See a plant producing the most important metal in the world

Host Mike Rowe showcases one of the plants responsible for making the most importance metal in the world, aluminum, on ‘How America Works.’
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[@dustywilson5461]

Wishing this video wasn't cut short. I was really into it.

[@chewyduck1355]

I'm foreman at a recycling facility in Western Canada. We ship aluminum to Russellville. It was awesome to see the facility and what the process of recycling it actually involves.

[@stevethewsimpson25]

I wouldn't know. I had to leave when all I got hit with way too commercials in the first two minutes. I can't watch videos like that. There is more TIME in the advertisements than in the film itself. Not worth it to me.

[@chouseification]

@@gooser__43 they won't - there will be spots for the maintenance team for a while yet. Tell them to learn how to fix robots and they will have a place for a while anyways. :P

[@blake102989]

Russellville is a hell of a haul from western Canada. I’m surprised y’all ship all the way down to this area.

[@blake102989]

@Over Educated sp what if he did? How is that a bad thing?

[@tonymoretti2347]

sarcan baby!

[@mishaanton5436]

Love Mike showing what it takes to make what we use. Connection vs Assumptions ~ it's just there. Gives you appreciation. I'm not in a hot factory 12 hours a day. Someone is.

[@SlapShotRegatta22]

Mike Rowe is the effing man! God Bless America!

[@ze_german2921]

As a German living in the US, I encounter many snobby US Porsche owners that correct others how their beloved brand is pronounced and that is when I remind them, that someone from Boston pronounce "Water" different that someone from North Carolina. It is OK to Say "Porche" and not Por-sch-e. Bosterners don't go around and say "WAATER" is the correct way. Don't be a Snob

[@1pcfred]

I want one of them Porchies like an El Camino. They have a model like that?

[@roymadison5686]

And I thought it was pronounced WARDER.

[@ze_german2921]

@@roymadison5686 depends on the zip code 😂

[@differentname8051]

It is funny how septic tanks say the word Jaguar though, let's be honest.

[@secretsquirrel5924]

Mike Rowe…You are sooo awesome! 😎👍

[@sharongeorgevich1999]

LOVE YOUR LOGIC ON THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE!! THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! 🤗🤗😄😃

[@bombusconfusus2059]

Why this man should be president! Gives facts, motive and use of knowledge. Not seeking power... nor wormwood.

[@derekc4919]

So crazy seeing this, I was one of the pipefitter welders that worked on phase 1 (right half as you are looking from the shredders towards the furnace). It was my first welding job. Alot of memories.Did some maintenance work as well as some underground plumbing near the reversing mill as well.

[@adamnivens4040]

People like you make the world run!

[@derekc4919]

@@adamnivens4040 Thanks for that. There are many humble tradespeople, plant operators and truck drivers keeping this beautiful country going. I'm just proud to be a part of it.

[@cking8776]

Happy to see that aluminum is being recycled & supporting American trade jobs!!! 👍🇺🇲👍

[@cranbers]

every person they introduced was community college or high school with decade or more of experience. That is pretty cool.

[@itsourlife]

ROFL such an automated plant probably needs 10-20 people max to run it.

[@lancethrustworthy]

I hope it's a UNION shop. It SHOULD be.

[@countpicula]

“This isn’t another episode of how things work in jolly old England. This is America” B-B-B-B-B-BASED!

[@RCPMK]

Aluminum does oxidize. Almost instantly. It's that layer of Al oxide that makes it appear that it does not rust

[@kpkp42]

The same is true for stainless steel: By adding 11% chromium to the steel, the chromium takes on oxidation, self-healing whenever a fresh layer of stainless steel is exposed to our atmospheric oxygen, the outermost layer becoming chromium oxide

[@vertigodream7435]

Aluminum oxidizes severely in salt water conditions. I've seen it corrode all the way down to powder.

[@APOKOLYPES]

@@vertigodream7435 not oxidation, corrosion, know what you mean though that's why we use sacrificial aluminum diodes at sea

[@vertigodream7435]

@@APOKOLYPES So you agree it does corrode. It's called chemistry.

[@fredshope7793]

The man understands the importance Of WORK and the people who do it . Work is doing something that others Will not do and get paid.

