• Metal Recycling How Scrap Metal Is Recycled
• Scrap metal recycling is one of the largest industries in the Country
• For the original post please visit How Scrap Metal Is Recycled

Dallas, TX, USA, 2019-Aug-01 — /EPR INDUSTRIAL NEWS/ — Metal Recycling is the process of reusing old scrap metal to manufacture or fabricate another item, this can be done over and over again with the same metal that was once used in a bridge 100 years ago can be the same metal that is now used in the car your driving today.

Video courtesy of The Discovery Channel

 

Types Of Scrap Metal:

There are many different types of scrap metal you will encounter in the metal recycling process.

Typical metals include iron, aluminum, brass, copper & stainless steel, of these scrap metals copper is the most sought after and is part of scrap metals classified as non ferrous, non ferrous meaning no iron or minimal iron present and non magnetic “Iron is magnetic”, non ferrous metals include copper, brass and aluminum.

Where these metals can be found:

• Iron can be found in most anything including cars, heavy machinery, structural steel & more.
• Aluminum can be found in Aircraft frames and parts, automobile engines, heads and transmissions, commercial window frames and window frames.
• Brass can be found in water meters, ammunitions, fixtures, faucets and plumbing supplies.
• Copper can be found in washing machines, automobiles “engine harness, alternators & starters, electrical equipment, electric motors and transformers.
• Stainless steel can be found in the food and restaurant industry prep stations, chemical plants for storage of chemicals and many other products.

The Scrap Yard:

Once the metal is gathered it will find it’s way to the local metal recycling center “Scrap yard” where the metal will be unloaded usually using a crane with a magnet or hydraulic grapple attachment, smaller pieces of scrap metal can be unloaded by hand. It will then be separated and then shredded, torched or made into smaller pieces by any other means necessary.

The scrap will then be separated into different piles and non ferrous metals will be further separated into various categories.

The Steel Mill:

When ready the scrap metal will be loaded onto trucks that will haul it off to it’s final destination, “the steel mill” or aluminum foundry etc. where the metal will be recycled and melted into new iron/steel plates, blocks, beams etc. the metal is melted by high voltage electrodes, flux and other chemicals maybe added to purify/clean the metal, pressurized air may also introduced to help achieve high carbon steel which is much stronger than cast iron.
Other metals maybe introduced in very small amounts as well such as nickel, chrome or molybdenum to make an even stronger high strength steel such as chrome moly steel or 4140 steel.

Via EPR Network
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