Aluminium recycling - brief tour

Aluminium has been recycled since the times it was first commercially produced and nowadays recycled aluminium accounts for one-third of global aluminium consumption world-wide. 


Aluminium destined for recycling can be classified into two categories: new and old scrap.

 


New Scrap

New scrap is the surplus material that is thrown away during the manufacturing and fabrication of aluminum alloys.

Most new scrap comes straight from the manufacturing industry. It is usually of known quality and composition and frequently un-coated. It can therefore be melted down with just a bit of preparation. 100% of the arising fabrication scrap is remelted by the aluminum industry.

Old Scrap

Old scrap is aluminum material that is recovered when an aluminum article has been produced, used and finally thrown away at the end of its worthwhile life. Such scrap could be car cylinder heads, used beverage cans, window frames from a wrecked building or old electrical conductors.

Old scrap comes to the recyclers thru a very well-organized network of metal merchants who have the technology to recover aluminum from household appliances, motor vehicles, etc. This is often done by means of heavy equipment such as shredders, usually together with magnetic separators to get rid of iron, and sink-and-float installations to detach the aluminum from other materials.


Processing of Scrap

Both types of scrap are processed before melting to get rid of any contamination that may exist. They are centrifuged and dried to eliminate the oil and water and then magnetically separated from any existing iron. Used beverage cans are processed to take away the interior lacquer coating and the exterior product display printing inks.

More tips on Processing Aluminum can be found at Life is an Adventure