Can You Recycle Metal

Can You Recycle Metal?

Metals are essential and versatile in many ways. Their applications include industrial purposes like the manufacturer of transportation equipment, including cars, trucks and aeroplanes and the manufacture of domestic items such as cutlery, crockery and packaging.

Metals have impressive metallurgical properties. Among them is the ability for infinite recycling without degrading the properties. Commonly recycled metals include steel, aluminium, silver, copper, brass and gold.

Almost every kind of metal can be recycled multiple times. In recent times, metal recycling has been on the rise as steel mills work to reduce their carbon footprint and also because recycling metal is cheaper than making it from its raw materials.

How Metal is Recycled

The metal recycling process is very similar to the recycling of other materials. Care and precaution are taken during the process to guarantee the purest metal is produced at the end of recycling. The process follows these steps;

Collection

Collection is the starting point of the recycling process. It involves collecting materials made of metal or old metal bars. The process is carefully organised to collect metals. Some businesses have established scrap yards where people are encouraged to collect different types of metal and take them there for payment. Different types of metals attract different rates. The yards are used as collection centres for the metals.

Sorting

After collection, the next step is sorting through the metal. The sorting process separates what can be recycled from what is non-recyclable. The metal is also sorted by type and quality.

Quality metal can only be created if the materials used in the recycling process are of equal quality. There's a strict quality check-up that is followed during the sorting process.

Generally, a product needs to be at least 50 percent metal. Even if the product is surrounded by other materials like plastic, it’s worth recycling if it is mostly made out of metal. Some recyclers will also work with products with small amounts of metal that are easy to remove and separate from the other materials.

After sorting, the metal is classified as either ferrous (containing iron) and non-ferrous (all other types of metals). The sorting is done through a magnet. Some facilities also have sensors that identify metals through infrared scanning and X-ray. The use of technology in metal recycling has improved the recycling process dramatically.

Processing

After sorting, the recycling process begins officially by compacting or squeezing the metal using the machine, so they don't occupy so much space on the conveyor belts.

Shredding

The shredding process involves breaking the metal into small pieces or sheets for further processing. The small pieces have a large surface-to-volume ratio that makes melting easier and requires less energy than larger pieces of metal.

Melting and purification

Melting takes place in a large furnace. Each type of metal is taken to a furnace specifically designed to melt it based on its properties. Although melting metal requires a considerable amount of energy, it is not as high as the amount required to make the metal from its raw materials.

The furnace is heated to the appropriate degrees for melting the metal in question. Melting can take minutes or hours depending on the size of the furnace, the volume of the metal placed in the furnace and the type of metal. Typically, metals with a higher melting point will take longer to melt.

Purification

The molten metal enters the purification phase. This step ensures the final product is free of impurities and is of high quality. Recycling facilities can use various methods to purify the metals. One of the most commonly used purification methods is electrolysis. Facilities also use powerful magnetic systems to separate metals from other recyclables. The purification method used will depend on the type of metal.

Melting and solidifying of the metal

A conveyor belt carries the molten metal to a cooling chamber after completing the purification process. Here, it is cooled and solidified. The scrap metal is finally made into a metal that can be used again. Typically, steel is made into bars, and aluminium is made into sheets.

At this point, the facility can also add other chemicals and elements to restore the density and other properties of the metal. As the metal cools, it can be formed into different sizes and shapes depending on the requirements and applications.

Transportation of the recycled metals

The final product is packed depending on size and shape and transported ready for the market. The metal is ready for use in various applications, and the cycle begins again.

Reasons to Recycle Metal

There are many benefits to recycling metals. Although many people disregard the need to recycle solid waste and leave the metals consumed by rust, they can be restored and reused through recycling. Some of the reasons to recycle metal include;

Preservation of natural resources

Metal is mined from the earth's crust through mining. Although metal elements can't be depleted, the same can't be said of other materials like lime in the metal manufacturing process. Also, a lot of energy is required for this process. With proper control of the mining of ore, many areas will have huge holes. By providing an alternative, the need for virgin ore reduces and, with it, the negative effects of mining. Recycling metals is reducing the reliance on making metal from its raw materials.

Reduction of emission

The process of making metal from its raw materials produces substantial amounts of greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. On the other hand, recycling requires less energy and produces far less carbon dioxide, which makes recycling metal better for the environment.

Economic development

Recycling metal is cheaper than making it from raw materials and produces metals of the same quality and properties. The money saved by recycling instead of mining can be channelled into other development programs that can improve the living standards of people and the economy.

Not only can you recycle metal, but recycling metal produces a metal that is just as good as metal made from raw materials at a fraction of the price. Also, recycling is much better for the environment and the economy, so you have every reason to recycle metal or participate in the recycling process of metals.