oea eaa aluminium recycling

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Aluminium RecyclingThe Road to High Quality Products

Organisation ofEuropean Aluminium Refinersand Remelters


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Aluminium RecyclingThe Road to High Quality Products

Organisation ofEuropean Aluminium Refinersand Remelters


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2

Contents

Preface

1. Recycling: a Cornerstone of Aluminium Sustainability 4

Key Players in Recycling

Recycled Aluminium: an Important Raw Material for the EU

2. Economy: the Main Impetus for Aluminium Recycling 8

Aluminium Recycling: a Profitable Business Activity

Aluminium Scrap Standards to Ensure Effective Recycling

Aluminium Scrap Availability

Customers of the Aluminium Recycling Industry

3. Environment: the Commitment of the Aluminium Industry 12

Recycling MinimisesEnergy Needs

Use of Natural Resources

Landfill Space

Waste and Pollution

Environmental Impact of Recycling

Measuring the Recycling Performance of the Aluminium Industry

4. Social Aspects: the Small to Medium-Size Business Structure

of the Aluminium Recycling Industry 17

5. Closing the Cycle: the Aluminium Recycling Process 19

Raw Materials

Collection

TreatmentAlloy-Specific Compiling of Scrap

Melting

Refining

Quality Control

Casting

Product Range

6. End-of-Life Product Recycling: the Route to High Quality

at Low Cost 28Transport

Building

Packaging

7. The Aluminium Life Cycle: the Never-Ending Story 34

8. Frequently Asked Questions 37

9. Glossary 44

10. Further Reading 47

Reverse Cover: Global Recycling Messages


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3

This brochure is the product of years of close collaboration

between the European Aluminium Association (EAA) and the

Organisation of European Aluminium Refiners and Remelters (OEA).The scope of activities of this unique co-operation is very broad,

covering all manner of production- and product-related aspects.

This includes consolidating the position of the European

aluminium industry with respect to existing recycling performance,

and improving awareness of recycling rates, scrap flow, and scrap

statistics. It also extends to the management of research and

development projects linked to recycling, as well as consultation

and support of recycling-related activities within end-use

markets.

Preface


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4

Recycling is a major consideration in

continued aluminium use, representing

one of the key attributes of this ubiquitous

metal, with far-reaching economic,ecological and social implications. More

than half of all the aluminium currently

produced in the European Union (EU)

originates from recycled raw materials and

that trend is on the increase. In view of

domestic energy constraints, growing

aluminium end-use demand and the small

number of bauxite mines in this part of

the world, Europe has a huge stake in

maximising the collection of all available

aluminium, and developing the most

resource-efficient scrap treatments and

melting processes.

1. Recycling: a Cornerstoneof Aluminium Sustainability


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5

The high intrinsic value of aluminium

scrap has always been the main impetus

for recycling, independent of any

legislative or political initiatives. Butin addition to this obvious economic

dimension, growing environmental

concerns and heightened social

responsibility, especially during this last

decade, have served to boost recycling

activity, since recycling often requires as

little as 5% of the energy needed for

primary aluminium production.

The aluminium economy is a cycle

economy. Indeed, for most aluminium

products, aluminium is not actually

consumed during a lifetime, but simply

used. Therefore, the life cycle of an

aluminium product is not the traditional

"cradle-to-grave" sequence, but rather

a renewable "cradle-to-cradle". If scrap

is processed appropriately, the recycled

aluminium can be utilised for almost

all aluminium applications, thereby

preserving raw materials and making

considerable energy savings.

Key Players in Recycling

The aluminium recycling industry,

including both refiners and remelters,

treats and transforms aluminium scrap into

standardised aluminium. Refiners and

remelters play integral roles in aluminium

recycling but they, in turn, depend on

other crucial links in the chain. Indeed,

without the collectors, dismantlers,

metal merchants and scrap processors who

deal with the collection and treatment of

scrap, they would not be able to fulfil

their roles. The metal merchants are also

responsible for handling most of the

foreign trade in aluminium scrap.

Figure 1: Structure of the Aluminium Recycling Industry

CollectorsDismantlersMetal Merchants

ShreddersProcessors of Scrap

Processors of Salt SlagProcessors of Skimmings

RefinersRemelters

Output: Recycled Aluminium

Input: Sources of Aluminium Scrap


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6

Recycled Aluminium:

an Important Raw Material

for the EU

In 2003, approximately 9.8 million tonnes

of aluminium were used in a diversity of

fabricated goods in the EU15*. Primary

aluminium production in the EU15

currently amounts to just 2.6 million

tonnes. This in fact means that, without

aluminium recycling, the EU15 would have

to import about 7.2 million tonnes of

aluminium to meet requirements. Primaryaluminium production in the rest of Europe

yields a further 2.3 million tonnes so, even

if this figure were added to the equation,

the EU15 would still depend considerably

on aluminium imports. This dependence is

substantially alleviated, however, by the

recycling of aluminium. In 2003, the EU15

produced 3.6 million tonnes of aluminium

castings, wrought aluminium (rolled and

extruded products) and deoxidation

aluminium from aluminium scrap.

* Fifteen EU Member States at the time of datapublication in 2003

1. Recycling: a Cornerstone of Aluminium Sustainability

Figure 2: Ratio: Primary Production / Total Use in the EU15

Aluminiumin

1000tonnes/year

10 500

9 000

7 500

6 000

4 500

3 000

1 500

0

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0 PercentagePrimary Production

Total Use

Ratio


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Figure 3: Aluminium Sector in Europe1 (2003)

Production Import (net) Total

MiningBauxitein mio tonnes

RefiningAluminain mio tonnes

Metal ProductionPrimary MetalRecycled Metal2

in mio tonnes

6 Plants

12 Plants

38 Plants 276 Plants

+ =

+ =

+ =+

FabricationMetalin mio tonnes

64 Plants 333 Plants approx. 1900 Plants

RolledProducts

Extrusions Castings Wire Rods, Powder,Slugs, etc.

4.7 11.2 15.9

7.5 2.1 9.6

4.9 4.0 2.7 11.6

4.2 2.8 2.9 1.1

Note: Since data on each production step are based on independent statisticsand stockists are not taken into account, quantities may not add up.1 Western and Central Europe (former CIS excluded, except Baltic States)2 Internal scrap remelting excluded

Figure 4: Comparison EU15 and Europe1 (2003)

EU15 Europe1

Bauxitein mio tonnes

ProductionNumber of Plants

Net ImportTotal

Aluminain mio tonnes

ProductionNumber of PlantsNet ImportTotal

Metal Productionin mio tonnes

Primary MetalNumber of PlantsRecycled Metal2

Number of PlantsNet ImportTotal

Fabricationin mio tonnes

Rolled ProductsNumber of PlantsExtrusionsNumber of PlantsCastingsNumber of PlantsWire Rods, Powder,Slugs, etc

2.73

11.814.5

6.17

-0.16.0

2.621

3.62353.69.8

3.7402.32392.6

1400

0.8

4.76

11.215.9

7.512

2.19.6

4.938

4.02762.7

11.6

4.2642.83332.9

1900

1.1

Note: refer to figure 31 Western and Central Europe

(former CIS excluded, except Baltic States)2 Internal scrap remelting excluded

7


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8

Aluminium Recycling:

a Profitable Business Activity

Aluminium scrap has considerable market

value because the energy needed for

primary production is stored, to a large

extent, in the metal itself and, consequently,

in the scrap too. Therefore, the energy

needed to melt aluminium scrap is only

a fraction of that required for primary

aluminium production. Furthermore, since

its atomic structure is not altered during

melting, aluminium can be recycledwithout any loss of value.

The economic importance of aluminium

recycling in Western Europe cannot be

overstated in an aluminium recycling

industry that effectively tripled its output

from about 1.2 million tonnes in 1980 to

approximately 3.7 million tonnes in 2003.

While primary production has remainedrelatively stable since 1980 (a modest

increase of just 12%), the refining sector

has grown by 50% and the recycling

activity of remelters by a massive 94%.

2. Economy: the Main Impetusfor Aluminium Recycling


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The ultimate aim of the aluminium

recycling industry is to recycle all sources

of aluminium scrap, whenever it is

economically viable and/or ecologically

desirable. Recycling is deemed

economically viable, i.e. profitable, if the

added value exceeds the recycling costs,

or when, for example, land filling would

prove more expensive than recycling. From

an environmental point of view, it is

Figure 5: Evolution of Recycled Aluminium in Western Europe

Recycledaluminiumi

n1000tonn

es/year

4 000

3 500

3 000

2 500

2 000

1 500

1 000

500

0

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

200

0

200

2

Trend

Note: Recycled aluminium equals the sum of the refiners production and theremelters scrap intake

Figure 6: Production 1980 and 2003 Western Europe

Aluminiump

roductionin1000tonnes

3 500

3 000

2 500

2 000

1 500

1 000

500

0

1980

Refining

4 000

4 500

2003

Remelting

PrimaryProduction

ecologically advantageous if the

environmental impact of the collection,

separation and melting of scrap is lower

than that of primary aluminium

production.

Aluminium can be recycled over and over again without loss of properties.

The high value of aluminium scrap is a key incentive and major economic

impetus for recycling.


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standards and classifications are the result

of quality control developments, which

have been ongoing for decades.

Aluminium Scrap Availability

Aluminium scrap is a global raw material

commodity. Because its supply is finite,

the balance between supply and demand

is fundamentally unstable. Trade in scrap,

predominantly within Europe, has always

been of vital importance to the industry.

Because of the variability in the chemicalcomposition of scrap, both refiners and

remelters have become increasingly

specialised over the years. These

specialists now apply scrap-specific

treatment processes and melting, and

operate in facilities implementing strict

pollution control practices. If a particular

type of scrap is not available in the area

where a plant is located, as is often the

case, importing the scrap may be the

best solution.

10

In recent years, a trend towards greater

capacity has been observed within the

refining industry. This evolution has

contributed, above all, to improvements

in melting and emission reduction

technologies, research and development

activities, and economic efficiency.

Aluminium Scrap Standards

to Ensure Efficient Recycling

Various types of scrap and other

aluminium-containing reclaimed materialsare used in aluminium recycling. Since

2003, the European Standard EN 13920

(parts 116) on aluminium and aluminium

scrap, which covers all scrap types, has

been considered the norm for scrap

classification. In addition, further

classifications at national and international

level have been developed on the basis

of bilateral agreements, for example,

between associations of metal merchants

and aluminium recycling smelters. These

2. Economy: the Main Impetus for Aluminium Recycling

Figure 7: Growing Capacity within the AluminiumRefining Industry

Numberofcompanies

1994

189

2003

37

2 4

74

31

14 15

< 10 000 tonnes/year



50 000 tonnes/year

Production of Recycled Aluminium


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Customers of the Aluminium

Recycling Industry

There is a well-established market for

recycled aluminium with firmly defined

distribution chains. Hence, the refiners

supply the foundries with casting alloys

and the remelters supply the rolling mills

and extruders with wrought alloys, where

the processing of alloy-specific pieces can

ensue. Typical products made from recycled

aluminium include castings like cylinder

heads, engine blocks, gearboxes and

many other automotive and engineering

components on the one hand, and

extrusion billets or rolling slabs for the

production of profiles, sheets, strips and

foil on the other. Another prominent user

of recycled aluminium is the steel industry

which utilises aluminium for deoxidation

purposes.

RemeltersRefiners

Steel Industry Foundries Rolling Mills Extruders

Further Processing Further Processing

Deoxidation A luminium Casting A lloys

Castings

Wrought Alloys Wrought Alloys

Sheets, Strips Extrusions

Rolled Products Extruded Products

Figure 8: Customers of the Aluminium Recycling Industry


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The aluminium industry fully supports

optimal use of energy and materials with

minimal waste and emissions during the

entire life cycle of the metal: an integrated

model of environmentally sustainable

industrial activity. Todays aluminium

industry considers recycling an integral

and essential part of the raw material

supply, underlining the industrys

commitment to the sustainable use

of resources.

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3. Environment:the Commitment of theAluminium Industry


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Recycling Minimises Energy Needs

Energy savings of up to 95% are

achieved per tonne of aluminium

produced from scrap versus primaryaluminium.

Figure 9: Energy Needs for Primary and Recycled Aluminium

Recycled Aluminium Production Chain

Primary Aluminium Production Chain

0 % 10 % 20 % 30 % 40 % 50 % 60 % 70 % 80 % 90 % 100 %

Aluminium recycling benefits present and future generations by conserving

energy and other natural resources. It saves up to 95% of the energy required for

primary aluminium production, thereby avoiding corresponding emissions,

including greenhouse gases.


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Use of Natural Resources

In 2003, approximately 16.4 million tonnes

of bauxite were conserved globally as a

result of aluminium recycling in Europealone.

Almost all aluminium used commercially

contains one or more alloying elements to

enhance its strength or other properties.

Aluminium recycling therefore contributes

to the sustainable use of silicon, copper,

iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc and

other elements. This effectively meansthat, at todays recycling rate of 4 million

tonnes, 200 000 tonnes of alloying

elements are simultaneously conserved

by the aluminium industry in Europe

every year.

Landfill Space

The production of aluminium from scrap

saves on landfill space and lessens the

impacts associated with this practice. Inhighly urbanised regions, landfill space is

dwindling and the construction of new

landfill areas is very costly or not even an

option because of the lack of potential

sites. In 2003, simply by recycling

aluminium, the industry was able to save

about 1.5 million m3 of landfill space in

Europe. Hence, as less ground is used for

land filling, fewer communities need to

live beside landfill sites, fewer ecosystems

are destroyed and less money is required

for site maintenance.

14 3. Environment: the Commitment of the Aluminium Industry

Waste and Pollution

The aluminium industry has always been

proactive in its efforts to minimise waste,

landscape disruption and emissions duringprimary aluminium production, while

at the same time striving to increase

the use of recycled aluminium. Industry

monitoring* of environmental aspects in

Europe demonstrates the following

approximate savings made when producing

one tonne of recycled aluminium

(production process only):

1 300 kg bauxite residues

15 000 litres cooling water

860 litres processing water

2 000 kg CO2 and 11 kg SO2 emissions

* EAA, Environmental Profile Report(April 2000)


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Environmental Impact

of Recycling

European refiners and remelters are

equipped with state-of-the-art technology

(see reference document on Best Available

Techniques in the Non-Ferrous Metal

Industries by the European Commission)

to clean exhaust gases of dust, acidic

compounds (HCl, HF, SO2), volatile organic

carbon, dioxins and furans.

