Materials are at the core of our societies and of our economies. They are part of pressing environmental challenges but they also provide powerful answers. It is therefore no longer possible to think of materials from the restricted standpoint of Materials and Engineering Sciences and this book proposes a more holistic vision of their connection with the Environment and with Society. The book is meant for students, researchers, engineers, and concerned citizens interested in how materials, nature and people interact: at the level of raw materials and energy resources, of innovation and emergence of new materials functions, of historical continuity with materials of the past, and of emissions to air, water and soil and thus in connection also with health and toxicology issues, climate change and collapse of biodiversity. The book examines how materials relate to society with complex metrics, but also, more deeply, how they generate eco-social services, and, finally, have agency along with the people who use them and invent them (Actor Network Theory). This book is unique in its approach across so many fields. There are many excellent treatises on materials science and more on industrial ecology. However, the connection with the social dimension of sustainability is still rarely discussed and the pluridisciplinary cocktail of approaches used here is truly new.
The book examines how materials relate to society with complex metrics, but also, more deeply, how they generate eco-social services, and, finally, have agency along with the people who use them and invent them (Actor Network Theory).
Magnesium and magnesium alloys offer a wealth of valuable properties, making them of great interest for use across a wide range of fields. This has led to extensive research focused on understanding the properties of magnesium and how these can be controlled during processing. Fundamentals of magnesium alloy metallurgy presents an authoritative overview of all aspects of magnesium alloy metallurgy, including physical metallurgy, deformation, corrosion and applications.Beginning with an introduction to the primary production of magnesium, the book goes on to discuss physical metallurgy of magnesium and thermodynamic properties of magnesium alloys. Further chapters focus on understanding precipitation processes of magnesium alloys, alloying behaviour of magnesium, and alloy design. The formation, corrosion and surface finishing of magnesium and its alloys are reviewed, before Fundamentals of magnesium alloy metallurgy concludes by exploring applications across a range of fields. Aerospace, automotive and other structural applications of magnesium are considered, followed by magnesium-based metal matrix composites and the use of magnesium in medical applications.With its distinguished editors and international team of expert contributors, Fundamentals of magnesium alloy metallurgy is a comprehensive tool for all those involved in the production and application of magnesium and its alloys, including manufacturers, welders, heat-treatment and coating companies, engineers, metallurgists, researchers, designers and scientists working with these important materials. - Overviews all aspects of magnesium alloy metallurgy - Discusses physical metallurgy of magnesium and thermodynamic properties of magnesium alloys - Reviews the formation, corrosion and surface finishing of magnesium and its alloys
Sustainable practices within the mining and energy sectors are assuming greater significance due to uncertainty and change within the global economy and safety, security, and health concerns. This book examines sustainability issues facing the mining and energy sectors by addressing six major themes: Mining and Mineral Processing; Metallurgy and Recycling; Environment; Energy; Socioeconomic and Regulatory; and Sustainable Materials and Fleets. Emphasizing an integrated transdisciplinary approach, it deliberates on optimizing mining productivity and energy efficiency and discusses integrated waste management practices. It discusses risk management, cost cutting, and integration of sustainable practices for long-term business value. It gives a comprehensive outlook for sustainable mineral futures from academic and industry perspectives covering mine to mill optimization, waste, risk and water management, improved efficiencies in mining tools and equipment, and performance indicators for sustainable developments. It covers how innovation and research underpin management of natural resources including sustainable carbon management. •Focuses on mining and mineral processing, metallurgy and recycling, the environment, energy, socioeconomic and regulatory issues, and sustainable materials and fleets. •Describes metallurgy and recycling and uses economic, environmental and social parameter analyses to identify areas for improvement in iron, steel, aluminium, lead, zinc, copper, and gold production. •Discusses current research on mining, performance indicators for sustainable development, sustainability in mining equipment, risk and safety management, and renewable energy resources •Covers alternative and conventional energy sources for the mineral sector as well water treatment and remediation and energy sustainability in mining. •Provides an overview of sustainable carbon management. •Offers an interdisciplinary approach with international focus.
Minerals, Metals and Sustainability examines the exploitation of minerals and mineral products and the implications for sustainability of the consumption of finite mineral resources and the wastes associated with their production and use. It provides a multi-disciplinary approach that integrates the physical and earth sciences with the social sciences, ecology and economics. Increasingly, graduates in the minerals industry and related sectors will not only require a deep technical and scientific understanding of their fields (such as geology, mining, metallurgy), but will also need a knowledge of how their industry relates to and can contribute to the transition to sustainability. Minerals, Metals and Sustainability is an important reference for students of engineering and applied science and geology; practising engineers, geologists and scientists; students of economics, social sciences and related disciplines; professionals in government service in areas such as resources, environment and sustainability; and non-technical professionals working in the minerals industry or in sectors servicing the minerals industry.
