• organic shapes

Key areas for research

During this task the

research is going to focus on the following aspects:

• trendy Welsh craft companies and product analysis.

• innovative and inspiring designers.

• types of metals – especially mild steel

Types of Metals

Metal one of the most exciting, versatile and important material to mankind? What do you think?

Metals Task – name 10 objects made of metal that is in close proximity to you.

Metals

Can you think of words that describe metals?

Shiny, strong, reflective, rusty, brilliant, hard, cold, rough, smooth….

Can you name any metals?

Steel, gold, sliver, iron, aluminium, copper, brass, zinc, platinum, titanium , mercury, nickel, magnesium ….

Can you think of ways we use metals in:

Metals

• our homes

• transport

• jewellery/adornment

Let look at each of these and investigate the impact of metal on

our lives

How do we use metals in our homes?

Metals

hot water jug stool drain cover tinned food speaker

back of a computer fan colander buildings lighting

How do we use metals in: transport

Metals

Some photographs courtesy photolibrary wales

Metals

• jewellery/decorative adornment

Metals

Task – Make a digital poster on the influence of metals on our daily lives. Think about, how you start the day e.g. washing your face and digitally record images of how metals influences your life.

Wash my face.. cup of tea…cereal ….toast….check my mail & messages….

Inspirational image sites: www.gettyimage.com or www.istockphoto.comOr ask your teacher for some good image site – two possible ones are given below.

Metals are divided into three categoriescopper ore as it found in

the ground.

Metals

Metals are mined from the earth’s crust as metal ore, which is then heated to produce pure metals.

photography courtesy of photolibrary wales

• Non Ferrous metals

• Alloys

• Ferrous metals

Mild Steel bridge structure

Bright mild steel

Black mild steel

Ferrous metals

Ferrous metals contains iron.

Bright and black mild steel are common examples:

Properties

• Strong

• Joined permanently by welding / brazing

• Shaped by heat treatment

Carbon Steel

Carbon is often added to steel so that the steel can be made harder by heat treatment, here are some examples of its uses:

Properties

• harder than mild steel

• can be hardened with heat treatment

• not as easy to work with

Carbon steel handle bars

Carbon steel blades

springs

Other Ferrous metals.

Copper – brownish orange in colour, excellent

conductor of heat and electricity. Uses of copper?

Non ferrous metals

These metals do not contain iron and are the most expensive to buy. Here are a few examples

Aluminium – a light grey colour, this metal is easily recognised because it feels very light to handle.

Gold – a very expensive metal and is used mainly for jewellery. Other uses of gold?

Aluminium – a light grey colour, this metal is easily recognised because it feels very light to handle. Can you name products made from aluminium?

Alloy Wheels – similar to duralumin. Light and strong.

Alloys

Alloys are made up of two or more metals

being mixed together:

Here are a few examples :

Brass - made up of copper and zinc,

does not rust, quite expensive. Uses?

Duralumin - made from aluminium,

copper & magnesium. Mainly used for camera & aircraft parts.

Other ferrous metals

Stainless Steel

Made up of iron, carbon and chromium, therefore this ferrous metal does not rust very easily.

Properties

• doesn’t rust

• hard

• not easy to cut and form

• expensive

Photographs below courtesy of www.bodieandfou.com/photolibrarywales

Where is stainless steel used in the home?

Can you work out the properties of stainless steel?

Metals can be worked/processed in a number of ways:

Metals

• you can join it

• you can shape it

• you can polish it

• you can add other materials to it

• you can colour or paint it

Match the mostly likely used metal to each of the products below.

sliveraluminium duralumincast iron

carbon steel

Photograph of gold torque bangle courtesy www. adrahome.com

brass

silver aluminium bright mild steel bronze duralumin.

gold stainless steel brass copper cast iron carbon steel

stainless steel gold bronze copper Mild bright steel

Metals

Task – Make a digital poster to show how metals have been used in your locality to reflect culture and traditions .

Some photographs courtesy photolibrary wales

Metals

Task – Make a digital poster on the ways that metals:

• have been used in the past

• are used at present

• could be used in the future.

Metals -recap

Look carefully at the photographs below and can you spot the odd one out.

ferrous metal

carbon steel

ferrous metal

mild steel

non ferrous metal

aluminium

Metals – recap

Look carefully at the photographs below and can you spot the odd one out.

non ferrous metal

copper

non ferrous metal

gold

ferrous metal

black mild steel

Metals -recap

Look carefully at the photographs below and can you spot the odd one out.

alloy

brass

alloy

duralumin

non ferrous metal

aluminium

Metal - sustainability considerations.

Before we use metal, what should we think about ?

photographs courtesy photolibrary wales

Metal are ‘expensive’ to produce for the planet and people.

Producing metals involves the mining of ore. Mining ore

results in the moving of a lot of soil and rock, this can

release pollution into the local environment. The

amount of rock and soil moved varies with the metal ore being mined.

A lot of energy is normally used to process the ore into metal. This varies for each type of metal.

Do you agree with this statement?

Between 3 to 20 tons of rock and soil needs to be shifted and processed to make 1 gold wedding ring.

How much of rock and soil needs to be moved to produce

1 gold wedding ring?.

Metal sustainability considerations .

photographs courtesy photolibrary wales

Recycling metal has a higher energy payback than many other materials. This is true

especially of aluminium where recycling only

takes about 5% of the energy that it would to produce it from its ore source – bauxite.

Before we use metals what should we think about

Aluminium cans crushed ready for recycling

Recycling 1 kg of aluminium saves -

4 kg chemicals

14kWh electricity

6 kg bauxite

This doesn’t mean we can use as much as we like,

but every scrap we do use should be recycled.

Can you think of metal products that can be recycled?

Computer parts being recycled in south Wales Compacted cars ready for the world largest shredder at Simms Metals - Newport

Metal cans sorted

Scrap metal Batteries Domestic appliances

Metal sustainability considerations .

Before we use metals what should we think about

• is there a lower impact material that could be used instead?

• ways to minimise the amount you use

• how to produce as little waste as possible.

Where should the circle be cut out from in this sheet of metal – the centre or the corner?

As metals are such high impact materials, when choosing your materials you could consider

Helpful websites:

Designers +makers in Wales

www.simongaiger.co.uk – unique wood + metal products/recycled materials – west Wales

www.anncatrinevans.com – innovative and exciting metal products + public art. – North Wales

www.marieluned.co.uk – innovative welsh jewellery made from slate, oak and silver

Others sites of interests

www.bodieandfou.com – full of innovative products

www.wheredidyoubuythat.com – again cutting edge well designed products.

www.cat.org.uk – up to date information on sustainability

www.crockhamhill.kent.sch.uk/teachers/Science... - good reference

www.wasteonline.org.uk - help information on recycling etc

Books :

Metal for inspiration by Chris Lefteri – RotoVision