Residues are recycled wherever possible

or treated and disposed of according

to the latest available technologies

and procedures. Aluminium salt slag

(300-500 kg /tonne aluminium) that is

generated during melting of scrap under

a salt layer is processed to reusable salt,

aluminium metal for future use, and

aluminium oxide. The aluminium oxide

is then used in a variety of applications,

such as the production of cement. Filter

dust (10-35 kg/tonne aluminium) is

recycled or discarded into specially

designated facilities.

Skimmings (approximately 20-30 kg/tonne

aluminium) and, in some cases, furnace

lining (2 kg/tonne aluminium) are recycled

within the aluminium recycling industry.

Figure 10: Internal Recycling Flow

Remelter

Refiner

Salt Slag Processor

Construction Industry

Refiner Specialised in

Skimmings

Aluminium

Salt

Skimmings

Aluminium Oxide

Salt Slag

6 E i t th C it t f th Al i i I d t


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16 3. Environment: the Commitment of the Aluminium Industry

Measuring the Recycling

Performance of the Aluminium

Industry

Crucial for measuring recycling

performance is the amount of recycled

metal used in relation to the availability

of scrap sources.

Legislators and politicians often refer to

the ratio of recycled material to total

material used as an indicator of recycling

efficiency. This may be valid for certain

materials in certain instances, such as

saturated (material enters use only to

replace the same quantity of obsolete

material) and local (trade in scrap does not

occur) markets. It cannot, however, be

applied to aluminium use. The European

aluminium market is a growing market,

and aluminium scrap is a global raw

material. In Europe, about 34% of

aluminium used in fabricated products

originates from recycled metal. This figure

is expected to rise in the future but should

not be used as an indicator of recycling

performance. Indeed, the aluminium

industry cannot determine recycled content

as, unlike primary raw materials, sources

of scrap (e.g. dross, turnings, end-of-life

vehicles, discarded windows) are limited.

Unfortunately, there are no "scrap trees"

or "scrap mines". One must simply wait for

it to become available. This happens when

an aluminium-containing product reachesthe end of its useful life and is collected

for recycling purposes. The process is

somewhat hindered, however, by the

aluminium industry itself, through its

ongoing efforts to produce aluminium of

the highest quality, and the consumer,

who chooses an aluminium-containing

product for its value and longevity, not as

something to be promptly discarded. This

obviously has an impact on recycling

content figures.

The growing markets for aluminium are supplied by both primary and recycled

metal sources. Increasing demand for aluminium and the long lifetime

of many products mean that, for the foreseeable future, the overall volume of

primary metal produced from bauxite will continue to be substantiallygreater than the volume of available recycled metal.

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4. Social Aspects:the Small to Medium-Size Business Structureof the Aluminium

Recycling Industry

Although the number of integrated

aluminium companies (i.e. companies

involved in all stages of aluminium

production) producing recycled aluminium

is on the rise, most existing recycling

companies are non-integrated, privately

owned and of medium size. In 2003, the

European aluminium recycling industry

numbered 153 refining and 123 remelting

plants. This industry, comprising all areas

of collection, processing, refining and

remelting, currently provides more than

10 000 direct and indirect jobs over allEurope.

18 4 Social Aspects: the Small to Medium-Size Business Structure of the Aluminium Recycling Industry


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European refiners and remelters play

vital roles as material suppliers, having

produced 4 million tonnes of aluminium

from scrap in 2003. They contribute in

no small measure to safeguarding the

continued existence of the aluminium

fabrication and manufacturing industry

in Europe.

Figure 11: Number of Plants in the European Aluminium Recycling Industry

EU15: 134 Refiners, 101 Remelters

Europe: 153 Refiners, 123 Remelters

Refiners

Remelters

UK & Ireland

25

10

Scandinavia(excl. Norway)

36

Benelux

3

10

Germany

15

21

Portugal

1 2

Spain

28

7

France

1715

Austria

3 3

Italy

38

23

Greece

14

4. Social Aspects: the Small to Medium Size Business Structure of the Aluminium Recycling Industry

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As the final link in the recycling chain,

the refiners and remelters contribute

significantly to the protection of our

environment. It is they who ensure the

production of a material that can be

reabsorbed into the aluminium life cycle.

Both refiners and remelters treat and

melt scrap. The refiners then supply the

foundries with casting alloys, and the

remelters provide the rolling mills and

extruders with wrought alloys. Refiners

use scrap, almost exclusively, as a raw

material, while remelters use bothaluminium scrap and primary metal.

For this reason, the size of the remelting

industry is measured by the extent of its

scrap intake rather than by production

volumes of extrusion billets or rolling slabs.

Products containing aluminium need to

be collected and separated into different

material fractions before melting. Vehicles,for example, are collected and subjected

to dismantling, shredding and separation

processes, before their aluminium content

can be melted down at end-of-life.

5. Closing the Cycle:the AluminiumRecycling Process

20 5. Closing the Cycle: the Aluminium Recycling Process


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5 g y y g

Once aluminium is turned into a final

product, it is purchased by the consumer

and used for a certain lifetime. The

lifetime of aluminium products ranges

from a few weeks for packaging items

like cans, to decades for permanent

fixtures like window frames and building

faades. However, lifetime averages

can be distorted by products going into

hibernation, that is to say, they are

not discarded but rather stored in

households. Furthermore, a small

proportion of products that have reachedthe end of their intended life may be

reused as replacement parts, a common

practice with vehicles. Sooner or later,

aluminium products are discarded and

find their way into the recycling loop.

After collection, this material is termed

old scrap because it has been used.

Both new and old scrap are equallyprecious raw materials for recycling.

Raw Materials

To obtain a finished aluminium product

from raw materials, the aluminium

undergoes a variety of processes frombauxite mining, alumina refining and

aluminium smelting to fabrication and

manufacture. Some of these processes

generate aluminium by-products:

skimmings and dross during melting and

casting; edge trimmings and billet ends

during rolling and extruding; turnings,

millings and borings during various

machining processes; off-cuts during

stamping and punching processes, as well

as defective goods at all production stages.

This material is termed new scrap

because it is generated during the initial

processing and production stages, not

having yet reached the use phase.Figure 12: Average Lifetime Ranges for Aluminium Products

in Years

50 Years

1

2

3

4

56

7

8

9

10

Building

Tran

sport

(Other)

Engin

eer

ing

* Including consumer durables

Other*

Pack

ag

ing

15

2025

30

35

40

45

Transp

o

rt(Carsand Light Trucks

)

21


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DeoxidationAluminium

Figure 13: General Aluminium Flow Chart

Primary ProductionRefiners

Treatment

Alloy-Specific

Compiling

Melting

Refining

Quality Control

Casting

Remelters

Treatment

Alloy-Specific

Compiling

Melting

Quality Control

Casting

Heat Treatment

Foundries Rolling Mills Extruders

Manufacture of

Finished Products

Use

Collection

Treatment

Steel

Industry

Casting Alloy Scrap

Wrought Alloy Scrap*

Skimmings

Primary Alloys

Casting Alloys Wrought Alloys

Skimmings

Wrought Alloy Scrap*

Castings Rolled Products Extrusions

Final Products

End-of-Life ProductsReuse

Aluminium Scrap

* Wrought alloys used by remelters have a different chemical composition from those used by refiners.



