Aluminium is extracted from aluminium oxide using electrolysis, which requires massive amounts of electrical energy. Copper is traditionally extracted by smelting copper sulfide ores, which releases acidic gases into the atmosphere and depletes high-grade mineral reserves. Both metals can also be obtained by recycling waste materials.
Explain the environmental and economic advantages of recycling aluminium and copper compared to extracting them from their primary ores.
110 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Chemistry 5.1 Obtaining and using metals, covering 5.1.1 The reactivity series of metals, 5.1.2 Displacement reactions as redox reactions, 5.1.3 Extracting metals from ores by reduction, 5.1.4 Biological methods of metal extraction, 5.1.5 Resistance to oxidation and recycling metals, and 5.1.6 Life cycle assessment. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.