Analysis of the industrial metabolic processes for sulfur in the Lubei (Shandong Province, China) eco-industrial park

Shandong Province's Lubei eco-industrial park was established early, developed well, and began earning high profits, and has been recognized around the world as a successful example of this type of park. Previous research on the metabolic processes for the elements that flow through eco-industrial parks has mainly accounted for the flows, stocks, and utilization efficiency of a few elements, but few studies have analyzed the complex internal characteristics of these metabolic processes by combining their structural and functional attributes. In this study, we analyzed the delivery and transformation processes and the internal characteristics of the industrial metabolic processes for sulfur in the Lubei eco-industrial park. By using network analysis, we were able to analyze the structural and functional characteristics of this network from the perspective of nodes (members of the network) and paths (flows between the nodes), and by combining an assessment of the characteristics of the nodes (degree, betweenness, closeness) and the paths (flow quantities and directions), we identified the key node (the cement clinker production), peripheral nodes (the ammonia and power plants), and key paths in the network (from the sulfuric acid plant to the ammonium phosphate plant, from the cement clinker production to the sulfuric acid plant, and from the ammonium phosphate plant to the cement clinker production). These results reveal the advantages and disadvantages of the Lubei eco-industrial park in terms of its structure and function, and suggest ways to improve the efficiency and the sustainable development of the park.