Through metal recycling, we are not only preserving our natural resources, but also bettering our world for generations to come. Recycling eliminates the environmental damage caused by mining, including the natural habitats destroyed through excavation, the contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, and the toxic runoff that occurs when mines are in operation, ultimately affecting the surrounding water bodies, which can have lingering effects long after the closure of a mine.
Collection
The metal recycling process begins with collection, where scrap metal is collected from scrap yards and recycling centres 7 8 Transportation 6 1
Once the final product has been shaped and cooled, it is transported to factories or businesses that require the metal Cooling and Solidification
The melted metal is moved to a cooling chamber to allow for solidification. Depending on how the metal is meant to be used, it can be solidified in different shapes. Steel, for example, is solidified into blocks, whilst aluminium is cooled into sheets. Occasionally, other chemicals can be added into the molten metal to bring it to the required density or to achieve other properties Purification
This step ensures that the final product is free of impurities and that it is of high quality. Electrolysis and magnet technology are some common examples of how metals are purified Sorting
Scrap metal needs to be properly separated to be recycled appropriately, as well as being separated from other recyclables such as paper and plastic. Quality checks are done to ensure that the metal to be recycled is of good quality, and at least 50 percent metal. Scrap metal is classified as being either ferrous or non-ferrous, and the quickest way to separate them is with the use of magnets Shredding Melting Processing
Tiny pieces of the scrap metal are placed into a large furnace. Depending on the type of metal, size of furnace, and degree of heat, this process can take between a couple of minutes to hours 2
Machines then compact the scrap metal so that it can be fit properly on conveyor belts for the shredding process
Metal is broken down during this process into tiny pieces or sheets to allow for easy processing. This step prepares the metal to be melted, and the smaller the pieces are, the easier it is for the metal to be melted down at lower temperatures 5 3 4