Materials, modern recycling

If two or more types of different materials are mixed up and treated in defined conditions (varying with temperature, pressure, and other chemical and physical processes), a composite material with a clear interfacial boundary will be obtained. If a major part of the produced composite consists of polymer, then it is called a polymeric composite. A polymeric composite material is one of the most developed areas of modern science and technology. In addition to composite materials, modern science and technology use nano-sized materials. Such composites are called nanocomposites, whose main attraction is related to very high operation properties, such as flexibility, elasticity, recycling, hardness, resistance to abrasion, and optical and electrical transmission [9]. 

The non-technical nature of the problem becomes apparent when we consider a specific example. For instance, plastic bottles, which are tighter and cheaper than those made from glass, have superseded the traditional material in all sectors of the modern drinks industry. In Britain five billion plastic bottles are used a year, which leads to serious environmental problems. They are difficult to recycle or reuse and expensive to dispose of. They cannot be reused because of the need for sterility. Sterilising is done using high temperatures, which would cause softening or even melting if applied to plastics. 

The waste materials produced during the primary production of aluminum are fluoride compounds. Fluoride compounds are principally produced during the reduction process. One reason that prebaked anodes are favored is that the closure of the pots during smelting facilitates the capture of fluoride emissions, although many modern smelters use other methods to capture and recycle fluorides and other emissions. 

The continually increasing demand for environmentally friendly industrial processes has also led to the development of techniques for recycling of the remaining 5-30% sulfate contained in the acidic wash water [2.55]. In modern processes, up to 99 % of sulfuric acid can be recovered and reused in production. In the chloride process, wastewater problems arise if the raw material contains < 90% Ti02. The metal chloride by products are sometimes disposed of in solution by the deep well method (e.g., at Du Pont). The metal chloride solutions are pumped via deep boreholes into porous geological strata. Special geological formations are necessary to avoid contamination of the groundwater by impurities. 

The increase of material and energy recycles in modern plants because of tight integration, increasing the interactions between units too. 

Modern science and industry have provided a growing supply of material products. When they reach the end of their useful life, they become solid waste, and disposing of it has become a growing problem. Worst of all is over-packaging to stimulate sales, so discarded packaging is the major contributor to this solid waste. Plastics are not the major component of solid waste but because of their low density, bright colors, and relative weather-resistance, they are the most obvious component. It would be desirable to remove them from solid waste by recycling. 

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