[@rocksandoil2241]

The thing I remember being told at the Bauxite mine in Arkansas 50 years ago was the enormous amount of electricity needed to make aluminum from ore.

[@joeylawn36111]

True. But this facility shown is not actually making aluminum, but recycling it.

[@rogertycholiz2218]

Rocks & Oil ~ No Bauxite was used. It is all made from recycled aluminium cans. Not a better person than Mike to tell the story.

[@felice9907]

@@joeylawn36111 which can cause the same problem ...

[@roboparks]

Well Ya if your using Solar energy or Wind. Which neither produce enough energy. So what are you saying? Should we go back to Clay Pots and Pans? But then you will say something that humans taking Clay from soil is bad for environment. And Wood fires would require Forest? You act like human beings shouldn't have never been on the planet that some how humans are a mistake by Nature LOL

[@nimernimer]

14kw per kg to make fresh aluminium

[@felkerforcongress]

Mike Rowe is a true patriot. This day and age we need more and more people in the technical fields to manufacture things and repair machinery.

[@icosthop9998]

Mike Rowe I have not seen him since "Dirty Jobs".

[@revolutionaryprepper4076]

Ty Mike Rowe for the documentary on aluminum! Good job, keep up the good work!

[@kwatt-engineer796]

I have huge respect for the "doers" in this world. Planners can plan, engineers can design but nothing happens until these folks put their hands on it.

[@coryschraner7065]

Well said

[@jonathanljohnson]

It's possible to be a planner, a designer and a doer, but such people are very, very rare!

[@vivavasquez]

for how long when suckers buy pretend realities .

[@kwatt-engineer796]

@@jonathanljohnson I am old enough to almost be fossil. But in my life I have been all three. Perhaps that is why I have so much respect for the " doers" of the world. My measure of respect is based on , do you do your best no matter what your work is. That is rare . Employers will appreciate it. This can often be a path to advancement because you have proven you are worthy of taking on more responsible positions.

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

Doers need to know which way to go with their doing. Sadly many people are busy busy busy doing anything, even wasting effort.

[@dmattlick7990]

Nice to see that the US still has some manufacturing capability left!

[@1pcfred]

Yeah we can melt down pop cans. I've done that in my backyard. Just not on the scale they're doing it in that facility.

[@xavierdaume2757]

Yes.. and just remember that some engine parts of your brand new expensive Mercedes are made from old Coke cans.. so next time ask for a discount when buying an expensive car 🤪 😄

[@absalomdraconis]

We do a lot of manufacturing, but almost all of it is automated. Lots of production, very little employment.

[@NoNORADon911]

@@1pcfred We can also make litter boxes and jars!

[@1pcfred]

@@absalomdraconis a lot of what the US manufactures are not consumer products. We make things like guided missiles. Which aren't sold at Walmart.

[@jojored9647]

Man I'm glad to see you back God bless you

[@kurtdowney1489]

Takes 8 times less energy to recycle aluminum than it does to mine it.

[@TheMrAHead]

The that doesn't make sense. Wouldn't it take more to extract it from ore?

[@timmurphy5541]

@@TheMrAHead It would make most sense to stop drinking unhealthy things out of cans.

[@kurtdowney1489]

@@TheMrAHead I could of said It takes 8 times more energy to mine aluminum than recycle it.

[@TheMrAHead]

@@kurtdowney1489 I think I read it backwards in my mind; if that makes sense... thought you were saying recycling metal is a waste. Re-reading it..... yes, much more costly to mine. Gotta read slower!

[@kurtdowney1489]

@@TheMrAHead Yes makes better sense to say, It takes 8 times more energy to mine aluminum than recycle it. Think I need to write slower-LOL

[@JC4SPORT]

Great to see an important product not made in China 🙏😁

[@harrywalker5836]

the camera is chinese.. & the didgital electronics.. there was a vid of a chinese guy saying,'' all products we make in china are #1..''..definatlly had a gun to his head..

[@robertwilliams2623]

Good to see mike row again doing his thing jest love dirty jobs . Thank mike

[@stanbodle6410]

I am only kidding because sometimes I accidentally use words that doesn’t make any sense in a sentence

[@donaldeugenealford4080]

I agree with Mike Rowe, we need to rebuild trade colleges all around America oh, I don't know why we did away with them in the eighties it has it has affected the workforce and people getting knowledge for a trade.

