Aluminum Recycling

Yes, aluminum is one of the most recyclable and recycled materials around. The recycling process for aluminum is simple, efficient, and cost-effective, which makes aluminum a highly desirable material for recycling.

The significant advantage of aluminum is that you can reuse it repeatedly without losing quality/capability. Aluminum is infinitely recyclable.

There are a few important notes to keep in mind when recycling aluminum:

1. Cleaning: It is important to clean aluminum items before recycling them to avoid contamination.
2. Separation: Aluminum should be separated from other materials, such as steel or copper.
3. Alloy identification: Different alloys of aluminum, such as aluminum cans and aluminum foil, have different melting points and require different recycling processes.
4. Labeling: Some aluminum items, such as beverage cans, may have labels or coatings that need to be removed before recycling.

The following is the step-by-step aluminum recycling process:

Collection of scrap aluminum: Drinks cans, aluminum foil trays, and aerosol cans are collected from homes, streets, and garbage collection centers. Aluminum scrap can be mixed with steel scrap, and the scrap is gathered together and transported to the aluminum recycling plant.

Sorting: The mixed scrap metal (aluminum and steel) is taken to a materials recovery facility, cleaned, and sorted into different metal streams. Magnets are used to separate metals, which leaves aluminum behind since it is non-magnetic. This step is crucial in ensuring that the aluminum is separated from other metals.

Shredding: After being taken to reprocessing plants, the aluminum is cut or shredded into small pieces. This is done to make it easier to get rid of all the paintings and coatings. Also, shredding is done to promote the melting process.

Cleaning: Using mechanical and chemical processes, the aluminum pieces are scrubbed clean to prepare them for melting.

Melting: Scrap aluminum is loaded into high-temperature, high-capacity furnaces and melted down at temperatures exceeding 700 degrees Celsius. A considerable amount of energy is used in this step. Still, the energy required to melt and recycle metals is much less than the energy needed to produce metals using virgin raw materials.

Purification: To purify the molten metal, various waste products created in the melting process are removed, either mechanically or through the use of chlorine and nitrogen gas.

Aluminum alloys are created by adding metals like copper, zinc, magnesium, or silicon to the molten mixture. Alloy formulas are chosen based on the planned particular uses for recycled aluminum.

Compounding – The molten metal is poured out and formed into ingots transported to aluminum processing or manufacturing plants to be made into new products.

Aluminum is recycled again and again. Nearly 75 percent of all aluminum is recycled globally.

Aluminum recycling is a critical process because of numerous advantages:

Energy savings: Recycling aluminum requires 95% less energy compared to producing aluminum from raw materials, making it a more energy-efficient option.

Reduced greenhouse gas emissions: Aluminum production is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions, and recycling aluminum reduces these emissions.

Reduction of Landfill: Although aluminum is one of the most recycled materials on the market today, aluminum still ends up in landfills.

Sustainable development: Recycling aluminum is a key component of sustainable development, as it conserves resources, reduces waste, and helps to create new products in a circular economy.

Aluminum is valuable at every stage of its life cycle, from production to end-use. Aluminum recycling companies produce aluminum out of recycled metal and purchase primary metal to transform it into semi-finished products. Recycling aluminum is crucial to the environment and people worldwide, and all world economies need to embrace solid waste recycling and reduce carbon dioxide emissions.