Thermodynamic methods to evaluate resources

Abstract

Natural resources can be evaluated from different points of view. One of them, and perhaps the most commonly known is the economic point of view. Nevertheless, the price-fixing mechanisms, rarely take into account the concrete physical characteristics which make them valuable. But natural resources have at least two physical features which make minerals or fresh water for example unusual: a particular composition which differentiates them from the surrounding environment and a distribution which places them in a specific concentration. These intrinsic properties can be in fact evaluated from a thermodynamic point of view in terms of exergy. Chapter 6 presents in details how to evaluate resources quality applying exergy.