AQA Sources, origins

and properties
GCSE
Design and Unit 5C
Technology 8552 Metal based materials

1
Objectives
• Know how metals are mined and extracted from
raw material
• Understand the processes involved in extraction and
refining to produce workable forms of metal
• Be aware of sustainability and ethical issues in metal
production, in use and end of life
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

If I had a hammer…
• Before the Iron Age, tools were commonly made of
wood and stone
• Give three advantages that a metal hammer would have over
a wooden mallet?
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

Mining
• Metal ores are mined from the earth
• These are mined either by surface or underground
mining which are energy intensive processes
• What other impacts arise from the process of
mining and transporting materials?
• What benefits may mining bring to a region?
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

Refining
• Impure metal needs to be refined
• Mined materials are not immediately usable in their raw state
• Smelting chemically alters the raw material
• Refining doesn’t chemically change the material,
it only purifies it
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

Smelting
• Once ore is mined, any
waste material must
be separated
• Extracting iron from iron ore
uses a blast furnace which can
reach temperatures of 1,700°C
• Iron melts at 1,538°C, liquefies
and sinks to the bottom of the
furnace. At this stage it is
called ‘pig iron’
• The waste product, known as
slag, is tapped off
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

Pig iron
• Pig iron runs off from the blast furnace
into rectangular moulds
• It has a very high carbon content,
making it very brittle
• Some of the carbon and other
impurities are removed
to make steel
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

Bauxite
• Bauxite ore is the primary source of aluminium
• To extract the aluminium, the ore must first be chemically
refined to produce an intermediate product
• The product is then smelted using
electrolysis to produce pure aluminium
• Give the physical properties of aluminium
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

Worksheet
• Complete Task 1 of the worksheet
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

Duralumin
• This is a lightweight, but hard alloy of aluminium
• It mainly consists of aluminium with small quantities of
copper, magnesium and manganese
• It’s a malleable metal and can be easily rolled or folded
• Due to its high strength, it used in aircraft, lightweight car
body panels, wheels and in engine pistons
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

Recycling metals
• Most metals can be recycled
• Metal can be recycled without altering its properties
• It’s then processed, shredded, melted, purified and ready
again for use
• What factors should designers and manufacturers consider
when designing metal products?
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

Dumping metal
• Recycling metal is very
beneficial to the planet
• Is metal renewable?
• How long do you think
it takes for an aluminium
can to decompose?
• Can metal rot?
• How might it degrade?
• If metals are put into landfill
rather than being recycled, what effects
could this have on the environment?
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

Worksheet
• Complete Tasks 2 and 3 of the worksheet
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

Plenary
• Complete the following sentences:
• Metals like iron and aluminium come from ____ which is
extracted from the earth's crust. This process is called _____.
• Aluminium comes from _______ which is refined using
__________.
• To obtain iron a _____ furnace is used. Iron is used to make
the _____ we use in the workshop.
• Aluminium alloys like _______ have been developed for their
specific properties, suitable for use with aircraft body panels.
• As long as they are separated, metals are ________ and this
can be repeated again and again making metals __________.
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

Plenary
• Complete the following sentences:
• Metals like iron and aluminium come from ores which is
extracted from the earth's crust. This process is called mining.
• Aluminium comes from bauxite which is refined using
electrolysis.
• To obtain iron a blast furnace is used. Iron is used to make the
steel we use in the workshop.
• Aluminium alloys like duralumin have been developed for their
specific properties, suitable for use with aircraft body panels.
• As long as they are separated, metals are recyclable and this
can be repeated again and again making metals sustainable.
Sources, origins and properties
Unit 5C Metal based materials

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Homework 1 Sources and origins
Unit 5C Metals

Homework 1: Sources, origins and properties

1. Metal naturally occurs in the crust of earth. In its natural state, it is often combined
with rock like substances. What is this material called? [1]
⬨ Iron
⬨ Coke
⬨ Slag
⬨ Ore
2. Complete the sentence: Aluminium comes from a raw material called: [1]
⬨ Electrolysis
⬨ Bauxite
⬨ Carbon
⬨ Duralumin
3. Below is a diagram of a blast furnace used in refining.
Complete the diagram by filling in labels a, b, c and d.

(a) ________________________________________________________________ [1]

(b) ________________________________________________________________ [1]

(c) ________________________________________________________________ [1]

(d) ________________________________________________________________ [1]

(d)

(a)

(b)
(c)

(e) Briefly explain one further process that happens to ‘pig iron’ to make steel. [1]

1
Homework 1 Sources and origins
Unit 5C Metals

4. Metals can be recycled indefinitely without changing their properties.

(a) Describe how you might separate ferrous metal containers (for example steel)
from non-ferrous containers (for example aluminium) at a recycling plant. [2]

(b) Explain how designers and manufacturers can assist in the recycling of metal-
based products at the end of their life. [2]

5. Discuss the environmental implication of surface mining as a method of obtaining

metal ores. [4]

Total 15 marks

2
Worksheet 1 Sources and origins
Unit 5C Metals

Worksheet 1: Sources, origins and properties

Task 1
Aluminium is the third most abundant element. Those mining the aluminium ore, or bauxite,
have environmental and social responsibilities to consider.

When a mining company plans to open a new bauxite mine it first has to make an
assessment of risks and repercussions. Complete the table below.

Potential Risks Who / what is Preventative

hazard at risk measures
Choosing
the site

Noise

Dust

Road surface
maintenance

1
Worksheet 1 Sources and origins
Unit 5C Metals

Task 2
In the table below, chart the sustainable life cycle of an aluminium can.

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3 Stage 4 Stage 5

Stage 6 Stage 7 Stage 8 Stage 9 Stage 10

2
Worksheet 1 Sources and origins
Unit 5C Metals

Task 3
Recycling metals still uses a huge amount of energy however there are many advantages of
recycling over producing from scratch.
Give three advantages of recycling metal products and explain your answers:

Advantage:

Explanation:

Advantage:

Explanation:

Advantage:

Explanation: