Smil, Vaclav
Materials and Dematerialization: Making the Modern World
- ISBN 13:
- 9781394181209
- author:
- Smil, Vaclav
- format:
- Paperback
- publisher:
- John Wiley & Sons Inc
- language:
- English
- Publication Year:
- 2016
- Pages:
- 320
- Dimensions:
- 23.6 x 17.3 x 2.5 centimetres (0
- Genre:
- Nonfiction, Technology & Engineering, Material Science,
- Condition:
- New
- Availability:
- Item usually sent within 10 working days
Description
Vaclav Smil examines the critical issue of sustainable resource utilisation, a topic of great interest to researchers and policymakers. The modern world relies heavily on material flows in unprecedented quantities. Even the most efficient production methods and high recycling rates may not be sufficient to drive dematerialisation far enough to balance the growing demand for materials driven by population growth and rising living standards. This book explores the most important materials of history, from wood and stone to metals and alloys, as well as plastics and silicon, in a detailed analysis of their extraction, production, synthesis, refinement, and distribution. The author also examines the increasing productivity in material extraction and processing, energy costs, and environmental impacts associated with growing material consumption. The book concludes by looking at the possibilities of dematerialisation, potential limitations on materials, an updated assessment of material demand, and forecasts for the next decade.
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