Riverwood Science Students Tour Research Plant

From Riverwood Intl:Riverwood International Charter School IB Chemistry and IB Physics classes toured the Novelis research plant in October. Novelis, Inc., the largest producer and recycler of aluminum in the United States, supplies different aluminum alloys to a variety of companies, including Coke, Ford, and Samsung. The students had an inside look at each step in the aluminum alloy production process, as well as the recycling process.

A fascinating part of the day was the live safety demonstrations in the lab. Students viewed the many ways engineers test pressurized aluminum cans to be able to withstand higher levels of psi from carbonation. As the engineers removed each failsafe, cans exploded, collapsed, and turned inside out, accompanied by a wild spray of soda. The engineers also illustrated the steady growth of the mouth of the can over the years, laughing with students as they theorized a correlation between the widening of the opening and expanding waistlines.

In addition to learning about the many ways manufacturers incorporate aluminum alloys, the students gained an appreciation for the staggering volume of alloys produced annually around the world. With almost 200 billion cans produced each year in this country alone, it was encouraging to learn how easy it is to recycle. Indeed, the group came away with a renewed enthusiasm to always recycle aluminum cans.

Image via Riverwood Intl