People use aluminum in all spheres of their life from houses to industries. It is the most prevalent metal on Earth, which does not exist in the pure form in nature, so people have invented the methods of producing it. Simultaneously, this metal is easy to recycle and reuse numerous times.
Components
Regarding aluminum’s chemical activity and properties, people can utilize it solely in an alloy with other elements strengthening this metal. The other chemicals enhancing aluminum can be iron, silicon, copper, magnesium, manganese, and zinc (The Aluminum Association, n.d.). The alloys mainly consist of aluminum, while the added elements make about 15 percent of its total weight.
Degradability
Four processes such as microstructural changes, fatigue, creep, and environmental effects can degrade aluminum alloys, which takes approximately 250 years (Bell, S. 2020). The leading cause of microstructural changes is exposure to high temperatures that profoundly damage the alloy’s strength. Aluminum alloy loses its fatigue resistance by nucleation and merging microcracks. Work in inappropriate temperature degrades aluminum’s creep resistance. Environmental damaging factors include corrosion, solid and liquid-metal embrittlement (National Research Council, 1996). People cannot degrade aluminum without any additional resources but only change its shape.
Recycling and Reusing
People can recycle or reuse aluminum. Recycling programs handle small items used for household purposes such as cans, aluminum foil, and industrial aluminum waste. The majority of factories participate in Recycling Partnership. The aluminum is recycled by melting and used over and over again. For instance, 75% of all recycled aluminum in the U.S. is still in use (The Aluminum Association, n.d.). This process is economical since recycling the metal needs 90% less energy than producing it. Furthermore, people can reuse aluminum things as long as they save them in proper conditions and do not physically damage them.
Bell, S. (2020). THE DECOMPOSITION CLOCK. Road Runner. Retrieved from: https://www.roadrunnerwm.com/blog/decomposition-clock
National Research Council. (1996). Degradation mechanisms. In Accelerated aging of materials and structures: The effects of long-term elevated-temperature exposure. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/9251
The Aluminum Association. (n.d.). Aluminum Alloys 101. Retrieved from https://www.aluminum.org/resources/industry-standards/aluminum-alloys-101
The Aluminum Association. (n.d.). Recycling. Retrieved from https://www.aluminum.org/industries/production/recycling
Comments