Random (C10) Flashcards
List a variety of resources humans use for different purposes:
•Shelter
•Food
•Fuel for heating
•Fuel for transport
•Clothing
Agricultural or synthetic products can be made in place of certain what resources?
Natural resources
Example of a natural resources replaced by man-made polymers:
Rubber
Some natural resources will eventually run out, meaning they are…?
Finite
3 finite natural resources:
•Nuclear fuel
•Oil
•Coal
Resources that reform at a similar or faster rate than we use them (e.g timber) are called what?
Renewable resources
An assessment of the environmental impact of a product over each stage of its life, is called what?
Life cycle assessment
What are the 4 stages in a life cycle assessment?
•Raw material
•Manufacturing/ packaging
•using product
•Product disposal
Life cycle assessment for the 4 stages of the product: Plastic Bag.
•Crude oil
•Key compounds extracted via fractional distillation (waste has uses)
•Reusable
•Recyclable (not biodegradable tho)
Life cycle assessment for the 4 stages of the product: Paper Bag.
•Timber
•Lot of energy to pulp timber (creates lots of waste)
•Single-use
•Biodegradable and recyclable
What is Selective LCA (life cycle assessment)
Where some information has been removed to make a product look better (for positive advertising)
Meeting the needs of the preeent society while not damaging future generations is called what?
Sustainable development
In terms of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, how does Reducing improve sustainability?
Reduce amount of raw materials used (mining them is bad for environment)
In terms of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, how does Reusuing improve sustainability?
Reuse Instead of throwing them away (less waste)
In terms of “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”, how does Recycling improve sustainability?
Recycle products that can’t be reused
What human action reduces the amount of finite natural resources we’d need to extract?
Recycling and reusing
Are copper ores finite?
Yes
What two techniques improve sustainability by extracting from low grade (low yield) ores
Bio-leaching and phyto-mining
Why are Low grade Ore sites used for Bioleaching and Phytomining?
Because it contains too little metal to make it economically worth using reduction
What is the process of Bioleaching?
Flooding ore sites with bacteria that leach from the copper (which is from the soil) to produce a leachate solution
What is contained in the soil within phytomining?
Copper
How is copper leached from the soil in Bio-leaching?
By flooding it with bacteria
How does bacteria leach the copper from the soil?
Bacteria converts copper compounds in ore to soluble copper compounds
What is produced from Bioleaching?
A leachate solution
What is the process of phytomining?
(Involves using plants to extract metals)- planted on low grade ore sites where roots absorb copper and are then burned ,=ash is rich in metal
What to both Phytomining and Bio-leaching produce?
A solution of copper compounds
What happens to the pure copper extracted (from both bio and phyto)
Electrolysis = a displacement reaction using scrap iron to displace the copper
In Phytomining, what is the ash rich in?
Metals (copper)
In Phytomining, where are the plants planted?
Low grade ore sites
In Phytomining, how does the plant get copper?
Absorbed through roots
