THE DOUBLE LIFE OF THINGS

1. THE DOUBLE LIFE OF THINGS ALUMINIUM

3. Aluminium Aluminium, together with oxygen and silicon, is the most common element in nature. It is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust. It is not found in a natural state, as “pure aluminium”, but always in compound form, that is to say: combined with other elements. Thanks to a long and complex industrial process we can obtain metallic aluminium from the aluminium oxide contained in bauxite.

4. Aluminium is a soft, light but resistant material; its silvery grey colour is due to the light layer of oxidation that prevents corrosion when exposed to air. Its weight is one third of that of iron or copper. It is malleable, ductile and can be easily worked. Its resistance to corrosion is excellent. Aluminium’s different reactions are influenced by two major factors: the type of environmental aggressiveness and the metallurgical/chemical state. Aluminium is not magnetic, does not provoke sparks; it is the second metal in terms of malleability and the sixth for ductility.

5. Who found Aluminium Ancient Greeks and Romans used the aluminium that they could produce from alunite, an aluminium sulphate found in nature. Important and historical aluminium caves can be found in the hills around Allumiere, a village in Lazio, which took its name from the aluminium extraction. In textile industry aluminium was fundamental as colour fixer. It was also used to tan hides, to print parchments, to produce glass, as haemostatic, to cure wounds.

6. Aluminium is a reactive metal and it is extracted thanks to electrolysis. It must be in a liquid state to let the process work. This process needs a huge quantity of energy and as factories usually have an electric power station nearby. At the moment Canada is one of the biggest producers of aluminium, thanks to its big hydroelectric system it imports bauxite and exports metallic aluminium.

7. ALUMINIUM: A VERY YOUNG METAL Even if the earth's crust is rich in aluminium, this mineral is very rare in “clear form” and in the past it was considered a precious metal, more valuable than gold. It is quite new as industrial metal and it has been produced in commercial quantity for less more than 100 years. Aluminium is so important in our everyday life that it is difficult to think that only 80 years ago this metal was extremely rare. When discovered, it was difficult to separate aluminium from the rocks it was contained in, and because it was alloyed to other compounds, it was the most difficult elements to get, in spite of its being one of the most abundant elements in the earth

8. How Aluminium is created Bauxite, an aluminium oxide hydrate with some impurities, is the mineral used to produce aluminium. The process to obtain the metal (aluminium) from the mineral (bauxite) has different stages: firstly bauxite is turned into aluminia that is pure aluminium oxide. For this transformation different processes have been licensed and they are usually known with the names of their inventors. Then aluminia is separated from its oxide and turned into a liquid state, into electrolyser cells at high temperature (Heroult furnaces)

10. Aluminium has got many merits: it is very light, malleable, soft, good conductor of electricity and only oxidises slightly. Thanks to its characteristics it is widely used in the transport industry, in the electronics industry and in the construction industry. Its lack of toxicity makes it suitable as packaging for the food industry. Nowadays aluminium is one of the most recycled elements of mineral origin. Advantages in the use of aluminium

11. Lightness Volume being equal, aluminium weighs one third of steel. Duration It is resistant to corrosion and does not need any particular treatment or painting . Conductivity Cables in aluminum lead double current than cables in copper. Versatility Aluminum alloys can be stiff or flexible. Appearance Aluminum has a good appearance and does not need further finishing. Recycling Aluminum is easily recyclable.

12. It's used car lorry ship train

13. Aluminium at home

14. Do you know that!!!! • with 640 cans you can make a car rim • with 800 cans you can make a bike with all the fittings. • With 3 cans you can make a pair of glasses. • With 130 cans you can make a scooter • With 37 cans you can make a coffee maker: all the coffee makers produced in Italy are made of recycled aluminium.

15. Aluminium and the environment Each industrial process affects positively or negatively the world we live in. As far as aluminium is concerned, the situation is good. None of the production process have adverse effects on the environment or health. The aluminium industry has successfully worked to reduce the emissions under the levels allowed by law. To exclude health risks, constant controls are being carried out.

17. RECYCLING Reusing cans as cases is not possible. However aluminium can be recycled as many times as you want. Recycling allows a massive energetic saving, almost 95 % of energy , allowing a consistent economy of its importation. Recycling this metal has become an important aspect in the aluminium industry. Recycling aluminium has been a common practice since the beginning of the 20th century.

