I have chosen an aluminum can to observe as it makes its way through the lifecycle.
Raise and Extract: Aluminum is made from aluminum ore. Aluminum ore is formed from the mineral of bauxite. Bauxite is a mineral that is formed from aluminum oxides and hydroxides when intense chemical weathering of soil in tropical environments takes place. The mining of bauxite is pretty big around the world. The mineral I currently being extracted from Australia, Central and South America, Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe. Approximately, 130 tonnes (1 tonne = 1000kg) of bauxite are mined each year.
Process: The bauxite is first passed through large screens to sort into relatively similar sizes. It is then mixed with a sodium hydroxide solution at a high temperature and pressure in a large slow moving mill. That product that is resulted from that step is then moved on to a machine that puts the product under pressure and heats it to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. It remains in there from 30 minutes to several hours. The product that comes out of this step is a sodium aluminate solution that is then transferred to smaller tanks to reduce the pressure and heat before it is moved to the settling tanks. That liquor that is now settling is then filtered again the retrieve the alumina and sodium hydroxide solution.
Manufacture: The aluminum is sent to the manufacturing plant in large coils. These coils can weigh up to 25,000 lbs. The can is made in two parts, the can body and the can lid. The coil is unraveled by a large machine and is lubricated. A cupping press presses circular discs and forms them into a shallow cup. The cup is then stacked higher by the addition of metal rings and is trimmed at the top for an even look. The can is then cleaned and dried before it is wrapped. After the wrapping process, the inside of the can is covered with a coating that will restrict the touching of whatever is in the can and the aluminum. Finally it is baked in an oven to seal the coating and is shaped so that it finally looks like a soda can. One last thing to be added is the can lid which closes in the can. Lastly, the can is tested for any leakage before it is shipped off.
Use: There is one main use for the aluminum can. That is to hold the beverage that we call today as soda. There are a lot of soda companies that produce soda into todays society. For example, Coca Cola, Mug, Fanta, Mt. Dew, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, etc. Some canned foods are put into aluminum cans. Another product of aluminum is aluminum foil which is mainly used in kitchens across the country. Something new that I learned was that many cars and airplanes contain a large amount of aluminum in their bodies and parts.
Dispose: The aluminum can is recyclable. That means that you are able to recycle any aluminum can (or any other product) and it is able to be cleaned and taken through the whole lifecycle process again.
Process: The bauxite is first passed through large screens to sort into relatively similar sizes. It is then mixed with a sodium hydroxide solution at a high temperature and pressure in a large slow moving mill. That product that is resulted from that step is then moved on to a machine that puts the product under pressure and heats it to about 300 degrees Fahrenheit. It remains in there from 30 minutes to several hours. The product that comes out of this step is a sodium aluminate solution that is then transferred to smaller tanks to reduce the pressure and heat before it is moved to the settling tanks. That liquor that is now settling is then filtered again the retrieve the alumina and sodium hydroxide solution.
Manufacture: The aluminum is sent to the manufacturing plant in large coils. These coils can weigh up to 25,000 lbs. The can is made in two parts, the can body and the can lid. The coil is unraveled by a large machine and is lubricated. A cupping press presses circular discs and forms them into a shallow cup. The cup is then stacked higher by the addition of metal rings and is trimmed at the top for an even look. The can is then cleaned and dried before it is wrapped. After the wrapping process, the inside of the can is covered with a coating that will restrict the touching of whatever is in the can and the aluminum. Finally it is baked in an oven to seal the coating and is shaped so that it finally looks like a soda can. One last thing to be added is the can lid which closes in the can. Lastly, the can is tested for any leakage before it is shipped off.
Use: There is one main use for the aluminum can. That is to hold the beverage that we call today as soda. There are a lot of soda companies that produce soda into todays society. For example, Coca Cola, Mug, Fanta, Mt. Dew, Dr. Pepper, Pepsi, etc. Some canned foods are put into aluminum cans. Another product of aluminum is aluminum foil which is mainly used in kitchens across the country. Something new that I learned was that many cars and airplanes contain a large amount of aluminum in their bodies and parts.
Dispose: The aluminum can is recyclable. That means that you are able to recycle any aluminum can (or any other product) and it is able to be cleaned and taken through the whole lifecycle process again.
Conclusion Questions: a.) The product lifecycle is meant by the process by which an element is taken from its original form, made into some sort of product and finally recycled and taken back through the whole process again.
b.) It is important for companies to research a products lifecycle because then the company can account for properties like how to get the element needed, what is needed to create the product and if it will be able to be recycled.
c.) Something that I would change about my product would be the grip on the sides of the can so that they could market those cans at a higher price.
d.) I think that the aluminum can will always be there because of its easy disposal and of its size. Though if it were to either evolve or become obsolete, I would say that it would become more obsolete. I would say that because of new refill bottles and regular plastic bottles taking over.
e.) One trade-off of using aluminum is that it takes 80-200 years for aluminum to decompose.
f.) Yes I do think that, that was taken into consideration when inventing the can.
g.) It is important to recycle because then you can reuse that aluminum over and over instead of letting it sit there and decompose for over 100 years. Same goes for any other product that can be recycled.
h.) Product designers play a role in recycling by making sure that the products that they design are able to be recycled.
I.) Society plays a huge role in recycling. If people in society aren't recycling then nobody is. That's why if
more people start to recycle then it will spread like wildfire and more and more people will start.
j.) What I can do to help is go grab a recycling bin and stick it right next to my trash can in my house. I myself am guilty of throwing away materials that could very well be recycled, so if I start then my family will most likely start. And there is one more family in this world that will be recycling.
b.) It is important for companies to research a products lifecycle because then the company can account for properties like how to get the element needed, what is needed to create the product and if it will be able to be recycled.
c.) Something that I would change about my product would be the grip on the sides of the can so that they could market those cans at a higher price.
d.) I think that the aluminum can will always be there because of its easy disposal and of its size. Though if it were to either evolve or become obsolete, I would say that it would become more obsolete. I would say that because of new refill bottles and regular plastic bottles taking over.
e.) One trade-off of using aluminum is that it takes 80-200 years for aluminum to decompose.
f.) Yes I do think that, that was taken into consideration when inventing the can.
g.) It is important to recycle because then you can reuse that aluminum over and over instead of letting it sit there and decompose for over 100 years. Same goes for any other product that can be recycled.
h.) Product designers play a role in recycling by making sure that the products that they design are able to be recycled.
I.) Society plays a huge role in recycling. If people in society aren't recycling then nobody is. That's why if
more people start to recycle then it will spread like wildfire and more and more people will start.
j.) What I can do to help is go grab a recycling bin and stick it right next to my trash can in my house. I myself am guilty of throwing away materials that could very well be recycled, so if I start then my family will most likely start. And there is one more family in this world that will be recycling.