[@Kaptain13Gonzo]

Two things. University degrees were sold as the way to make more money, and student loans became really easy to get. I lived through the change. I remember first year classes with 50% failure rates. Then all those folks had to find some kind of work to pay of their "easy" loans. The tech colleges got on the degree bandwagon so the trades and tech programs were significantly reduced. Now you have $40k Gender Fluid Dance dance experts with no work and no-one to fix your toilet. So much for 'making more money'. As an added bonus, bankruptcy does not include student loans, you get to pay those in full.

[@elatomala1976]

Get ready for what they have in stored for us here! After it's over their definitely will be places that need to be rebuilt.

[@TechAtScale]

Nearly every job here could be automated or the process better refined to move the labor altogether. The only person here that can't be automated yet is the electrical engineer to repair the equipment.

[@bighands69]

Even college courses such as finance that actually focus on finance would be a good move as well. A red flag warning should be any course that has an ethics course or a title of a course that makes no sense.

[@deconteesawyer5758]

@@Kaptain13Gonzo Now just hold on right there. "Every Child Deserves a Diploma" and the socialist government public school teachers union sees to it that they get one regardless if they can read, write or make change for a dollar. After all, old school English and math are racist tools of Industrial Arts, and we have moved on to the liberal arts of activist Marxism. No more diversity gap. Ain't it great ? Jobs from the White House on down entitlement awarded on the basis of race, sexual perversity, and gender identity instead of merit. Real democrat social justice at last.

[@chriskilmer5197]

Great SEGMENT-- thanks Mr. ROE

[@kctaz6189]

“England and America are two countries divided by a common language.” George Bernard Shaw

[@leftifornian2066]

America just speaks bastardized English, its all good

[@deeeeeeeench1209]

And the Atlantic than God for that 1.

[@richpaydirt]

This plant has it going on as they do remelt to produce new products. I spent 6 years working at the Kaiser aluminum smelter in Spokane and we averaged over a million pounds of aluminum daily. The plant closed around 2000 because they couldn’t complete with the global industry. Aluminum is produced through an electrical process from a mineral called Bauxite. There is little to none found in North America so we had to import it all the way from Australia. Eventually this got too expensive and few American aluminum smelters survive today.

[@SilvaDreams]

Quite sure it wasn't they couldn't keep up, more because of Clinton and his waving of import taxes on China they simply packed up and moved to CHina like so many American industries did because they could build newer, bigger plants for dirt cheap with no EPA regulations and a labor force that worked for pennies thus making huge profits. I remember at least 15 factories in North Carolina that ranged from cotton plants to Glass plants that simply shut down and jumped over to China from 1998 to early 2000's and left well over a million people looking for jobs.

[@funnlivinit]

@@SilvaDreams Actually a lot of Aluminum smelting moved to Iceland because of the world's lowest (at the time) electricity rates. Alcoa has a huge plant there, operating to this day. And economic incentives from the government, also controversial with the citizens of Iceland.

[@jackson.caldwell]

These are the coolest people, doing real awesome work. very impressed.

[@rh1507]

Now this puts all of those darn cans I crushed as a kid with a sledge hammer.

[@joeylawn36111]

"It doesn't rust" - Actually, aluminum is more reactive than iron. The reason it doesn't corrode is that pure aluminum, when exposed to air, instantly forms a layer of aluminum oxide that protects the rest of the metal.

[@davidrobertson5700]

It's called anodisation

[@joeylawn36111]

@@davidrobertson5700 Passivation. Anodizing is when aluminum is placed in a water solution, and an electric current is applied to make the oxide layer thicker, so it can be dyed for instance. Passivation happens automatically with aluminum metal.

[@russcrawford3310]

Right, the protective layer occurs without human interference ... it's a "passive" process ... just exposing the reduced metal to atmospheric oxygen gives protection ...

[@rogertycholiz2218]

@@davidrobertson5700 ~ NO! Anodisation is an electric current in solution used to coat the aluminium.

[@andrenewcomb3708]

I don't think that's true. I'm a dumpster diver for recyclables for more than 30 years. Working aluminum leaves the hands kind of black from the stuff wearing off. Washes off real easy. Sure as hell doesn't pay. And the respect is so impressive.

