Cradle to Cradle: MacBook Pro
By: Noah Freedman
How is it made?
Aluminium, plastic, and glass are the main materials used to make Macbook Pros. Aluminium is derived from the ore bauxite. First bauxite is mined from typically shallow deposits, and then it is refined into alumina (alumina hydroxide – Al2O3) using the Bayer process at an alumina refinery. The alumina, a powdery white substance, is then sent to an aluminium smelter where it subjected to electrolysis (Hall/Héroult process) which separates out the aluminium metal.
1. Petroleum is drilled and transported to a refinery.
2. Crude oil and natural gas are refined into ethane, propane, hundreds of other petrochemical products and, of course, fuel for your car.
3. Ethane and propane are "cracked" into ethylene and propylene, using high-temperature furnaces.
4. Catalyst is combined with ethylene or propylene in a reactor, resulting in "fluff," a powdered material (polymer) resembling laundry detergent.
5. Fluff is combined with additives in a continuous blender.
6. Polymer is fed to an extruder where it is melted.
7. Melted plastic is cooled then fed to a pelletizer that cuts the product into small pellets.
8. Pellets are shipped to customers.
9. Customers manufacture plastic products by using processes such as extrusion, injection molding, blow molding, etc.
Glass is made usually from sand and other glass debris, it is melted down and re-molded into whatever shape is needed.