to 2009 from USGS (Link to outside publication) Wind Energy in the United States and Materials Required for the Land-based Wind Turbine Industry from 2010 through 2030 Scientific Investigations Report 2011�36
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 The Global Flow of Aluminum 2006 to 2025 OECD Materials Case Study 2
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 Byproduct Metals and Rare-Earth Elements Used in the Production of Light-Emitting Diodes桹verview of Principal Sources of Supply and Material Requirements for Selected Markets Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5215 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 Scientific Investigations Report 2007�98 Material Use in the United States桽elected Case Studies for Cadmium, Cobalt, Lithium, and Nickel in Rechargeable Batteries Scientific Investigations Report 2008�41
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 Mineral Exploration and Supply From 1995 Through 2013 Scientific Investigations Report 2011�84 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桽elected Case Studies for Cadmium, Cobalt, Lithium, and Nickel in Rechargeable Batteries Scientific Investigations Report 2008�41
Columbium (Niobium)	Columbium (Niobium) Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-I
Copper	Copper Recycling in the United States in 2004 Circular 1196-X Estimated Water Requirements for the Conventional Flotation of Copper Ores Open-File Report 2012�89 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
Gallium	Byproduct Metals and Rare-Earth Elements Used in the Production of Light-Emitting Diodes桹verview of Principal Sources of Supply and Material Requirements for Selected Markets Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5215
Germanium	Germanium Recycling in the United States in 2000 Circular 1196-V (Supersedes Open-File Report 2005-1274)
Gold	Estimated Water Requirements for Gold Heap-leach Operations Open-File Report 2012-1085 Gold Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-A
Indium	Byproduct Metals and Rare-Earth Elements Used in the Production of Light-Emitting Diodes桹verview of Principal Sources of Supply and Material Requirements for Selected Markets Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5215 Materials Flow of Indium in the United States in 2008 and 2009 Circular 1377
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桝 Lead-Acid Battery Case Study Scientific Investigations Report 2006�55 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	Lithium use in batteries Circular 1371 Material Use in the United States桽elected Case Studies for Cadmium, Cobalt, Lithium, and Nickel in Rechargeable Batteries Scientific Investigations Report 2008�41
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�64 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桽elected Case Studies for Cadmium, Cobalt, Lithium, and Nickel in Rechargeable Batteries Scientific Investigations Report 2008�41 Nickel Recycling in the United States in 2004 Circular 1196朲
Platinum	Global Exploration and Production Capacity for Platinum-Group Metals from 1995 Through 2015 Scientific Investigations Report 2012�64 Platinum Recycling in the United States in 1998 Circular 1196-B Platinum-Group Metals--World Supply and Demand Open-File Report 2004-1224
Rare Earths	Byproduct Metals and Rare-Earth Elements Used in the Production of Light-Emitting Diodes桹verview of Principal Sources of Supply and Material Requirements for Selected Markets Scientific Investigations Report 2012-5215 Rare Earth Elements桬nd Use and Recyclability Scientific Investigations Report 2011-5094
Salt	The Material Flow of Salt U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9343
Selenium	Selenium Recycling in the United States in 2004 Circular 1196-T
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 Circular 1196-R
Titanium	Titanium Recycling in the United States in 2004 Circular 1196-Y
Vanadium	The Materials Flow of Vanadium in the United States U.S. Bureau of Mines Information Circular 9409 Vanadium recycling in the United States in 2004 Circular 1196-S
Zinc	Historical Zinc Smelting in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C., with Estimates of Atmospheric Zinc Emissions and Other Materials Open-File Report 2010-1131 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

Mineral Resources	Eastern / Central / Western / Alaska / Minerals Information
	Crustal Geophysics and Geochemistry / Spatial Data

Materials Flow

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