[@TheOneAndOnlySame]

Iron is by far, the most important metal of all . BY FAR. Thanks to iron we have all the different steels and basically, the modern world.

[@captainKedger]

Na...copper. copper is what makes the electrical infrastructure. During WW2 it was COPPER that was in shortage not iron. That's why they started making steel pennies in 1943. If you find a 1943 copper penny it's worth around 7 million dollars.

[@captainKedger]

There are currently about 3 copper pennies from 1943 that are still unaccounted for. They're probably in a landfill somewhere.

[@TheOneAndOnlySame]

@@captainKedger it's still steel. Copper is second

[@dnomyarnostaw]

@@TheOneAndOnlySame Nup. Without copper, both the manufacture and welding, forming of steel would not occur.

[@TheOneAndOnlySame]

@@dnomyarnostaw pretty sure we didn't need copper to forge steel swords

[@stephenconnolly3018]

People of both UK and USA can still understand each other most of the time.

[@albundy8052]

Mike, I recycled all my Beer 🍺 cans. I am saving the environment. Saving the world, one beer at a time.

[@fredflintstoner596]

Mrs Richards: "I paid for a room with a view !" Basil: (pointing to the lovely view) "That is Torquay, Madam." Mrs Richards: "It's not good enough!" Basil: "May I ask what you were expecting to see out of a Torquay hotel bedroom window? Sydney Opera House, perhaps? the Hanging Gardens of Babylon? Herds of wildebeest sweeping majestically past?..." Mrs Richards: "Don't be silly! I expect to be able to see the sea!" Basil: "You can see the sea, it's over there between the land and the sky." Mrs Richards: "I'm not satisfied. But I shall stay. But I expect a reduction." Basil: "Why?! Because Krakatoa's not erupting at the moment ?🐨

[@Delosian]

I remember reading as a little boy that Napoleon III sent aluminium knives and forks to the Chinese Emperor as a gift. At that time aluminium was worth more than gold because it was so rare and required electricity to create. The Washington Monument has a pyramid at the top made of solid aluminium, the biggest single piece of aluminium ever created at that time.

[@joeylawn36111]

You're correct about the Napoleon III story, but aluminum was so pricey not because it was made using electricity (as a matter of fact, electric current is how it is made today), but because it was made by reacting aluminum oxide with potassium metal, itself rather expensive. Once the Hall-Héroult process was invented later (this uses electricity and a mineral called cryolite), aluminum became cheap enough to make drink cans and foil.

[@cannonfodder6299]

The Washington monument HAD an aluminum capstone. It was replaced when it got renovated. I believe the original capstone is on display though.

[@JDog_Unchained]

you have an extra i in aluminum 😁

[@bunyipal]

@@JDog_Unchained We also have an I in Aluminium here in Australia. 🦘🦘

[@JDog_Unchained]

@@bunyipal nooo were outnumbered!

[@jodaso]

Mike Rowe is the GOAT! Great vid.

[@mikemiller9119]

The opening sold me. Put them in their place.

[@elisaseverns2543]

Wow! Impressive!

[@jaycousland9835]

Heat treated aluminum alloy's tensile strength can approach mild steel (30,000 psi). Also is used for flash powder, thermite, and a deoxidizer, because of it's affinity for O2.

[@terrafirma9328]

And anti-persperant

[@d.s.2016]

Mike Rowe is Awesome... Every time he's on.

[@gnarmarmilla]

Way to go, Fox. Something blessed for all people to enjoy. May God bless you to keep away from the destructive rivalry that American politicians are propagating for the sake of selfish gain and pride. Amen

[@78cobra]

Mike row is awesome. Liked 15 seconds into the intro explanation.

[@herculydia]

Thank you for reminding me to Like. Done.

[@harrywalker5836]

you watched his''dirty jobs'' vids.

[@Rem1061]

There was a company in Alexandria LA that had a mostly outdoor facility that did this. Their furnace was covered with a super tall 3 sided building, same process. They shipped ingots of Aluminum to their customers that looked like the old school barbers booster seat for kids. When they had more cans coming in than ingots going out, they poured giant ingots that looked like old style ice cubes and set them off to the side for extra "ready to go" material. They were supposed to go around and check the top of them when they cooled down for cracks, and if found, melt them closed with a hand held torch. Every once in a while they would miss one. I was there the day they put one of these giant, 4 foot tall, 5 foot wide "ice cubes" in the furnace. I was inside their control room when the steam pressure from the water that was trapped in the "cube" over came its weakening structure, it exploded and blew molten aluminum all over one poor guy who died instantly. When I and others came running outside, the roof was coated with aluminum, the guy was laying curled up looking like the tin man on wizard of oz. Very dangerous work.

