Metal recycling

Question 1

why is a circular economy becomming adopted

Answer 1

to achieve more sustainable development, resources are at risk of becoming scarce due to a growing global population and demand for various elements

Question 2

linear economy

Answer 2

operates on a take make dispose model, making use of resources to produce products that will be discarded after use

Question 3

circular economy

Answer 3

a continuous cycle that focuses on the optimal use and reuse of resources, from the extraction of raw materials to production and consumption, materials and resources from a product are returned back into the current economy

Question 4

recycled steel

Answer 4

metal ore in mined, refined and sold to a manufactuer, an item is produced which is made with steel and sold in the market

Question 5

advantages of recycling metals

Answer 5

reeduced energy consumption, reduces landfill, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources

Question 6

ore

Answer 6

when a rock has a high enough concentration of minerals to be economically extracted for use

Question 7

three main steps of obtaining pure metal from an ore

Answer 7

mining, ore processing and metal extraction

Question 8

mining

Answer 8

surface mining - involvves removing the surface vegetation, soil and bedrock to reach the ore deposits, open pit mining - the mine progressively becoomes wider and deeper, large vehicles transport ore from pot to processing facility, type of surface mining

Question 9

underground mining

Answer 9

involves digging a vertical shard into the ground from which tunnels are dug to reach the ore

Question 10

in-situ leaching

Answer 10

injecting solutions into holes in the ore deposit to dissolve the minerals and pumping the solution to the surface where the minerals can be recovered

Question 11

ore processing

Answer 11

metal containing mineral is seperated from the rest of the ore, sometimes its crushed or grond or doesn’t need any processing, sometimes it may need many techniques depending on the mineral

Question 12

metal extraction

Answer 12

by electrolysis or smelting

Question 13

electrolysis

Answer 13

passing an electric current through the molten/liquified compound

Question 14

smelting

Answer 14

ores are roasted (process involving heating in air) to convvert them to metal oxides, metals are then produced by smelting oxides with carbon

Question 15

environmental issues of mining

Answer 15

vegetation clearing, waste production, water use, potential for toxic substances to be realeased into groundwater and surface water, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss