This is the first book in a new series - "Materials Research and Engineering" - devoted to the science and technology of materials. "Materials Research and Engineering" evolves from a previous series on "Reine und Angewand­ te Metallkunde" ("Pure and Applied Metallurgy"), which was edited by Werner Koster until his eightieth birthday in 1976. Although the present series is an outgrowth of the earlier one, it should not and cannot be regarded as a continuation. There had to be a shift of scope - and a change in presentation as well. Metallurgy is no longer an isolated art and science. Rather, it is linked by its scientific basis and tech­ nological implications to non-metallic and composite materials, as well as to processes for production, refining, shaping, surface treatment, and appli­ cation. Thus, the new series, "Materials Research and Engineering", will present up-to-date information on scientific and technological progress, as well as on issues of general relevance within the engineering field and industrial society. Premiering the new series, the present book by Dieter Altenpohl gives the reader a very general outlook, in fact, a position analysis of materials and the materials industry within the framework of our contemporary technological environment. It ventures, moreover, to forecast the changes affecting this pattern in a dynamic, interdependent world. This may be an unusual way to start a scientific series - it is believed, nevertheless, to be an appropriate one.

Inhalt

I Role of Materials in the World Economy.- 1 Materials and Man's Needs.- 2 Definition of Involved Materials.- 3 Setting the Stage.- 3.1 The Total Materials Cycle.- 3.2 The Problem Triangle.- 3.3 The Limits to Growth Syndrome.- 3.4 Resulting Trends in OECD Countries.- 3.5 Materials Consumption and Economic Growth.- 3.6 Shift of Basic Materials Industries to Developing Countries.- 3.7 Concluding Remarks.- II Present Structure and Future Trends in Key Materials Industries.- 1 Introduction.- 1.1 Overview of 5 Major Metals and Their Reserves.- 1.2 Profiles of 12 Important Metals.- 1.3 Africa as a Regional Raw Material Source.- 1.4 Disruption in Mineral Supplies.- 2 Iron and Steel.- 2.1 Consumption and Perspectives.- 2.2 Geographical Distribution.- 2.3 Production of Iron and Steel.- Raw Materials.- 2.4 Beneficiation and Transport of Iron Ores.- 2.5 Utilization of Ores for the Production of Iron.- Direct Reduction Process.- Iron Ore Outlook.- 2.6 Iron and Steel Processing.- 2.6.1 Investment and Production Costs.- 2.6.2 Energy.- 2.6.3 Environment and Pollution Control.- 2.6.4 Recycling.- 2.7 Description of Steelmaking Processes and Finishing Operations.- 2.7.1 Definition of Different Types of Steel.- 2.7.2 Conventional Steelmaking Processes.- 2.7.3 Special Steels.- 2.7.4 Finishing Operations.- 2.8 Perspectives for New or Improved Technologies.- 3 Aluminium.- 3.1 Geographical Distribution.- 3.2 Aluminium's Important Application Sectors.- 3.3 Mineral Availability.- 3.4 Primary Aluminium Production.- 3.4.1 Ecology.- 3.4.2 Energy.- 3.5 Secondary Aluminium Production - Recycling and Scrap.- 3.6 Description of Aluminium Processing.- 3.6.1 Alumina Extraction.- 3.6.2 Aluminium Electrolysis.- 3.6.3 Aluminium Fabrication.- 3.7 Perspectives for Improved and New Reduction Technologies.- 3.8 Industry Outlook.- 4 Copper.- 4.1 Geographical Distribution.- 4.2 The Main Fields of Application.- 4.3 Mineral Availability.- 4.3.1 Reserves and Resources.- 4.3.2 Perspectives.- 4.4 Extractive Metallurgy.- 4.4.1 State of Art.- 4.4.2 Investment and Production Costs.- 4.4.3 Outlook.- 4.5 Semifinishing.- 4.6 Recycling and Scrap.- 4.7 North-South Dialogue.- 4.8 Summary.- 4.8.1 Supply Pattern and Price.- 4.8.2 Present and Future Problems.- 4.8.3 Industry Outlook.- 5 Cement and Concrete.- 5.1 Components of Concrete.- 5.2 Energy and Environmental Aspects.- 5.3 Today's Cement-concrete.- 5.4 Possibilities and Restrictions of Growth.- 5.4.1 Economic and Technical Developments.