[@orchidorio]

YIKES ! I read it twice. Nothing at all like getting splashed with hot coffee. 53022

[@jake4194]

True story?

[@Rem1061]

@@jake4194 Yep. Almetco in Alexandria LA.

[@PwnyDwn]

I remember when that happened. New Orleans Native here. That's was a pretty horrible accident. Just one more look into what happens when you cut corners even a little bit. That's damned dangerous work.

[@colorin81colorado]

Amazing! Thanks for the video!

[@Flyforawhiteguy1982]

Mike is the man.

[@KarasCyborg]

I wonder how many years of collective knowledge it took to make that plant.

[@KarasCyborg]

@@michaelhill6451 So you don't think that it was many centuries of research and development and borrowed ideas from past civilizations and groups of people that had anything to do with the engineering of that plant? You think it was just one guy who sat down one day and started drafting up the plans for this plant and it all worked the first time around? LOL! You must believe in evolution too.

[@KarasCyborg]

@@michaelhill6451 Most smart people will say "I stand on the backs of Giants" to acknowledge and show respect for all the work of past minds that they leveraged to improve upon something. Rather than just say "I did this all by myself with no help from anyone!" No one likes plagiarism. Science studies creation for Ideas and has longed to be able to reproduce the systems which surround us. ...And you think this is a "woo-woo" concept. LOL!

[@KarasCyborg]

@@michaelhill6451 Well, you are not up on your terminology. In Software Engineering/Data Scientists create software bots to mine "Collective Knowledge/Wisdom" from unfathomable amounts of "Data Lakes" and "Data Oceans" of data, and feed this information into Deep Learning/Machine Learning/AI Systems to boil things down and extract nuggets of knowledge and form new knowledge. AI Stands on the backs of Giants, the predecessors and forerunners who transcribed all that information into digital form. This collective wisdom is so powerful that it's Fueling Larry Fink's AI Aladin (Black Rock Investment Group) is called the 4th branch of the Government because the AI has harnessed all that collective knowledge/wisdom and has created unfathomable wealth in a short time for these companies. Elon Musk Feared it. All that past knowledge is the Sine Qua Non of todays AI.

[@KarasCyborg]

@@michaelhill6451 You are WRONG AGAIN. I guess you never heard of CAD, Computer Assisted Design. Fluid Dynamics Modeling Programs. If you don't think those sites were modeled with these tools first, you are so mistaken. These tools aggregate that derived collective wisdom derived from years of research (scientific and empirically derived models) to make it easier of a lesser engineer to design something that will work. There are even CASE tools (Computer Assisted Software Engineering) tools out there that do the same. If you don't think a site like that is software driven,/ rules driven, you are denser than the metal it's cranking out. Software Eats Everything as the saying goes.

[@KarasCyborg]

@@michaelhill6451 I didn't delete any of my comments, but you did between #4 and #5. LOL, What a Turkey you are. You can't even reason out that there were Scientific, Engineering, and Construction and most likely Environmental and Governmental and Political talents all weighing in the design and building of this factory. You must have breathed in to much aluminum dust or something. Get some medical help.

[@slappy8941]

Okay, so let's talk about Worcestershire sauce...

[@douglasscott5623]

I love it when my wife makes Pot Roast

[@somethinsomethin7243]

Thank you for all of the work you do Mr. Rowe

[@bdjm8595]

Thanks Mike for showing us the good people who keep the world running!!!!

[@Joaocruz30]

USA: A country if well managed and with good policies can surpass others and in 50 years maybe can be a first world class nation. I have high expectations.

[@tobystewart4403]

I grew up on a bauxite farm in Australia. As I remember it, the British stormtroopers would beat us with sticks if we said "aloominum".

[@onenuttybuddy]

Right on Mike! You tell'm man. Aluminum baby!!