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Treatment

Scrap must be of appropriate quality

before it can be melted down. To obtain

this level of quality, all adherent materialsmust be removed and the scrap sorted

according to alloy type and content.

Depending on scrap type, small aluminium

losses of about 2% to 10% may be incurred

during separation of aluminium from

other materials. A certain degree of

material loss is inevitable with industrial

processes but, because of aluminiums

high intrinsic value, all efforts are directed

at minimising losses. Separation of the

different alloy types is especially important

for wrought alloy scrap that is melted

down to produce further wrought alloys.

The treatment of scrap is a joint

undertaking by the aluminium recycling

industry and specialised scrap processors.

Collection

The aluminium recycling industry recycles

all the aluminium scrap it can obtain from

end-of-life products and aluminium by-products. New scrap is collected almost in

its entirety, as collection is in the hands

of the aluminium industry. Approximately

96% of all aluminium from buildings in

Europe is collected for recycling. The

collection of aluminium at end-of-life

depends, however, on consumer initiative

to collect aluminium for recycling, as well

as the co-operation of industry, legislators

and local communities to set up efficient

collection systems. The collection of end-

of-life products can therefore present

quite a challenge.

Purchase of Scrap

Sampling

Weighing at PlantEntrance / Storage

Preparation andTreatmentCutting, Baling,Crushing, Drying,Removal of Iron andOther Materials,Sorting, Shredding,

Screening

Purchasing and Sales

Quality Control

Treatment

Melting, Refining, Casting

Environmental Protection Measures

23


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BusinessAdministration

Product Sales

Data Processing Analysis of AlloyingElements

ChargingCompiling of TreatedScrap According toDesired Alloy

FeedingSalt, Treated Scrap,Additional AlloyingElements

Meltingin Different FurnaceTypes

RefiningHolding, Purifying,Alloying, Modifying,Grain Refining

Castinginto Different Shapes

Skimmings (ResiduesContaining a HighShare of Aluminium)

Flue Gases,Filter Dust

SlagResidues,Ball Mill Dust,Shredding Residues

Processing, Disposal Processing (Salt,Aluminium)Disposal (Residues)

Processing, Disposal

Figure 14: Information and Material Flow within the Aluminium Recycling Industry

Industry continues to recycle, without subsidy, all the aluminium it

can collect from used products, as well as fabrication and manufacturing

processes. However, with the help of appropriate authorities,

local communities and society as a whole, the amount of aluminiumcollected could be increased further.



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Clean scrap may be shredded or baled to

assist subsequent handling, and is then

sorted according to alloy type. Turnings

are treated in special processing facilities,

where they are freed of all adherents,

degreased, dried and separated from any

iron particles using a magnetic separator.

Large scrap pieces (e.g. engine blocks) are

fragmentised in order to separate foreign

iron from the aluminium. Even manual

separation of iron is sometimes required.

If it is impossible to separate unwanted

iron mechanically or manually fromaluminium scrap, the scrap is fed into a

special furnace that separates the iron

thermally. In heavy media separation and

eddy current installations, scrap can be

separated from impurities by density or

different conductivity. For example, eddy

current machines can be used to separate

aluminium from shredded computers.

Aluminium contained in multi-material

packaging (e.g. beverage cartons) can be

separated by pyrolysis. In this case, the

non-metallic components are removed

from the aluminium by evaporation.

Wrought alloys are generally characterised,

among others things, by their low alloy

content. Remelters select the appropriate

quantity and quality of scrap to correlate

with the chemical composition of the

wrought alloy to be produced. Hence,

great care must be taken to choose the

right scrap. New scrap, whose alloy

composition is known, is predominantly

used by remelters but old wrought alloy

scrap of known chemical composition

is also increasingly employed. Two good

examples are used beverage cans, which

are utilised to produce new can body

material, and window frames which, after

being in use for decades, are treated andmelted down for the production of new

wrought alloy products.

Before entering the furnace, aluminium

skimmings are usually broken up or

milled and separated by density, while

aluminium oxides are separated by

sieving.

Further improvements in the separation

of casting and wrought alloys are soon

to take effect. In order to build lighter

vehicles, for example, greater quantities

of aluminium, especially wrought alloys,

will be used in the future. When these

vehicles return for recycling, it will be

essential to separate the wrought alloys

from the casting alloys, a technology not

applied nor needed for the moment,

as little of the aluminium contained in

todays vehicles is in the form of wrought

alloys. Thus, the implementation of

separation procedures does not make

economic sense at present, but new

technology in the form of laser and x-raysorting is under development for future

application.

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Alloy-Specific Compiling

of Scrap

Before being loaded into the furnace, it

is standard practice for alloy-specific scrapbatches to be separated in order to ensure

a precise alloy composition in the final

product. This type of computer-assisted

optimisation of selection and mixing

of scrap types enables the aluminium

recycling industry to work as economically

as possible. It also serves to minimise

environmental impact, since limited

alloy corrections need to be made after

melting.

Melting

Refiners melt mixed casting and wrought

alloy scrap, while remelters use mainly

clean and sorted wrought alloy scrap, aswell as some primary metal.

Selection of the most appropriate furnace

type is determined by the oxide content,

type and content of foreign material

(e.g. organic content), geometry of the

scrap (mass to surface ratio), frequency of

change in alloy composition and operating

conditions. Scrap is melted in dry hearth,closed-well, electric induction, rotary

or tilting rotary furnaces. Refiners most

commonly use the rotary furnace, which

melts aluminium scrap under a salt

layer, while remelters favour the hearth

furnace.

When aluminium comes into contact with

the oxygen in air, it generates aluminiumoxides. This chemical reaction occurs

particularly at high temperatures during

melting, be it primary melting, foundry

casting or recycling.

These oxides have to be removed before

the metal is cast. The generated fine

mixture of oxide skins and metal (in

equal amounts) is termed skimmings or

aluminium dross. This by-product is

collected and recycled into aluminium

alloys and aluminium oxides (used in the

cement industry) in special refineries.

Using salt during the melting process

reduces the amount of oxides generated

and removes impurities from

the liquid metal.

During melting, samples are regularly

taken and analysed. Even the smallest

discrepancy with the specified alloy

composition, down to the parts-per-

million range, can be detected and

adjusted.



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Refining

Alloy production in the melting furnace

of refiners is followed by a refining

process. The molten metal is fed into aholding furnace, where the alloy content

and concentration is adjusted and the

metal purified by the addition of refining

agents. For example, chlorine removes

unwanted elements, such as calcium and

magnesium, and degasses the molten

metal. The alloy grain structure is then

refined using a variety of additives.

Quality Control

Casting and wrought alloys are subject

to the most stringent controls with regard

to chemical composition, cleanlinessand consistency, in line with European

standards. However, special alloys can be

produced according to specific customer

demand. Most casting alloys are produced

exclusively by the aluminium recycling

industry, as the primary industry is often

unable to produce the diversity of alloys

required by the foundry industry.

The alloy composition of every batch is

checked using the latest computer-

controlled technology, before it is awarded

the necessary certification. Documentation

systems ensure future traceability of

every step of the process, from the initial

scrap load to the final alloy.