18. The aluminium we get from recycling is called secondary aluminium. Aluminium can be recycled only if pure: foreign materials as iron, synthetic substances or dort make recycling more difficult. Packing covered in paper or synthetic substances are not good to be recycled. Bicycle rims, pans, sprays without vaporizers, cans and tops are suitable to be recycled. We can always get new aluminium from a used one, without having to extract new row material. Nowadays about 30% of aluminium world production comes from recycled metal.

19. Recycling helps sustainable development because aluminium is not consumed but simply used as long as a specific product is needed. In 2003 secondary aluminium production was more than 7.7 million tons, about 25% of the total annual production. This proportion is in all the technologically advanced countries constantly rising. Aluminium recycling is an important economical activity and employs a lot of people. Italy is the first European producer of recycled aluminium and the third county in the world. Recycled aluminium objects have the mark ‘AL’ or ‘ALU’ on them. Aluminium can be recycled only if pure: foreign bodies as iron must be removed with adequate procedures, manual or mechanical.

20. SECONDARY ALUMINIUM

21. Every town has its own ‘fine system’ to punish who does not respect the rules in recycling matter.. THROWING AWAY WASTE MATERIAL IS ILLEGAL An activity of supervision, prevention and repression is carried out by the ‘Military Section for the environment protection’ in all the national area.. The ‘ Decreto Legislativo’n. 22/1997 is a revolution in solving waste materials problems. This low also determined a meaningful growth in the raccolta differenziata. This new way of controlling waste material is also an effective mean to contrast the big problem of illegal removal by organized criminal infiltrations. From 1985 recycling aluminium is a positive reality. Recycling a can, for example, helps to save energy and reduce pollution. Every town has its own ‘fine system’ to punish who does not respect the rules in recycling matter.

22. prohibition and endorsements In Naples you have to throw waste materials in specific containers . It is also forbidden to move containers from their seats. Who does not respect the rules is punished with a fine from 20 to 250 Euros.

23. RECYCLING IN FACTORIES Ariston ,a very famous Italian factory, is trying to make ecological bikes by using dismissed fridges and household appliances.These bikes have a tubular frame of about 3 kg and an absolute pleasant aspect. In this way Ariston anticipates the new directive 2005 WEEE, which will oblige producers to provide funds to recollect and recycle their own products. Recycling, in fact, is not a matter of choice. Rules and lows have changed in favour of ecological appliances. Two new directives recently introduced oblige producers to create appliances that can be 75% recyclable , with a reduced amount of dangerous substances.

25. HOW A CAN IS CREATED Cans are made of a single block and, after being filled up, they are sealed with a top: in this way weldings that can provoke rusk are avoided. The first cans were made in the fifties in the U.S.A. as an alternative to glass containers.; they were in iron, covered by a tin film and made by assembling three different parts: the bottom and the top were seamed to the can main body. Because aluminiumbetter preserves liquids properties ( especially in the case of wine and beer), it has definetly supplanted iron. The productive process of a can is quite complex. A machine unrolls an aluminium strip ( 0,3/0,4 mm thick) emulsifying it up with oil. The strip goes into a press that cuts and models it in small cups which are one third of a can high and one third wider. These small cups are then stretched and modelled. At this point another machine trims the superior rim, than the cans are washed in a washing machine: after six different washing cycles they are definitely cleaned. Finally they are dried, printed and enamed.

26. CANS RECYCLING In Italy 25 cans per person are consumed every year, while in USA the consume reaches 256. Collecting and recycling cans is particularly convenient. Collecting aluminium permits to save 5% of the energy needed to get the primary product. The process is also quite simple. For this inmind a special pool has been created in Europe, composed of all the factories producing aluminium containers. Its aim is to promote informative campaigns, to cooperate with other associations, to spread the activity of the pool itself. It also organizes waste material collection in places where it can be splitted, squeezed and compressed.: the cans are turned into small blocks. In a foundry these blocks are crushed , reduced in very small pieces and paint removed from them. Aluminium is now melt and put in stamps, where it becomes solid. This process can be repeated as many times as you want. Many European countries collect aluminium not only from cans but from all the disused and waste material. These countries can collect much more material, reducing the costs for aluminium production and limiting the waste of this precious source.

27. CIAO Class : 2° G Teachers : Cifola Carla, Melappioni Rossana