Celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Periodic Table: an outlook in the circular economy era
Abstract
The first version of The Periodic Table elaborated by Mendeleev was published on February 17th 1869. To celebrate the 150th anniversary of this event, the United Nations declared 2019 as the International Year of the Periodic Table. This discovery was achieved as the conclusion of a long itinerary engaging several researchers investigating the periodicity in the properties of the chemical elements. In this process the Sicilian chemist Stanislao Cannizzaro provided a significant contribution. The impact of the Periodic Table on the scientific progress, as well as on the improvement of mankind life conditions and welfare, has been enormous. However, the increasing recognition of the limted resources of our planet, nowadays requires a change of paradigm from linear to circular economy. In order to tackle such a complex problem, the data reported in the traditional Periodic Table need to be integrated by information regarding the elements availability in nature, the sustainability of the processes, and the recycling possibility. Examples regarding lithium, cobalt, and rare earth elements are reported.
