4 ms·
Is new mining of similar materials environmentally friendly?
by fatfingerd 3y ago
Is new mining of similar materials environmentally friendly?
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- buildsjets 3y agoWe no longer have the ability to manufacture new low-background steel on this planet due to environmental contamination.
- sl-1 3y agoI think we do have the capability if wanted, it just does not make economical sense. Basically we'd need to filter the gases injected to the process to guard against contaminants, which would cost a lot. So it's just cheaper to recycle old steel.
- rnk 3y agoWhat is low-background steel?
- natpalmer1776 3y agoLow-background steel, also known as pre-war steel, is any steel produced prior to the detonation of the first nuclear bombs in the 1940s and 1950s. Typically sourced from ships (either as part of regular scrapping or shipwrecks) and other steel artifacts of this era, it is often used for modern particle detectors because more modern steel is contaminated with traces of nuclear fallout. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-background_steel https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-background_steel
- rnk 3y agoVery interesting. Wiki also says it's not needed for most uses now since that background radiation has greatly reduced since we stopped blowing up bombs in the atmosphere. "... background radiation has decreased to very near natural levels ... low-background steel no longer necessary for most radiation-sensitive applications,... However, some demand remains for the most radiation-sensitive applications, such as Geiger counters and sensing equipment aboard spacecraft. For the most demanding applications even low-background steel can be too radioactive and other materials like high purity copper may be used."