Aluminium is the most common metal found in the Earth’s crust, comprising about 8% of the total mass. It is a relatively abundant element and one of the most useful metals. As non-ferrious metal scrap recycling becomes more popular, there are some questions that come to our minds. If a person is planning to recycle aluminium waste, then he should know the answers to these questions to protect the environment from being polluted by various chemicals released during this process.
Non-ferrious metal scrap recycling is becoming a common practice in many industries. The demand for non-ferrious metal scrap has been increasing rapidly. Non-ferrious metal scrap recycling can involve the recycling of a wide range of products including aluminium waste.
Why should recycle aluminium?
There are a number of reasons why you should recycle aluminium waste.
- If you are using aluminium to make your products, it is better that you don’t produce too much waste. This will save you money in the long run and reduce your carbon footprint at the same time.
- Aluminium is one of the most recycled materials in the world, so recycling it means that less raw material is needed to produce new products. This reduces our dependence on other resources like coal and oil which can lead to a cleaner environment for everyone.
- When aluminium is recycled, it creates an alloy with other metals such as copper or zinc. These alloys are stronger than pure aluminium and can be used for making more durable products such as cars or planes which require a lot of strength from their components.
Recycling process
The recycling process involves separating aluminium from non-metallic components such as plastic using magnets or mechanical separation processes followed by melting down the aluminium scrap along with any other metals present and then casting them into new shapes or forming them into sheets once again ready for reuse in another product. The recycling process of aluminium waste can be divided into three steps:
Prepare the waste
First, the aluminium waste should be sorted out to remove impurities such as iron and steel. Then, it will be crushed and shredded into small pieces to make them easy to melt.
Melt down the aluminium waste
In this stage, the crushed and shredded aluminium is melted at high temperatures in an electric arc furnace or induction furnace. The molten metal is then poured into ingot moulds. When it cools down, it becomes solidified ingots which are then cut into small bars and sent for further processing.
Turn the aluminium ingots into new products
The bars will undergo further treatment processes to remove impurities like phosphorus and magnesium before being turned into various types of aluminium products such as foil, wire rod or sheet by rolling or extrusion process.
Aluminium Cans
Aluminium cans are one of the most recycled products in the world, but they do pose a few challenges when it comes to recycling. Aluminium cans are made from recycled aluminium, so they actually have a very small carbon footprint. The problem is that they usually end up in landfills because they’re so difficult to recycle.
Recycles Process of Aluminium can
In order to recycle aluminium cans, you need to separate them from other types of trash and then remove any plastic coating or labels. Once you’ve done this, you can send them off to be recycled into new products.
The best way to recycle aluminium cans is by using your local recycling service or drop-off centre. Most countries have these services available for people who want to recycle their cans properly.
To find out more about how to recycle aluminium cans correctly, check out our guides below:
- The first step in recycling aluminium cans is to separate them from other materials.
- This can be done by hand or by machine.
- Hand-sorting is a time-consuming process, but it is less expensive than using machines.
- Machines are used in most modern recycling plants as they can sort and separate material much faster than humans can.
- Modern machines use sensors and lasers to detect the difference between various types of metal, plastics and paper products.
- The machine will then separate them into different bins based on their type.
- After they are sorted, the cans are sent off to be melted down into new products such as new cans or bottles.
Uses of Aluminium
Aluminium is an excellent thermal and electrical conductor, which makes it important for its use in electronics like computers and cell phones. Aluminium is also used to make alloys with other metals such as copper or steel to improve their strength while keeping their lightweight properties.
Aluminium is used in many applications including food cans, beverage cans, window frames, building siding, dashboards in automobiles and aircraft, and construction materials such as beams and extrusions which can be shaped as needed for different applications. It also has a wide range of electrical uses including wiring and cable insulation.
Conclusion
Recycling aluminium prevents valuable resources from being needlessly expended for new bauxite mining. The aluminium ingots can be recycled and reused to make any products which require this metal. These include beverage cans and other containers, automobiles and aircraft parts. Also, aluminium is quite light compared to its strength and it is considered a good choice to use in any parts of vehicles, boats and aircraft.
FAQs
What is aluminium waste?
Aluminium waste is anything made from aluminium that you no longer want or need. This could be an old chair, a broken oven rack or an old car bumper.
Is aluminium recyclable?
Yes, aluminium is fully recyclable and can be recycled over and over again without losing its quality. Around 90% of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today.
How many uses does aluminium have?
Aluminium has many uses including aircraft, automotive and transport industries; electrical transmission lines; building construction; and consumer goods such as food containers, beverage cans, foil wrapping and beverage cans.
What happens to aluminium when it’s recycled?
When recycled aluminium is melted down and reformed, it takes just 5% of the energy used to make new aluminium from bauxite ore.
Can you recycle foil?
Aluminium foil can be recycled, but it needs to be free from food waste and grease before it is put in your recycling bin. If it has any food on it then this could contaminate other items of paper or cards in your recycling bin, which will make them unusable for other purposes.