[@stephenhurd1489]

YESSSSS! ITS ABOUT FREAKING TIME! Thanks for having balls Mike,

[@lawmansama]

ill be honest, from the title i thought someone found a plant(vegetation) that made a new kind of metal. lol

[@drewynucci9037]

Mike Rowe is a national treasure, like Elvis he shouldn’t have to pay taxes anymore…

[@lancethrustworthy]

Oh bladder flap. He's just a guy. He'd say the same.

[@kalebsut]

we shouldnt have to pay taxes in general, END THE FED!

[@dobsacamano]

Thank you Mike for all you do.

[@grizzlymartin1]

Amazing. And we’re gonna be doing this with virtual all metals. Mining will be a relic.

[@kevinsellsit5584]

As much as I like aluminum, I can't imagine how screwed we would be without steel or copper. Since metals make up so much of the periodic table, let's just agree we are blessed to have them all.

[@l.h.9747]

Yeah steel and copper is way more important then aluminium. Humanity lived without aluminium up until not more then realy 100 or 140 years. 200 years ago it was more expensive then gold. Whereas iron/steel is what enabled industrialisation and machinery in the first place.

[@abcdjhffkuggf]

It's amazing what can be made out of just protons, neutrons, and electrons. Elements that behave so differently with just slight changes in the numbers of only 3 ingredients.

[@Livinghighandwise]

@@abcdjhffkuggf Maybe someday we will be able to harness enough energy to simply make any element we wish out of particles. Although even if we had that kind of power it may still be easier just to farm the stuff the stars have already given us.

[@abcdjhffkuggf]

@@Livinghighandwise That was the age old dream of alchemy - transmute one element into another. We have the beginnings of that power, but it's no where near cost effective. There are exceptions though: Plutonium, Tritium. For more mundane metals I think asteroid mining will be a reality much sooner.

[@bob15479]

Tbh if I could only take 1 of the 3 I’d take aluminum. Lighter than steel, more conductive than copper.

[@donscheid97]

One of the easiest materials to recycle, along with glass and paper. We've been doing it at least since the 40's. But, an Alcoa plant near here shut down about a decade ago.

[@cannonfodder6299]

Paper can be tricky since it pretty much needs to be clean, which is why pizza boxes are not recyclable. Any grease on it makes it non recyclable.

[@snagfalarski109]

@@cannonfodder6299 the wood stove recycles everything for me

[@finddeniro]

A decade ago .. Aluminum was 65 cents .Currently Worth While..

[@Physco219]

Massena?

[@chazz0418]

Hell Alcoa shut down in Alcoa

[@danielfield3580]

Wish that had continued!

[@joefergerson5243]

Love this guy !

[@flyboy4911]

Another great show. Thanks Mike!

[@kpkp42]

I do know that generally speaking, different alloys of AL are used for different purposes, and so, if the target result is to make cans, then it's best to start with cans. Same goes for AL window frames, etc. "Start with the end in mind"

[@tireballastserviceofflorid7771]

Interestingly the little tab it a really good alloy. I have read it's 6061 and the cans are a 50 or 52 series aluminum.

[@salison8990]

I recently read about an industrial spy that stole the technology of how the inside of aluminum cans are coated to keep the product safe from metal contamination and gave the technology process to China for cash, of course. There is a prison sentence in that person’s future.

[@tireballastserviceofflorid7771]

@@salison8990 That was a bit of a big deal when it happened. Naturally everyone wanted to keep it quiet for whatever reason. Sadly that happened with US steel. And more recently Scandinavian tool steel. Crippled both industries. And the copied products are really no comparison. Tough times to keep a secret.

[@stephenbrickwood1602]

Well said Mike.

[@fredcarr3550]

I attended an English Jesuit run high school in the Caribbean; the priest who taught my class chemistry always dumped on us when one would say Aluminum and not saying Aluminium. You brought back that memory as I am now 81. The raw material from open pit mining is bauxite that is processed into alumina then smelted into Aluminium.

[@joeylawn36111]

Also, it should be pointed out that this is aluminum recycling (still very important), not manufacture. Actual manufacture consists of melting aluminum oxide (bauxite) and cryolite (lowers the melt temperature) in an electric furnace with carbon electrodes and a massive amount of electricity.

[@mohasat01]

And there is now a better way to recycle aluminum - provided by Pyrogenesis.

[@jake4194]

Oh it's recycled?! I thought we mined the crushed up cans from the earth!

