THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF

MATERIALS USED IN

HOUSE BUILDING.

BY GAWAIN ROMIJN

ALUMINIUM.• ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION IS A TIME-CONSUMING AND ENERGY-INTENSIVE

PROCESS. BUT ONCE THE ALUMINIUM IS MADE, IT CAN BE RECYCLED OVER AND OVER WITHOUT LOSING ITS SUPERB QUALITIES.

• THE PRODUCTION PROCESS INCLUDES MANY PHASES. HERE IS AN OVERALL VIEW ON THE VARIOUS STEPS, SHOWING ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION WAY FROM MINE TO RECYCLING:

• SOURCES FROM HYDRO.COM

• BAUXITE

• ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION STARTS WITH THE RAW MATERIAL BAUXITE,

• A CLAY LIKE SOIL TYPE FOUND IN A BELT AROUND THE EQUATOR.

• THE BAUXITE IS MINED FROM A FEW METERS BELOW THE GROUND.

BAUXITE GRINDER & ALUMINATHE BAUXITE IS THEN TRANSPORTED TO PLANTS

WHERE THE CLAY IS WASHED OFF

AND THE BAUXITE PASSES THROUGH A GRINDER.

ALUMINA

ALUMINA, OR ALUMINIUM OXIDE,

IS EXTRACTED FROM THE BAUXITE THROUGH REFINING.

REFINING PROCESS & PURE ALUMINA

•ALUMINA IS SEPARATED FROM THE BAUXITE BY USING A HOT SOLUTION OF CAUSTIC SODA AND LIME.

•THE MIXTURE IS HEATED AND FILTERED, AND THE REMAINING ALUMINA IS DRIED TO A WHITE POWDER.

PROCESSINGNEXT STOP IS THE METAL PLANT. HERE, THE REFINED ALUMINA IS TRANSFORMED INTO ALUMINIUM & REFINEMENT PROCESS.

• REFINEMENT PROCESS

• THREE DIFFERENT RAW MATERIALS ARE NEEDED TO MAKE ALUMINIUM, ALUMINIUM OXIDE, ELECTRICITY AND CARBON.

• ELECTRICITY IS RUN BETWEEN A NEGATIVE CATHODE AND A POSITIVE ANODE, BOTH MADE OF CARBON. THE ANODE REACTS WITH THE OXYGEN IN THE ALUMINA AND FORMS CO2.

• THE RESULT IS LIQUID ALUMINIUM, WHICH CAN NOW BE TAPPED FROM THE CELLS.

PRODUCTS & EXTRUSION• THE LIQUID ALUMINIUM IS CAST INTO EXTRUSION INGOTS, SHEET INGOTS OR

FOUNDRY ALLOYS, ALL DEPENDING ON WHAT IT WILL BE USED FOR.

• THE ALUMINIUM IS TRANSFORMED INTO DIFFERENT PRODUCTS.

• THE EXTRUSION TECHNIQUE HAS ALMOST UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES FOR DESIGN AND OFFERS COUNTLESS APPLICATION OPPORTUNITIES.

• PROCESS

• IN THE EXTRUSION PROCESS, THE ALUMINIUM INGOT IS HEATED AND PRESSED THROUGH A SHAPED TOOL CALLED A DIE.

ROLLING & PROCESS

• ALUMINIUM IS VERY DUCTILE. FOIL CAN BE ROLLED FROM 60 CM TO 2-6 MM, AND FINAL FOIL PRODUCT CAN BE AS THIN AS 0.006 MM. IT STILL WILL NOT LET LIGHT, AROMA OR TASTE IN OR OUT.

• SHEET INGOTS ARE USED TO MAKE ROLLED PRODUCTS, SUCH AS PLATES, STRIP AND FOIL.