- 5.4.2 Practical Restrictions.- 5.5 Outlook.- 5.5.1 Construction Methods and Equipment.- 5.5.2 Binders.- 5.5.3 Aggregates.- 5.5.4 Reinforcements.- 5.5.5 Conclusion.- 6 Plastics.- 6.1 General Survey.- 6.2 Consumption and Perspectives: Overview.- 6.3 Geographical Distribution.- 6.4 Main Application Sectors.- 6.5 Production of Bulk Plastics.- 6.5.1 Raw Materials.- 6.5.2 Manufacturing.- 6.5.3 Preparation and Forming of Plastics.- 6.5.4 Post-forming Techniques.- 6.6 Special Plastics.- 6.7 Engineering Plastics.- 6.8 Substitution.- 6.9 Investment and Production Costs.- 6.9.1 Energy in the Plastic Industry.- 6.9.2 Environment and Pollution Control.- 6.9.3 Recycling.- 6.10 The Role of Developing Countries.- 6.11 Perspectives for New and Improved Technology.- 6.12 Industry Outlook.- 7 Wood and Wood Products.- 7.1 Utilization of World Forests.- 7.2 Consumption and Production of Wood Products.- 7.3 The Manufacture of Wood and Wood Derived Products.- 7.3.1 Sawmilling.- 7.3.2 Veneer and Plywood Production.- 7.3.3 Particleboard Production.- 7.3.4 Machining of Solid Wood and Wood Derived Products.- 7.4 Wood and Competing Materials.- 7.5 The Role of Developing Countries.- 7.5.1 Increasing Wood Yield.- 7.5.2 Outlook on World Forestry.- 7.6 Use of Wood for the Production of Chemicals, Pulp and Paper.- 7.6.1 Pulp and Paper.- 7.6.2 Environment and Pollution Control.- 7.6.3 Recycling of Paper and Paperboard.- 7.6.4 Precycling.- 7.6.5 Composting.- 7.7 Perspectives for Improved Properties and Products.- 8 Advanced Materials.- 8.1 Three Main Target Areas for Advanced Materials.- 8.2 Typical Examples of Ongoing Innovations.- 8.2.1 Fiber Reinforced Materials (Composites).- 8.2.2 Ceramics in Competition with Metals.- 8.2.3 Advanced Use of Metals and Alloys.- 8.3 Conclusion and Outlook.- 9 Where are the Basic Materials Industries Heading?.- III Technology Planning as Part of Industry's Planning Process.- 1 Why Technology Planning?.- 2 Technology Assessment as a Main Element of Technology Planning.- 3 Main Criteria and Sequence of Technology Planning.- 4 Technology Planning Using an Aluminium Producer as an Example.- 5 Importance of Technology Planning for the Materials Industry.- IV Key Issues for Technology Planning and Assessment.- 1 National Materials Policies versus Market Forces.- 2 Energy as a Critical Constraint.- 2.1 Energy Saving in the Basic Metals Industry.- 2.2 Energy Policy and the Materials Industry.- 3 Energy Accounting of Materials.- 3.1 Aluminium in the Energy Accounting Game.- 3.2 Some Basic Rules for Approaching Energy Accounting.- 3.3 Comparison of Aluminium and Steel Applications in Transportation.- 3.4 Why Could Plastics Survive the Quadrupling of Oil Prices?.- 3.5 Some Energy Issues in Packaging.- 3.5.1 One-way versus Returnable Beverage Containers.- 3.5.2 Recycling - Does It Save Energy?.- 3.5.3 How Packaging Saves Energy.- 3.6 Materials in Energy Supply Units.- 4 Substitution and Conservation of Materials.- 4.1 Selection and Substitution of Materials.- 4.2 Substitution in the Focus of Technology Planning.- 4.3 Seven Levels of Substitution.- 4.4 Introduction to Materials Recycling.- 4.4.1 Recycling in the Production-Consumption System.- 4.4.2 Industrial Recycling.- 4.4.3 The Contributions of Industrial Recycling to Supplies.- 4.4.4 Resource Recovery from Municipal Solid Waste.- 4.5 Assessment of Recovery Technologies.- 4.6 Materials Conservation and Economics.- 4.7 Longer Lifetime of Consumer Goods.- 4.7.1 Redesigning for Recyclability.- 4.7.2 Remanufacturing and Reuse.- 5 Materials and the Automobile Industry.- 5.1 Materials Substitution Possibilities.- 5.2 Materials Substitution Problems.- 6 Materials in Packaging.- 6.1 The Main Groups of Materials.- 6.2 Assessment of Trends in Beverage Cans and Sterilizable Food Containers.- 6.3 Recycling of Packaging Materials.- 6.4 Summary and Outlook.- V Research and Development Opportunities.- 1 Exploration and Discovery.- 2 Mining and Extraction.- 3 Mineral Processing.- 4 Manufacturing P…