Metals have been vital to human civilization for many thousands of years. Their durability and recyclability should make them ideal materials for a sustainable economy. This book assembles experts from many fields to discuss the conditions and limits of sustainable metals management. The contributors examine the theoretical ideas and goals of sustainability, and apply them across the metal making and trading process.
This book is a must for individuals and companies that have an interest in developing sustainable technology and systems in the complex 'Web of Metals' on a first principles, technological and economic basis, with a focus to the minerals, metals and product manufacturing industries. In this inter-, intra- and trans-disciplinary book the material/metal cycle will be central, addressing technology as the basis for achieving sustainability within the system of primary mineral and metal producing, and the consumer product material cycles, linked to nature's cycles. The following major topics (not exclusive) are discussed in a detail, which will satisfy company CEO's and students of environment, engineering, economics, and law alike: (i) industrial ecology, (ii) system engineering concepts, (iii) development of future breakthrough technology as well optimization of present technology, (iv) process fundamentals (e.g. thermodynamics, separation physics, transport processes etc.), (v) product manufacture and design (for recycling), (vi) environmental legislation and (vii) technology as a basis for achieving sustainability within our present society.The book discusses contentious issues such as the limits of recycling determined by physics, chemistry, economics and process technology, therefore providing the reader with a fundamental basis to understand and critically discuss the validity of environmental legislation. Furthermore, the 'Web of Metals' (i.e. the dynamic interconnection of metal and material cycles and product systems) will reveal that, if the application of environmental evaluation techniques such as material flow analysis, life cycle assessment etc. are not carried out on a sufficient theoretical basis, technological and economic understanding, analyses could lead to erroneous and in the end environmentally harmful conclusions.The book is illustrated with many industrial examples embracing car and electronic consumer goods manufacturing and recycling, and the production and recycling of all major metals (e.g. steel, aluminium, copper, zinc, lead, magnesium, PGM's and PM's) and to an extent plastics. A complete section of the book is devoted to the recycling of light metals. Numerous colour figures and photos, plant and reactor data as well as software and computer models (running under Matlab's Simulink® and AMPL® as well as tools based on neural net technology (CSenseTM) are provided to give the reader the opportunity to investigate the various topics addressed in this book at various levels of depth and theoretical sophistication, providing a wealth of information, share-data and industrial know-how.Finally, the book philosophically discusses how to harmonize the resource, life and technological cycles depicted by the figure on the cover to make a contribution to the sustainable use of resources and products.* Material and Metal Ecology and the various modelling aspects to quantify this * System modelling of recycling systems with applications in the automotive and consumergoods sector* Metallurgical metal recycling with applications in aluminium, supplemented with various modelling examples from thermodynamics, exergy, neural nets to CFD
Iron Ore: Mineralogy, Processing and Environmental Sustainability, Second Edition covers all aspects surrounding the second most important commodity behind oil. As an essential input for the production of crude steel, iron ore feeds the world's largest trillion-dollar-a-year metal market and is the backbone of the global infrastructure. The book explores new ore types and the development of more efficient processes/technologies to minimize environmental footprints. This new edition includes all new case studies and technologies, along with new chapters on the chemical analysis of iron ore, thermal and dry beneficiation of iron ore, and discussions of alternative iron making technologies. In addition, information on recycling solid wastes and P-bearing slag generated in steel mills, sustainable mining, and low emission iron making technologies from regional perspectives, particularly Europe and Japan, are included. This work will be a valuable resource for anyone involved in the iron ore industry. - Provides an overall view of the entire value chain, from iron ore to metal - Includes specific information on process/stage/operation in the value chain - Discusses challenges and developments, along with future trends in the iron ore and steel industries - Incorporates new, sustainable mining techniques
Membrane-Based Separation in Metallurgy: Principles and Applications begins with basic coverage of the basic principles of the topic and then explains how membrane technology helps in the development of new environmentally friendly and sustainable metallurgical processes. The book features the principles of metallurgical process and how widely the membrane-based technology has been applied in metallurgical industry, including the basic principles of membrane-based separation in terms of material science, membrane structure engineering, transport mechanisms, and module design, detailed metallurgical process flowcharts with emphasis on membrane separations, current process designs, and describes problems and provides possible solutions. In addition, the book includes specific membrane applications, molecular design of materials, fine tuning of membrane's multi-scale structure, module selection and process design, along with a final analysis of the environmental and economic benefits achieved by using these new processes.