PRIMARY FOUNDRY ALLOYS

• ALUMINIUM FOUNDRY ALLOYS ARE CAST IN DIFFERENT SHAPES. THE METAL WILL BE REMELTED AGAIN AND MADE INTO, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEEL RIMS OR OTHER CAR PARTS. THE CONTENT IN FOUNDRY ALLOYS CAN BE CUSTOMIZED TO FIT THEIR FURTHER USE.

RECYCLING• RECYCLING SCRAP ALUMINIUM REQUIRES ONLY 5 PERCENT OF THE ENERGY USED

TO MAKE NEW ALUMINIUM.

• ALUMINIUM CAN BE RECYCLED OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITH 100 PERCENT EFFICIENCY. IN OTHER WORDS, NONE OF ALUMINIUMS NATURAL QUALITIES ARE LOST IN THE RECYCLING PROCESS.

• THE RECYCLED PRODUCT MAY BE THE SAME AS THE ORIGINAL PRODUCT, OR IT CAN BECOME SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. AIRCRAFT, AUTOMOBILES, BICYCLES, BOATS, COMPUTERS, HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES, WIRE AND CANS ARE ALL SOURCES FOR RECYCLING.

IRONIron is extracted from iron ore in a huge container called a blast furnace. Iron ores such as haematite contain iron oxide. The oxygen must be removed from the iron oxide to leave the iron behind. Reactions in which oxygen is removed are called reduction reactions.Carbon is more reactive than iron, so it can push out or displace the iron from iron oxide. Here are the equations for the reaction:iron oxide + carbon → iron + carbon dioxide2Fe2O3 + 3C → 4Fe + 3CO2

In this reaction, the iron oxide is reduced to iron, and the carbon is oxidised to carbon dioxide.In the blast furnace, it is so hot that carbon monoxide can be used to reduce the iron oxide in place of carbon:iron oxide + carbon monoxide → iron + carbon dioxideFe2O3 + 3CO → 2Fe + 3CO2

Sources from: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/

RAW MATERIALS FOR THE REACTION• THE RAW MATERIALS FOR EXTRACTING IRON AND THEIR FUNCTION IN THE

PROCESS.Raw material Contains Function

iron ore (haematite) iron oxide a compound that contains iron

coke carbon burns in air to produce heat, and reacts to form carbon monoxide (needed to reduce the iron oxide)

limestone calcium carbonate helps to remove acidic impurities from the iron by reacting with them to form molten slag

air oxygen allows the coke to burn, and so produces heat and carbon monoxide

COPPER.Copper is a transition metal. It is soft, easily bent and it is a good conductor of electricity. This makes copper useful for electrical wiring. Copper does not react with water, which makes it useful for plumbing.Copper is purified by electrolysis. Electricity is passed through solutions containing copper compounds, such as copper sulphate - sometimes spelt sulphate. Pure copper forms on the negative electrode. The animation shows how this works, but note that you do not need to know the details of the extraction process for your examination.

PROBLEMS

• WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF ORES RICH IN COPPER. RESEARCH IS BEING CARRIED OUT TO FIND NEW WAYS TO EXTRACT COPPER FROM THE REMAINING ORES, WITHOUT HARMING THE ENVIRONMENT TOO MUCH. THIS RESEARCH IS VERY IMPORTANT, AS TRADITIONAL MINING PRODUCES HUGE OPEN-CAST MINES, AND THE REMAINING ORES ARE LOW-GRADE, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY CONTAIN RELATIVELY LITTLE COPPER AND PRODUCE A LOT OF WASTE ROCK.

STEEL• CARBON IS REMOVED BY BLOWING OXYGEN INTO THE MOLTEN METAL. IT REACTS WITH THE

CARBON PRODUCING CARBON MONOXIDE AND CARBON DIOXIDE. THESE ESCAPE FROM THE MOLTEN METAL. ENOUGH OXYGEN IS USED TO ACHIEVE STEEL WITH THE DESIRED CARBON CONTENT. OTHER METALS ARE OFTEN ADDED, SUCH AS VANADIUM AND CHROMIUM.

• THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF STEEL, DEPENDING ON THE OTHER ELEMENTS MIXED WITH THE IRON. THE TABLE SUMMARISES THE PROPERTIES OF SOME DIFFERENT STEELS.

Type Of Steel Iron alloyed with

Properties Typical use

Low carbon steel

About 0.25 cent carbon

easily shaped car body panels

high carbon steel

up to 2.5 per cent carbon

hard cutting tools

stainless steel chromium and nickel

resistant to corrosion

cutlery and sinks

My House

Source from: http://www.google.co.uk/search?safe=vss&hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1280&bih=923&q=Mansion+house&oq=Mansion+house&gs_l=img.3..0l10.1864.7817.0.8489.13.9.0.4.4.0.217.1188.0j8j1.9.0....0...1ac.1.36.img..0.13.1258.E2VE5MnJ_Gg#hl=en&q=blenheim+palace&safe=vss&surl=1&tbm=isch

Aluminium Window frame Copper &

Steel Doors

Lead Roofs

Iron Statue Sandstone and cement structure

Wood & Perspex Windows

THE MATERIALS I` AM GOING TO USE.• LEAD- FOR THE ROOFS

• ALUMINIUM- WINDOWS

• COPPER & STEEL- DOORS

• IRON- STATUE

• SANDSTONE AND CEMENT STRUCTURE

• WOOD & PERSPEX WINDOWS

SANDSTONE• SANDSTONE (SOMETIMES KNOWN AS ARENITE) IS A CLASTIC SEDIMENTARY ROCK COMPOSED MAINLY OF SAND-SIZED

MINERALS OR ROCK GRAINS.

• MOST SANDSTONE IS COMPOSED OF QUARTZ AND/OR FELDSPAR BECAUSE THESE ARE THE MOST COMMON MINERALS IN THE EARTH'S CRUST. LIKE SAND, SANDSTONE MAY BE ANY COLOUR, BUT THE MOST COMMON COLOURS ARE TAN, BROWN, YELLOW, RED, GRAY, PINK, WHITE AND BLACK. SINCE SANDSTONE BEDS OFTEN FORM HIGHLY VISIBLE CLIFFS AND OTHER TOPOGRAPHIC FEATURES, CERTAIN COLOURS OF SANDSTONE HAVE BEEN STRONGLY IDENTIFIED WITH CERTAIN REGIONS.

• ROCK FORMATIONS THAT ARE PRIMARILY COMPOSED OF SANDSTONE USUALLY ALLOW PERCOLATION OF WATER AND OTHER FLUIDS AND ARE POROUS ENOUGH TO STORE LARGE QUANTITIES, MAKING THEM VALUABLE AQUIFERS AND PETROLEUM RESERVOIRS. FINE-GRAINED AQUIFERS, SUCH AS SANDSTONES, ARE MORE APT TO FILTER OUT POLLUTANTS FROM THE SURFACE THAN ARE ROCKS WITH CRACKS AND CREVICES, SUCH AS LIMESTONE OR OTHER ROCKS FRACTURED BY SEISMIC ACTIVITY.

• QUARTZ-BEARING SANDSTONE IS CONVERTED INTO QUARTZITE THROUGH HEATING AND PRESSURE USUALLY RELATED TO TECTONIC COMPRESSION WITHIN OROGENIC BELTS.

• SOURCE FROM: HTTP://EN.WIKIPEDIA.ORG/WIKI/SANDSTONE

QUARRYING• THE MAIN ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE LIMESTONE INDUSTRY

Advantages Disadvantages

Limestone is a valuable natural resource, used to make things such as glass and concrete.

Limestone quarries are visible from long distances and may permanently disfigure the local environment.

Limestone quarrying provides employment opportunities that support the local economy in towns around the quarry.

Quarrying is a heavy industry that creates noise and heavy traffic, which damages people's quality of life.

Created by:

Gawain Romijn

Sources from:

HYDRO.COM

Google Images

BBC- GCSE- Bitesize