What is the life cycle of metal?

Answer 1

Metals play an important and obvious role in the economy and society. They are also a source of environmental damage during the process of extraction from the earth and through releases to air, water and land throughout their life cycle of production, use and disposal. Materials flow analysis (MFA) is an analytical tool for the characterization of the quantity of material stocks and flows throughout the product life cycle in order to enable better understanding of resource use and availability and of the sources of environmental releases. Characterization of the flow of substances in nature has long been part of the study of biogeochemistry-particularly the characterization of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and phosphorus in the "grand nutrient cycles." The characterization of human-induced flows such as metals is a more recent contribution, from the field of industrial ecology.

the metal. The study is often performed on metals that play a significant role in human activities, such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), and nickel (Ni). An MFA can conducted on country level, regional level, the world as a whole, or any other scope that is of interest to the researcher.

Answer 2

The life cycle of metal involves mining and extraction of raw materials, processing and manufacturing into usable products, consumption by end-users, and eventual disposal or recycling. Metals can be recycled repeatedly without degrading their properties, making them a sustainable material choice. Efforts are being made to improve the efficiency and sustainability of each stage in the metal life cycle through technological advancements and regulations.