Casting

As a final step, molten aluminium casting

alloys are cast into ingots (4 kg to 25 kg)

or directly transported to the foundry asmolten metal. Indeed, refiners often

deliver aluminium in its molten state to

be turned into castings immediately upon

arrival at the foundry. This saves money

and reduces environmental impact.

Sometimes aluminium oxides trapped

within the metal are filtered out during

the casting process.

Molten aluminium wrought alloys are

cast into extrusion billets and rolling

slabs, which may need to undergo heat

treatment for various metallurgical

reasons.

Aluminium is used in the steel industry

to eliminate unwanted oxygen because

of its high affinity for oxygen. Specialaluminium alloys are thus cast into small

ingots or other specific shapes for

deoxidation purposes to produce high

quality steel.

27


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Product Range

At the end of the material cycle, the final

aluminium product is obtained. This may

be the same as the original product (e.g.window frame recycled back into a window

frame) but is more often a completely

different product (cylinder head recycled

into a gearbox).

Foundries are the main customers of

refiners. They produce a wide variety of

castings which are principally used in

the transport sector. More than 70% ofcastings are used in cars. Examples of

castings produced from recycled alloys

include cylinder heads of engines, engine

blocks, pistons, gearboxes, auxiliary

equipment and seats. Other prominent

users of aluminium casting alloys are the

mechanical and electrical engineering

sectors, producers of consumer durables

and the construction industry. Common-

place castings in everyday use include

washing machines, escalator steps and

electronic equipment, to name but a few.

Wrought alloy products such as sheets, foil

and extrusion profiles can be found in

roofs and curtain walls of buildings, food

and pharmaceutical packaging, beverage

cans, windows, doors, truck trailers, trains

and, increasingly, car bodies.

Figure 15: End Uses of Casting Alloys and Wrought Alloys in Western Europe

Transport 75%

Building 7%

Packaging 24%

Other 6%

Engineering 12% Transport 18%

Building33%

Engineering15%

Other 10%

Casting Alloys Wrought Alloys

28


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Estimated recycling rates for aluminium

used in the transport and building sectors

are very high (90% to 95%) and represent

61% of fabricated goods shipped to the

European aluminium market in 2003, as

shown in figure 16. Packaging recycling

rates in Europe range from 25% to 75%,

depending on country.

6. End-of-Life ProductRecycling: the Route toHigh Quality at Low Cost

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Transport

Transportation is the most important field

of application of aluminium in Western

Europe. In 2003, approximately 3.6 million

tonnes of wrought and casting alloys

were used in cars, commercial vehicles,

Figure 17: Evolution of Aluminium Content in Vehicles

Alum

inium

in

kg

/ve

hicle

300

250

200

150

100

50

0

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

Global aluminium recycling rates are high, approximately 90% for transport

and construction applications and about 60% for beverage cans.

Although recycling of flexible packaging presents a challenge, the unique barrier

properties of aluminium foil are considered vital to the preservation of products(e.g. foodstuffs and medicines).

aeroplanes, trains, ships, etc., and that

figure is steadily rising. Consequently,

the transport sector is also a major source

of aluminium at the end of a vehicles

lifetime. The precise end of a vehicles

lifetime is, however, difficult to define.

In Germany, for example, cars are used for

an average period of 12 years, at the end

of which they can enter the recycling loop.

But their lifetime is often extended by

Figure 16: Aluminium End-use Markets in Western Europe

Transport 36%

Building 25%

Packaging 17%

Other 8%

Engineering 14%

export to less developed parts of the

world, where their useful life may

continue for many more years to come.

Compared to other materials, aluminium

scrap has very high material value, which

provides sufficient economic incentive for

it to be recycled. For this reason, 90%

to 95% of the aluminium used in cars is

collected and reused as automotive parts,

or introduced into the recycling loop.

30 5. End-of-life Product Recycling: the Route to High Quality at Low Cost


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Other transportation modes have similarly

high recycling or reuse rates.

A number of efficient processes are used

to collect and separate aluminium from

vehicles. Figure 18 shows the typical

process applied to recycle a modern

passenger car. Some aluminium parts,

such as wheels and cylinder heads, are

removed during the initial dismantling

of the vehicle.

The car body, including the remaining

aluminium, is fed to the shredder in the

course of subsequent recycling. After

separating the ferrous fraction using

magnets, a mixture of plastics, rubber,

glass, textiles and non-ferrous metals is

obtained. This mixed fraction constitutes

merchandise subject to the European

Standard EN 13290-8, pertaining to

shredded material with an aluminium

content not less than 20% of the mass

fraction, produced by shredding end-of-

life vehicles, and intended for further

preparation/selection processes by the

user to separate aluminium scrap fromFigure 18: Modern End-of-Life Vehicle Dismantling and Aluminium Recycling Process

Car Manufacturer

Car in Use End-of-Life Vehicle

Collection ofEnd-of-Life Vehicle

Extraction of Fluids

Dismantling

Shredder

Electro-MagneticSeparation

Sink-Float Separation(2.1 g/m3)

Sink-Float Separation(3.1 g/m3)

Alloy Separation*(e.g. laser/x-ray)

Refiner/Remelter

Foundry Roller Extruder

Fluff (Non-MetallicCompound)

Non-Magnetic Components:Aluminium, Heavy Metals, High GradeSteel, Non-Metallic Components

Sinking Fraction:Aluminium, Heavy Metals, High GradeSteel, Stones

Aluminium Parts

Aluminium Parts

Reuse andRecycling of Non-Aluminium Parts

Iron

Electro-MagneticSeparation

Floating Fraction:Plastic, Wood,Rubber, Magnesium,etc.

Floating Fraction:Aluminium, Stones

Sinking Fraction:Heavy Metals, HighGrade Steel

Stones

Aluminium

Various Aluminium Alloy Families

* Futuredevelopments

Recycled Aluminium

31


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the foreign materials. This multi-material

mixture thus undergoes another separation

step in order to extract aluminium and

its alloys.

There is also a European Standard

(EN 13290-9) covering scrap obtained from

aluminium separation processes of non-

ferrous shredded materials. These processes

include sink-float separation and electro-

magnetic separation. Yet another process

developed to sort aluminium scrap

metallurgically utilises laser and

spectroscopic technology. This technology,

which is now at an advanced stage of

development, looks very promising.

Aluminium scrap collected using the

various separation procedures is mainly

processed into aluminium casting alloys,

which serve as pre-material for the

production of castings. Typical applications

include engines and gearboxes.

Due to the increased use of aluminium

wrought alloys in car bodies, a rapidly

growing volume of wrought alloy

scrap is anticipated from the year 2013.

From then on, the separate collection of

wrought alloys from cars will be

economically viable.

Aluminium used in other modes of

transportation is collected separately at

end-of-life, when commercial vehicles,

aeroplanes, railway coaches, ships, etc.

are dismantled. As the aluminium parts

are often too large to be directly melted in

the furnace, they must first be reduced to

small pieces by processes such as shearing.

Lifetimes of mass transport vehicles may

sometimes be considerably extended. Silo

trailers, for example, after initially being

reused for the same purpose, usually have

a third lifetime as fixed storage containers

before becoming available for recycling.

