Since metals are often used in alloyed forms, proper management and efficient recycling of metal scrap is key to sustainable management of those alloying metals as well. Previous studies on the trade of metals and metal containing products focused mainly on the carrying major metals themselves, however, the quantity and type of their embodied alloying elements remain rarely investigated. In this paper, we aim to address this knowledge gap by compiling an alloying element composition database for scrap of three bulk metals (iron and steel, aluminum, and copper), and using Denmark, a typical industrialized country with a high share of metal scrap export, as an example. Our results show that most alloying elements embodied in bulk metal scrap exported from Denmark depict a fluctuating yet overall increasing pattern from 1988 to 2017. While alloying elements embodied in steel scrap such as chromium and nickel and the construction sector contribute the most to the total embodied alloying elements, other alloying elements such as cobalt, bismuth, vanadium, titanium, and niobium with a lower amount yet a high market value and criticality status deserve a closer look as well. We conclude that further investigation on how the trade of metal scrap affect the recycling pathways and efficiencies of alloying elements are needed to support discussion on global and regional resource management and circular economy strategies.

由于金属通常以合金形式使用，因此妥善管理和有效地回收废金属也是这些合金金属可持续管理的关键。先前有关金属和含金属产品贸易的研究主要集中于载运主要金属本身，但是，很少体现其所含合金元素的数量和类型。在本文中，我们旨在通过为三种大块金属（钢铁，铝和铜）的废料建立合金元素成分数据库，并使用丹麦（金属废料占有率很高的典型工业化国家）来解决这一知识鸿沟以导出为例。我们的结果表明，从1988年至2017年，从丹麦出口的散装金属废料中包含的大多数合金元素都呈现出波动但总体上呈上升趋势。虽然废钢中包含的合金元素（例如铬和镍）以及建筑业对全部包含的合金元素的贡献最大，但其他合金元素（例如钴，铋，钒，钛和铌）的含量较低，但市场价值较高关键状态也应仔细观察。我们得出结论，需要进一步调查废金属贸易如何影响合金元素的回收途径和效率，以支持有关全球和区域资源管理和循环经济战略的讨论。铌含量较低但市场价值和临界状态较高的铌也值得仔细研究。我们得出结论，需要进一步调查废金属贸易如何影响合金元素的回收途径和效率，以支持有关全球和区域资源管理和循环经济战略的讨论。铌含量较低但市场价值和临界状态较高的铌也值得仔细研究。我们得出结论，需要进一步调查废金属贸易如何影响合金元素的回收途径和效率，以支持有关全球和区域资源管理和循环经济战略的讨论。