[@marcuslewis7932]

@@jake4194 i know this comment is a joke but in 50-100 years, landfill mining which is the process of mining out full and buried landfills for precious metals such as gold (electronics), aluminum etc will become profitable enough that companies will start to pursue it. So yes, mining crushed up cans from the earth will become a real thing.

[@Phougi]

I LOVE that they put their education level. This proves that you don't need a college education and degree to be successful. Many of those workers had tenure. If you have tenure it most likely means the job has favorable conditions to retain then for so long.

[@FlyboyUS]

I thought China was buying up all of the scrap metal

[@joeylawn36111]

Yep, and it would be hard to replace those people with all the skills and experience they have.

[@tomrogers4667]

Thank you mike

[@stmiller42]

Finally Someone who speaks truth

[@gregparrott]

Removing dross via. a person driving a forklift with an extended scraper arm seems WAY out of date. That should be done via. controls in a remote room or be entirely automated rather than have a person using a forklift right next to a furnace filled with molten aluminum. Also, based on aluminum's reaction with atmospheric gasses (e.g. oxidation and hydrogen embrittlement), the molten aluminum might be krpt in a higher state of purity is there wasn't a Diesel or propane forklift right next to it. Given the heat, an electric (lithium) forklift is probably too dangerous.

[@bob15479]

You could just have a lead acid fork lift. But yeah I was thinking there would be some undesirable chemistry going down with that aluminum exposed

[@SickWheyfu]

Man, as something of a botanist, I came here to see the miracle plant that produces aluminum. I must say I am severely disappointed

[@walkingdeadman4208]

We got clickbaited!

[@fritzthecat9451]

You 2 are silly.

[@SickWheyfu]

@@fritzthecat9451 You're laughing. We've been bamboozled and you're laughing!

[@rongreen8485]

amazing how this plant works.

[@beboboymann3823]

Fascinating! Love seeing America work.

[@kastrup2dk]

I do not know where you got that part of The History of Aluminum from but if you go in and look at more social media you will find out H.C. Ørsted discovered aluminum. others say it an Englishman Sir Humphry Davy. another story Discovery of aluminum ears. In 1821 geologist Pierre Berthier discovered reddish clay rock deposits in France. The rock was named bauxite after Les Baux, the area where it was found. .one can always turn the story by which side of the dice with looking at Try to see things from several sides

[@maddog2314]

Yeah he's a tool

[@patricklim6686]

Good to see things such as this. I wished he went a bit further. Importation of aluminum (or wongly, aluminIUM). Actual application, meaning products making use of aluminum.

[@scottcarr3264]

Pronunciation depends on what Dictionary you use, the Oxford says that alluminium is the correct spelling but alluminum is the 2nd allowable spelling. Where the Webster would say the opposite, because it is American.

[@andylewis7360]

@@scottcarr3264 I think there’s a clue in the name of the language 😁

[@patricklim6686]

@@scottcarr3264 'MURICA! J/K all good. 😀

[@googlemustdie]

THANK YOU!! AS ALWAYS YOU ARE SPOT ON.

[@DangGoodDawg]

Gosh I just love Mike Rowe. Funny and a great American

[@sparkycorkers1196]

Being a brit and using the correct word, before I realised that aluminum was aluminium, I thought Alumium was some sort of space age metal 🤣

[@cantstophim]

What is incredible is I found an old article from back in the 1800s, they were trying to raise money for the Washington monument so they got the most expensive metal on earth and they allowed people to walk over it that metal was a chunk of aluminum yes aluminum was the most rarest expensive metal on earth at one time , now people throw it away , most of us recycle it but we don’t valued in the sense of gold silver platinum you get the idea , my how things have changed changed . Preacher PaulD 🕊❤️✝️🙏👍

[@RANDOMNATION907]

The ore that is mined to make aluminum is the most abundant ore on earth.

[@piranhaplantX]

Back then we had to use a somewhat costly material to refine it. Which is partly why the cost was so high. As aluminum ore itself isn't particularly rare. Even when the new process of refining was discovered. It's relatively energy intensive, and if it wasn't. It would be significantly cheaper to than it is now.

[@sporkstar1911]

love Mike Rowe

[@vanillaclown1597]

LOL the introduction is brilliant. I never seen anyone stick it to the British before.

