Will we ever run out of metal?
Discussion
We can re-use the old stuff too though. Isn't the Earth's core a mass of iron... just use that 
The most abundant metal on earth is Aluminium if I remember correctly. The problem is in processing it. You can't process Aluminium like we do with the likes of Iron as it is more reactive than Carbon (in the form of Coke when smelting iron). Aluminium is extracted via electrolysis, a process which requires large amounts of energy.
I think I might have all this wrong, I'll let someone smarter clarify that though.
The most abundant metal on earth is Aluminium if I remember correctly. The problem is in processing it. You can't process Aluminium like we do with the likes of Iron as it is more reactive than Carbon (in the form of Coke when smelting iron). Aluminium is extracted via electrolysis, a process which requires large amounts of energy.
I think I might have all this wrong, I'll let someone smarter clarify that though.
thegman said:
we'll never run out because we can recycle all our cans
But if all the metal was already used up, recycling cans would either mean only more cans could be made, or you could make something else but we would have no cans left!As for aluminium, I will look into how that is made
blindswelledrat said:
Two words: Irritating s
t.
t.
Once mining becomes too difficult/ expensive due to exhausted deposits, recycling will become bigger. People are already starting to highly value (by value, I mean 'steal') old bits of copper and lead, the same will happen with other metals. It won't 'run out' per se, but it will become more expensive, and manufacturers will look at alternatives.
Possibly for some applications, Recycled copper wasn't/isn't as usable as virgin copper. Some high precision medical equipment needs steel that hasn't been exposed to radiation, there is also a market for low alpha lead etc, so there may well be shortages of material that is ideal for the job.
Neil H said:
blindswelledrat said:
Two words: Irritating st.
t.Once mining becomes too difficult/ expensive due to exhausted deposits, recycling will become bigger. People are already starting to highly value (by value, I mean 'steal') old bits of copper and lead, the same will happen with other metals. It won't 'run out' per se, but it will become more expensive, and manufacturers will look at alternatives.
I was going to start a similar thread.
Slightly OT - do you think I should start a different thread about this?
Will we ever run out of STONES?
Think about it.
I don't think any new stones are being made.
We just keep digging up stones, but no one is making new ones.
Lava doesn't count, since that is basically breeze blocks.
Isn't anyone slightly concerned about this?
Slightly OT - do you think I should start a different thread about this?
Will we ever run out of STONES?
Think about it.
I don't think any new stones are being made.
We just keep digging up stones, but no one is making new ones.
Lava doesn't count, since that is basically breeze blocks.
Isn't anyone slightly concerned about this?
Engineer1 said:
Possibly for some applications, Recycled copper wasn't/isn't as usable as virgin copper. Some high precision medical equipment needs steel that hasn't been exposed to radiation, there is also a market for low alpha lead etc, so there may well be shortages of material that is ideal for the job.
Is that really becoming a major problem? I'd often wondered, but never heard anyone talking about it.I suppose, in the end, it's all a matter of degree, since everything will have been exposed to radiation at some point.
But I mean, is recycled metal really that bad?
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