To a greater or lesser extent, most of the materials used for the development of products, suffer an interaction with the different types of environmental phenomena that exist. These interactions make the characteristics of the materials undergo modifications and deteriorate their properties. This means that there is a degradation of products that are manufactured with these materials.
In this ecology article, we will talk about the decomposition of metal in the environment and also the time of waste degradation. So, if you want to know how long the metal takes to decompose, learn about the contamination of metals and discover what are the products that take more time to degrade and which ones are the least, continues to read this interesting article about how long it takes to degrade metal and more related details.
How long it takes to degrade metal
He Metal degradation time It is related both to the amount of material they have and with their thickness and also to the environmental conditions in which the metal is found.
On the one hand, for example, those finest metal materials, which are normally used for boats, cans, bottles or aerosols, they take even 30 years in degrading. On the other hand, if you wonder How long it takes to degrade steeltake note that this can be even 100 years.
However, corrosion and degradation of thicker metal, normally used in construction, such as concrete rods or iron beams, have a decomposition time that oscillates Between 200 and 500 years.
Metal impact on the environment
Mining and industrial activities yield large amounts to the environment Toxic metalssuch as mercury, cadmium, arsenic, chromium or lead, harmful to the health of the human being and, in general, for all form of life. In addition, they end up contaminating the bodies of water, soil and atmosphere, since many of them end up suspended in the air because they have undergone combustion processes.
However, they are not the only metals that are a danger to the environmentthose that are used in construction, in the production of machinery, cars, cans, among other products, are also. If once the useful life of these products ends, they are not well managed, that is, if they do not deposit at a recycling point, they will end up in the natural environment and due to their degradation, finally, they become a danger to the environment and its biodiversity.
We recommend you read this other article about heavy metal pollution in water.
Why it is important to reuse and recycle metal
With The reuse and recycling of metals It contributes significantly to Do not worsen the current pollution situation that exists worldwide. Recycling and reusing is reduced air pollution, soil, water bodies and is also considerably reduced by waste generation.
In addition, recycling processes need less electrical energy than those processes that are developed to produce from virgin materials, so it would also be Saving energy by recycling and reusing metal.
How to recycle metal
Among the metals that can be recycled, Aluminum and steel They are the most common, although there are also others who metals that can be recycledsuch as copper, bronze, brass, gold, silver and lead, among others.
On the one hand, steel is one of the metals that has been used since ancient times and can be recycled. For him Steel recycling Large blocks are formed so that its manipulation is easier, it later exerts pressure on the blocks to cut them into smaller pieces, and separates from other metals. Once we obtain only steel, it melts in ovens and melted steel is poured into blocks to form ingots or plates that will later be wrapped in sheets to be used in other products.
On the other hand, Aluminum is 100% recyclable And the objects formed with this material (in general the cans), once discarded are crushed to crumble them and are melted to later mold it on bullion. These ingots are passed through rollers to produce fine aluminum sheets, and in this way it is ready for the manufacture of new products. In this other article we talk about how to recycle aluminum.
Although almost all metals can be recycled, there are also those who do not, such as those used in toxic products, pipes, hangers and paintings, among others.
How long to degrade materials
Next, it will be shown How long it takes to degrade materials:
- Paper or cardboard: The degradation time of the paper is 1 year.
- Aluminum: Aluminum used for cans takes up to 10 years to decompose.
- Tetrabrik: The containers produced with this material take up to 30 years to degrade.
- Plastics bags: they take between 150 and 300 years to degrade.
- Pilas: batteries can take to degrade between 500 and 1000 years.
- PET plastic: normally used for plastic bottles, it takes up to 1,000 years to degrade.
- Glass: It is one of the materials that you need more time to degrade, for example, a glass bottle needs about 4,000 years for degradation.
In this list you have been able to see some of the products that take longer to degrade and some of the least, but here you can learn more about how long it takes to degrade the waste.
If you want to read more articles similar to How long it takes to degrade metalwe recommend that you enter our recycling and waste management category.
- Redcicla (since 2002). Metal recycling: http://www.redcicla.com/metal.html