[@stewartread4235]

FYI, aluminium oxide is aluminum rust..!! Also I was expecting a tryphid or something eating sh*t and pooping out metal.

[@fcanderson4883]

Way to go Mike, I agree 100% , love your commentary, outlook, perspective and the facts and evidence your show generates, spot-on as the Brits would say of course no pun intended because as you know the best thing that has come out of Britain/England, ( or as the Brits like to call it, the UK with exception of Ireland, Wales, Scotland and other agreeing to the designation ), is America Anyway, always look forward to watching your shows videos and listening to your commentary keep up the great work and keep them coming they are very enjoyable

[@nanhamelund7393]

Very interesting video. Thank you.

[@robs9557]

Love this, I'll be watching this.

[@DennisB3533]

If you’ve ever seen a flatbed going down the interstate with what looks like huge aluminum poles on it, those are actually huge rolls of “aluminum foil” rolled to look like solid poles.

[@andrewallen9993]

Aluminium not only rusts (oxidises) in the presence of earths atmosphere but does so almost immediately. American engineers are a group of people who can design a disposable beer can that will last 1000 years yet are incapable of designing a motor car that will last 5 years :)

[@asc_missions3080]

Not incapable. Prohibited.

[@20chocsaday]

That oxidation is a valuable property of Al. Scratch it and it immediately forms another skin, just as impermeable to Oxygen as the previous one was.

[@tiesword3252]

BRILLIANT.....

[@republicunited2183]

Our ancestors are amazing!

[@seanbrown9048]

You’ll enjoy reading “The Bauxite Hunters” by Jean Auel.

[@nunya3797]

POTATOE POTATO. WHO F'N CARES?

[@southtexasprepper1837]

I mean no disrespect to My British Cousins, but we don't tell them how to drive or that they're driving on the wrong side of the road. If the British Chemist that discovered "Aluminum" spelled it that way in the first place, then (as the Céline Dion song goes) "That's The Way It Is." It's "ALUMINUM!"

[@familiant72]

Totally agree. Do not try make us proud of ourselves by fake information. Aluminium was discovered in Europe and got its name there!

[@unechaine1]

I loved the end 😃

[@stantonkramer2986]

Love ya Mike.

[@carlubambi5541]

amazing that you can't recycle most metals without the use of fossil fuels ,hydro electricity or nuclear . one thing about aluminum is that it is easily cast shaped and rolled into just about anything .

[@ivanashley7875]

Google it again my friend and you'll find aluminium is the spelling in most of the English speaking world (as is maths, by the way). Of course you are right about the discoverer being English and originally calling it alumium, he's the one who eventually changed it to Aluminium. His prerogative I think you'll agree.

[@P-G-77]

Thanks to this is possible to re-use many times the same...

[@zacha7403]

Well said mr. man of men! Love your shows mike!

[@haplozetetic9519]

That's one Brit who got it wrong, although his generalization it accurate. I thought "aluminium" was a recent change, but had never looked into it. I don't have a problem with "aluminium" as it's consistent with sodium, calcium, potassium, etc.

[@kevinstonerock3158]

But those three words don’t have an “n” and aluminum doesn’t have a second “I “. By overlooking this you distort the pronunciation rules. Taking into consideration the mangling by autocorrect, it’s nuts how often everyone misapplies their, there, and they’re. Just using their intended meaning in a sentence will indicate their true usage. They’re easily distinguished from each other if you take a little time. There’s no reason to misuse them if there is care taken by testing their root usage. The person trying to read what’s written will thank you for not having to decipher their intended meaning and usage.

[@haplozetetic9519]

@@kevinstonerock3158 What about Actinium, Plutonium, Uranium, etc. or am I missing something? As for a second "I", that is exactly the change being made. Many words change over time, to the point that most couldn't understand old English at all. Why is the symbol for Titanium a "W"? The symbol comes from the old German name for the element 'wolfram'. Things change.

[@danstephensen9032]

We don't need to be "Classical". That is simply "putting on airs". Ain't nobody got time for that. IT IS ~`~ ~ A L U M I N U M. p e r i o d.

[@Artiz...]

Pride in being puerile... what a surprise.

[@BradTurley]

Glad to see another Turley hard at work

[@strohslights4996]

Merica! Love it!