Most aluminium-containing ships and

railway coaches are still in use, though,

because of aluminiums relatively recent

history in these applications and its long-

lasting performance.

Building

In order to raise awareness of the excellent

recycling properties of aluminium and the

extent of its scrap potential in the building

sector, the EAA commissioned Delft

University of Technology to conduct a

scientific study investigating aluminium

content and collection rates in European

buildings. The demolition of a significant

number of buildings in 6 European

countries was closely monitored and

comprehensive data were gathered. The

collection rates of aluminium in this sector

were found to vary between 92% and

98%, demonstrating aluminiums pivotal

role in the pursuit of full sustainability.

Although it was revealed that the average

aluminium inventory per building is

currently less than 1% of the overall mass,

the quantities of aluminium recovered

from demolition sites often yield a

substantial profit for the contractor.

32 5. End-of-life Product Recycling: the Route to High Quality at Low Cost


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Indeed, the study showed that the

European building market uses some

2 million tonnes of aluminium annually.

As aluminium products often have

lifetimes running into decades, a vast

material (30 million tonnes of aluminium)

and energy storage bank is being created

for future recycling use.

Packaging

Most European countries have nationwide

aluminium packaging recycling schemes in

place. It is collected for recycling via 3

main routes:

1. Separate collection of used beverage

cans, either in designated deposit systems

(Scandinavian countries) or voluntarily

(UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Poland and

Hungary). In some countries, additional

containers (UK and Switzerland) and even

aluminium condiment tubes and food

containers (Switzerland) are collected.

2. Multi-material packaging collection

systems, where aluminium is part of the

light packaging flow containing plastics,

tinplate, beverage cartons and sometimes

paper packaging, newspapers and

magazines. Here, aluminium is separated

during the final step of sorting at the

plant (e.g. Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal,

France, Belgium).

3. Extraction from the bottom ashes of

municipal solid waste incinerators as

aluminium nodules (Netherlands, France,

Belgium and Switzerland, in particular)

In line with national requirements for

laminates (e.g. Germany), aluminium is

extracted by pyrolysis and delamination

techniques. If recycling the metal from

laminated foil is not economically viable,

it does nevertheless make sense to recover

the energy where appropriate processes

are available.

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Figure 19: Aluminium Beverage Can Usage and Collection Rate in

Western Europe

Alum

inium

cans

/cap

ita

/year

20

1991

20 Percen

tage

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

22 23

24 26

26 29

28 32

30 35

32 38

34 41

36 44

38 47

40 50As collected aluminium packaging is just as

easy to melt as other types of aluminium

scrap, the aluminium industry, together

with the equipment manufacturers, has

focused its efforts on developing various

aluminium sorting techniques. Eddy

current processes and detection-ejection

systems are implemented to extract

aluminium, as efficiently as possible,

from mixed materials flows where it is

highly diluted.

The amount of aluminium packaging

effectively recycled depends greatly uponindividual national requirements and

schemes, and rates vary from 25% to 75%

across Western Europe. However, in all

cases, the value of the collected scrap

covers most if not all of the related

recycling costs.

The mean collection rate of aluminium

beverage cans in Western Europe, whichhas been monitored since 1991, has more

than doubled from 21% to 46%.

34

i i i


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In the past, much was known about

the primary aluminium production chain

but comparatively little about recycled

aluminium. The EAA and the OEA, in

the course of their ongoing close co-

operation, have thus sought to improve

understanding of the multitude of

processes needed to produce recycled

aluminium.

7. The Aluminium Life Cycle:the Never-Ending Story

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Figure 20: Global Aluminium Flow, 2002

RecycledAluminium 27.4

PrimaryAluminium 25.3

Ingots 52.7

Fabricated andManufacturedProducts 51.6 Finished

Products 31.0

Total Productsin Use 2002:496.3

InternalScrap2 13.9

NewScrap 6.7

OldScrap 6.9

Landf il l 2.9 Under Investigat ion4 3.0Metal Losses 1.2

Net Addition 2002: 17.5

Values in millions of metric tonnes.

1 Skimmings, scalpings, sawings2 Not taken into account in statistics3 Such as powder, paste and deoxidation aluminium4 Area of current research to identify final aluminium destination (reuse, recycling or landfill)

NewScrap1 1.1

Lost toApplication3

0.7

36 7. The Aluminium Life Cycle: a Never-Ending Story


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The aluminium industry, in collaboration

with various universities, is currently

designing a model to track aluminium

throughout its life cycle from mining to

use to recycling. More than 90 processes(including sub-processes) and 300

aluminium flows will be investigated in

Europe. The main objective of the study

is to quantify the aluminium collection

rate, as well as the metal losses incurred

during the treatment and melting of scrap.

This will help the industry to understand

more fully, and continue to improve,

the diversity of processes required for

recycled aluminium production.

The model is not static but will be

regularly updated to ensure that

technological, market and legislative

changes are incorporated as they arise.

This represents yet another significantstep by the aluminium industry in

its drive for, and commitment to,

continued progress.

Figure 20 illustrates such a model.

Global, primary and recycled aluminium

flows are shown.

37

8 Frequently Asked Questions


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For aluminium, three recycling rates apply:

1. The recycling input rate

(recycled aluminium/total aluminium

supplied to fabricators)

2. The end-of-life recycling efficiency rate

(aluminium recycled from old scrap/

aluminium available for collection after

use)

3. The overall recycling efficiency rate

(recycled aluminium/aluminium

available for collection)

The recycling input rate is not reliable as

it does not reflect the recycling activity of

the aluminium industry. It purely takes

into account the origin of the metal,

i.e. primary or recycled. The amount of

recycled aluminium is based on statistics

pertaining to the remelters scrap intake

and the refiners production.

The two recycling efficiency rates are

obtained by multiplying the collection rate

(aluminium collected/aluminium available

for collection) by the treatment rate

(aluminium treated/aluminium collected)by the melting rate, also termed net metal

yield (aluminium recycled/aluminium

treated).

The recycled aluminium referred to in

the recycling efficiency rates is therefore

not determined on the basis of statistics,

but calculated by means of a material

flow model. Collection rates differ greatly,however. New scrap has a collection rate

of almost 100%, and aluminium from

buildings approximately 96%. The

collection rate of aluminium beverage

cans has now reached 46% and this figure

continues to rise. But aluminium utilised

in powder, paste and for deoxidation

purposes is defined as impossible to

collect after use, because it loses its

metallic properties.

8. Frequently Asked Questions

How is the recycling rate

defined and calculated?

Aluminium metal losses incurred during

separation treatment range from 0%

(no treatment necessary) to 10%. Melting

losses are defined as the proportion of

metal in the scrap lost during melting,which therefore excludes all aluminium

oxides found on the surface of scrap prior

to melting. Experts estimate melting

oxidation losses to be in the region of

0.5% to 1%. The end-of-life recycling

efficiency rate can also be used to provide

product-specific definitions for life cycle

analysis purposes. Here, the recycling

rate of one specific product, such as end-

of-life vehicles, is calculated.

38 8. Frequently Asked Questions


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How much energy is saved

by aluminium recycling

compared to primary

aluminium production?

The energy required to produce one tonne

of recycled aluminium ingots from clean

scrap can be as little as 5% of the energy

needed to produce one tonne of primary

aluminium.

