As scrap metal buyers, we love learning about our trade – which is why we’ve prepared 35 mind-blowing facts for you to enjoy!
- Tungsten is the metal with the highest melting point, melting at 3422°C.
- The word metal comes from the Ancient Greek word ‘metallon’ which means quarry or to mine or excavate.
- The most abundant metal in the universe is iron, followed by magnesium.
- The tallest free-standing structures in the world are made of metals, primarily the alloy steel. They include the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, Tokyo’s television tower Skytree, and the Shanghai Towerskyscraper.
- The metal Gallium will melt in the palm of your hand.
- Boeing created a new metal called Microlattice that is 100 times lighter than Styrofoam and 99.9% air.
- It snows metal on Venus.
- Steel is the worlds most recycled material – with half of the world’s steel production using recycled steel.
- Roughly 30% of all metals are recycled.
- Water pollution is reduced by 40% when a steel mill uses recycled metal scraps.
- Recycling one aluminium can save enough energy to run a 60-watt light bulb for 20 hours, a computer for three hours and a TV for two hours.
- Aluminium reflects 92% of visible light and approximately 98% of infrared light.
- Because metal was scarce during World War II – the Oscars given out were made of plaster for three years. The recipients were called back after the war to exchange them for gold-plated metal ones.
- Brass doorknobs and handrails are most commonly used in public buildings because brass, a copper alloy, is naturally antibacterial.
- If two pieces of uncoated metal touch in space, they become permanently stuck together. It doesn’t happen on Earth because the atmosphere puts a thin layer of oxidation between the surfaces – preventing adherence. This process is known as cold welding.
- Silver can kill bacteria previously thought immune to antibacterial agents.
- Gold can grow on trees; this happens when the gold particles below the ground are absorbed through a biochemical process. The mineral is then deposited into the tree’s bark and leaves.
- A 14-karat gold LEGO brick was given out in the early 80s to employees who had worked at the Germany LEGO factory for over 25 years. They are valued at nearly $15,000 USD.
- Aluminium can be recycled over and over again without any loss of quality.
- Touching stainless steel will remove the odour of garlic and onion from your hands.
- 95% of all copper ever mined was extracted after 1900. More than half of that has been extracted in the last 24 years.
- Exposure to platinum can turn snails into slugs.
- All of the tin produced in the US is recycled. The United States has neither mined tin since 1993 nor smelted it since 1989 – but currently import it.
- There is more gold in a ton of mobile phones than a ton of gold ore. It takes a ton of ore to get one gram of gold, but you can get the same amount from recycling 41 mobile phones.
- Until 1735 no new metals had been discovered since prehistoric times; iron, copper, silver, gold, zinc, mercury, tin, lead, and bismuth.
- Pure gold is too soft for most applications so it is combined with other metals to become stronger.
- A 15cm x 15cm cube of iridium or osmium would weigh as much as an average adult human.
- Aluminium used to be one of the most expensive metals in the world. Only the wealthiest ate with aluminium utensils, whilst the lesser nobility ate with gold.
- Beryllium, the 4th element on the periodic table, is highly toxic and just 0.25 milligrams (the mass of a grain of salt) can kill a rat.
- There is enough gold in the Earth’s core to coat the Earth 1.5 feet tall.
- Californium-252 costs about $2.7 billion AUD per 100 grams, making it one of the most expensive elements known to man.
- In Australia, steel makes up about 2.5% of the waste that goes to landfill.
- Making new steel from recycled cans uses 75% less energy than making steel from raw materials.
- Approximately 98% of all materials in a battery are recycled.
- An average city bus contains 75,000 cans worth of steel.
Looking for scrap metal buyers in Melbourne?
If you’re looking for scrap metal buyers in Melbourne, then look no further than Metal Men Recycling. We buy all types of scrap metal and even offer pickup and drop-off services for larger loads.
Why not give our scrap metal buyers a call on 03 5941 6677 to see how we can help you. Alternatively, you may also contact us via the enquiry form found on our website.