However, aluminium scrap is frequently

mixed with other materials and additional

energy may be required to separate the

aluminium and protect the environment

from the impact of these materials.

Further energy needs relating to both

the primary and recycled aluminium

production chain are dependent on thetechnology applied and the geographical

location, and therefore on local energy

efficiency and transportation distances.

Hence, it is not possible to calculate a

universal value for energy savings.

Yes, recycled aluminium has the same

value as primary aluminium. However,

in the course of multiple recycling, more

and more alloying elements are introduced

into the metal cycle. This effect is put togood use in the production of casting

alloys, which generally need these

elements to attain the desired alloy

properties. For instance, in the

composition of alloy EN-AC 46000

(Al Si9Cu3 (Fe), containing about 9%

silicon and 3% copper), which is widely

used for automotive applications like

cylinder heads and gearboxes, the need

for alloying elements is manifestly clear.

Approximately 26% of aluminium in

Europe is used for castings, where

aluminium scrap is especially chosen

for its valuable alloy content. Thus,

aluminium recycling contributes not

only to the sustainable use of aluminium

but also, to some extent, its alloyingelements, making it both economical

and ecological!

Is it possible to recycle

aluminium without loss of

value?

Many of these alloying elements do,

however, limit the usability of recycled

aluminium in the production of fabricated

goods, like extrusion billets or rolling

slabs. Therefore, aluminium scrap with analloy composition corresponding to that

of wrought alloys is separated whenever

possible.

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Recycled content is a phrase with

certain ecological appeal. But what does

it actually mean in the context of the

aluminium industry?

If all aluminium applications were

grouped together, the average global

recycled content (excluding internal scrap)

would stand at around 35% overall.

But, in reality, recycled content varies

substantially from one product to another.

With the continued growth of the

aluminium market and the fact that

most aluminium products have a fairlylong lifetime (in the case of buildings,

potentially more than 100 years), it is not

possible to achieve high recycled content

in all new aluminium products, simply

because the available quantity of end-

of-life aluminium falls considerably

short of total demand.

Is there an oversupply of

high-alloyed scrap?

Absolutely not! As long as there is a

growing demand for aluminium castings

worldwide, a shortage of high-alloyed

scrap is closer to the truth. The supply

situation may become even worse, sincethe automotive revolution is just in its

starting phase in many developing

countries.

Furthermore, recycled aluminium is

used where it is deemed most efficient

in economic and ecological terms.

Directing the scrap flow towards

designated products, in order to obtainhigh recycled content in those products,

would inevitably mean lower recycled

content in other products. It would also

certainly result in inefficiency in the global

optimisation of the scrap market, as well

as wasting transportation energy. Calls

to increase recycled content in specific

categories of aluminium products make

no ecological sense at all.

Even though the recycled content of a

particular product or product part may

range from 0% to 100%, all collectable

aluminium is recyclable. Aluminium

that cannot be collected includes that

used in powder, paste and for deoxidation

purposes as, after use, it loses its metallic

properties.

Is the recycled aluminium

content of products an

indicator of recycling

efficiency?



41/50

The industry continues to recycle all the

aluminium collected from end-of-life

goods and by-products. However, the

collection of aluminium-containing end-

of-life products from municipal wastestreams presents a challenge when

recycling is not economically driven. The

amount collected could be significantly

increased by appropriate legislation, local

community initiatives and heightened

awareness by society as a whole.

During all industrial processes involving

treatment and melting, a certain degree ofmaterial loss is inevitable. Aluminium

losses during such processes are therefore

unavoidable, and this holds true for all

other materials. But a recycling rate of

almost 100% can be achieved with new

scrap, such as aluminium sheets, because

the route from collection to melting is

entirely in the hands of the aluminium

recycling industry.

Recycled aluminium is produced from

both new and old scrap. New scrap is

surplus material that arises during the

production, fabrication and manufacture

of aluminium products up to the pointwhere they are sold to the final consumer.

The production route of new scrap from

collection to recycled metal is thus

controlled by the aluminium industry.

Old scrap is aluminium material that is

treated and melted down after an

existing aluminium product has been

used, discarded and collected. Based on

existing knowledge of global aluminium

scrap flow (excluding internal scrap),

approximately 47% of recycled aluminium

originates from old scrap, and the rest

is new scrap.

What are the global sources

of aluminium scrap?

Certain applications entail aluminium

loss by their very nature. For example,

in order to produce one tonne of steel,

around 1.8 kg of aluminium is needed for

deoxidation purposes. Other examplesof metal loss include use as aluminium

powder or as an additive to metallic

lacquers.

Due to its high affinity for oxygen,

aluminium always forms an oxide layer,

one of the reasons why it has such

excellent corrosion resistance qualities.

This results, however, in loss of metalduring use and melting.

Why does the industry not

recycle 100% of all available

aluminium?

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From a technical or ecological point of

view, whether a window frame is made of

what was previously a window frame or

window handle is totally irrelevant. In

the context of the global aluminiummarket, it is pointless to track end-of-life

aluminium to the next aluminium product.

Recycling within the same product group

or not is simply a question of end-of-life

aluminium availability, collection and

sorting logistics, and the economics of

recycling, as the ultimate objective is to

obtain optimal added value for the metal.

Should a window frame be

recycled back into a window

frame?

Typically, not only aluminium oxides,

but also approximately the same amount

of aluminium metal, are lost to the salt

slag and skimmings. Aluminium metal

contained in these residues is thenrecycled during salt slag recycling and

special skimming processes by the refiner.

Aluminium which has been collected at

the end of its useful life has to undergo

various sorting and treatment processes

before it can be melted down again. Along

the way, some metal is lost. Due to thecomplexity of these processes and the

great variety of scrap types, it is still not

possible to quantify these losses exactly,

but they range between 0% and 10%.

Metal loss in case of clean, clearly

identifiable aluminium scrap, which

can be used directly for melting, can be

practically 0%, while highly contaminated

scrap that needs to undergo several

processing steps may lose some metal

on its way to the furnace. During melting

itself, losses of 1% to 2% cannot be

avoided because of the aluminium oxides

already contained in the scrap and

because, during melting, some further

aluminium oxidation occurs.

Is aluminium metal lost during

the recycling process?



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Aluminium salt slag is a mixture of salts,

aluminium oxide, metallic aluminium and

impurities, extracted from aluminium scrap

during melting. It is the typical residue

left behind when aluminium scrap ismelted in a rotary furnace. Rotary furnaces

are commonly employed for aluminium

scrap containing foreign materials.

Depending on the kind of rotary furnace

used and the type of scrap being melted,

anything up to 500 kg of salt slag can be

generated in the production of one tonne

of aluminium metal. Salt slag, which

used to be land filled, is now recycled.

The salt that is applied during melting can

be completely recovered and used again

for the same purpose by the refiner. The

metallic aluminium is also recovered and

utilised to produce aluminium alloys.

What happens to the salt slag

and other residues generatedduring the recycling process?

The most significant emissions resulting

from the aluminium recycling process

are emissions released into the air.

These include dust and smoke, metal

compounds, organic materials, nitrogenoxides, sulphur dioxides and chlorides.

State-of-the-art technology is used to

extract fumes and other emissions and to

reduce fugitive emissions. Emission limits,

stipulated in the reference document on

Best Available Techniques in the Non-

Ferrous Metal Industries, which forms

part of the broader Integrated Pollution

Prevention and Control measures, are

EU-wide benchmarks.

What happens to the emissions

generated during the meltingof scrap?

In addition, there are regional regulations,

like the new TA Luft in Germany, that

provide a standard for other countries and

are even more stringent. The limits for

dioxin emissions are very strict, in therange of


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The remaining residues, mainly aluminium

oxide and impurities, are rendered inert

and subsequently used by the cement

industry or, if this is not possible, land

filled.

Filter dust, which arises during the

cleaning and de-acidification of gaseous

combustion products, is deemed to be

hazardous waste and is partly land filled

or recycled. Skimmings and, in some cases,

furnace linings are recycled within the

aluminium recycling industry.

44

9. Glossary


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Casting alloys

Aluminium alloys used for the production

of castings where the final product shape

is generated by pouring molten metal

into a mould. These aluminium alloys

have an alloy concentration of up to 20%,

mostly silicon, magnesium and copper.

Typical castings are cylinder heads, engine

blocks and gearboxes in cars, components

used in the mechanical and electrical

engineering industries, components for

household equipment and many other

applications.

Deoxidation aluminium

Aluminium consisting of alloys with a

high concentration of metallic aluminium

(usually exceeding 95%) used to remove

free oxygen from liquid steel.

EAA

European Aluminium Association.

Represents the European aluminium

industry.

End-of-life aluminium

Aluminium that has been discarded by its

end-user.

Europe

Includes Western and Central Europe

(former CIS excluded, except Baltic States).

Foundry industry

Main customers of refiners. They produce

a wide variety of castings which are mostly

used in the transport sector.

Internal scrap

Scrap that is recycled in the same company

or integrated company group where it

has been generated (also known as turn-

around, in-house or home scrap).

New scrap

Surplus material that arises during the

production, fabrication and manufacture

of aluminium products up to the point

where they are sold to the final consumer.

OEA

Organisation of European Aluminium

Refiners and Remelters. Represents the

aluminium recycling industry in Europe.

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Old scrap

Aluminium material collected after

an aluminium-containing product has

reached the end of its useful life.

Primary aluminium

Unalloyed aluminium produced by

electrolysis. Typical aluminium content:

99.7%.

Recycled aluminium

Aluminium produced from scrap. Has

replaced the term "secondary aluminium".

Recycling

Aluminium collection and subsequent

treatment and melting of scrap.

Refiner

Producer of casting alloys and deoxidation

aluminium from scrap of varying

composition. Refiners are able to add

alloying elements and remove certain

unwanted elements after the melting

process.

Remelter

Producer of wrought alloys in the form

of extrusion billets and rolling slabs from

mainly clean and sorted wrought alloy

scrap.

Skimmings

Compound containing metallic aluminium

and oxides, which are scraped off the

surface before the metal is cast.

Salt slag

By-product that arises when salt (mixture

of sodium and potassium chloride) is

used to cover the molten metal to prevent

oxidation, increase yield and enhance

thermal efficiency in the furnace.

Treatment

Mechanical and thermal processing of

scrap, including the separation of

aluminium scrap from other materials and

the pre-processing of scrap before it enters

the furnace.

Western Europe

EU15 and EFTA plus Turkey.

46 9. Glossary


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Wrought alloys

Aluminium alloys used for wrought

products where the final product shape

is generated by mechanically forming the

solid metal. These aluminium alloys have

an alloy concentration of up to 10%,

mostly manganese, magnesium, silicon,

copper and zinc. Typical wrought alloy

products are semi-fabricated items in

the form of rolled sheets, foil or extruded

profiles, which are processed into car

body parts, heavy goods vehicle and

commercial vehicle components, railvehicles, building panels, doors,

windows, packaging, and so on.

47

10. Further Reading


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EAA, 2004.

Environmental Profile Report.

EAA and TU Delft, 2004.

Collection of Aluminium from Buildings in Europe.

Brochure and Final Report.

European Commission, 2001.

Reference Document on Best Available Techniques in

the Non-Ferrous Metal Industries.

http://eippcb.jrc.es

Gesamtverband der Aluminium Industrie e.V.

Fact Sheets (permanently updated).

www.aluinfo.de

Kukshinrichs W., Martens P. N., 2003.

Resource-Orientated Analysis of Metallic Raw Materials.

Series: Matter and Materials, Volume 17.

Forschungszentrum Jlich GmbH, Jlich, Germany.

Peck P., 2003.

Interest in Material Cycle Closure? Exploring the

Evolution of the Industrys Responses to High-Grade

Recycling from an Industrial Ecology Perspective.

Doctoral Dissertation, September 2003.Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

VDS, 2000.

Aluminium Recycling Vom Vorstoff bis zur

fertigen Legierung.

Aluminium Verlag, Dsseldorf, Germany.

Websi tes:

www.oea-alurecycling.org

www.eaa.net

www.world-aluminium.org

48


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Editor

EAA/OEA Recycling Division

Text

Marlen Bertram, OEA/EAA

Mira Hryniuk, freelance writer

Gnter Kirchner, OEA/EAA

Franois Pruvost, EAA Packaging

Photos

EAA European Aluminium Association

Kommunikation und Design Bernard Langerock

VAR Verband der Aluminiumrecycling-Industrie e.V.

VAW-IMCO Guss und Recycling GmbH

Holger Ludwig

Jan van Houwelingen, TU Delft

Graphic Design

Kommunikation und Design Bernard Langerock

www.langerockdesign.de

Printer

Meinke Print Media Partner, Germany

Paper

Environmentally friendly produced

Burgo Luxo-Card 250 g/m2

Burgo Dacostern 170 g/m2

Contacts

EAA/OEA Recycling Division

12, Avenue de Broqueville

B-1150 Brussels

Phone +32 2 775 63 63

Fax +32 2 779 05 31

[email protected]

[email protected]

www.oea-alurecycling.org

www.eaa.net

Thanks to

Laura Berneri, EAA

Kurt Buxmann, Alcan

Jrg Gerber, Alcan

Jim Morrison, OEA

Pl Vigeland, Hydro


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The Global Recycling Messages

Aluminium can be recycled over and over again

without loss of properties. The high value of

aluminium scrap is a key incentive and major

economic impetus for recycling.

Aluminium recycling benefits present and

future generations by conserving energy and

other natural resources. It saves up to 95%

of the energy required for primary aluminium

production, thereby avoiding corresponding

emissions, including greenhouse gases.

Industry continues to recycle, without

subsidy, all the aluminium it can collect from

used products, as well as fabrication and

manufacturing processes. However, with the

help of appropriate authorities, local

communities and society as a whole, the

amount of aluminium collected could be

increased further.

Global aluminium recycling rates are high,

approximately 90% for transport and

construction applications and about 60%

for beverage cans. Although recycling of

flexible packaging presents a challenge, the

unique barrier properties of aluminium foil

are considered vital to the preservation of

products (e.g. foodstuffs and medicines).

The growing markets for aluminium are

supplied by both primary and recycled metal

sources. Increasing demand for aluminium and

the long lifetime of many products mean that,

for the foreseeable future, the overall volume

of primary metal produced from bauxite will

continue to be substantially greater than the

volume of available recycled metal.

oea eaa aluminium recycling

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