The Main Stages Of The Metal Recycling Process

If you have been thinking about recycling metals, it is essential to understand how the metal recycling process works—understanding how the metal recycling process works will allow you to use better and benefit from recycling services.   

Stage #1: Collecting Metals   

It is important to understand the two different types of metals one can collect. Ferrous metals are metals that contain iron and carbon in them. 

Non-ferrous metals include tin, copper, zinc, aluminum, lead, and copper. Most precious metals are also non-ferrous, such as palladium, silver, platinum, and gold.   

Most ferrous metal tends to come from vehicles, farm equipment, consumer scraps, and large steel structures. Most non-ferrous metal tends to come from more specialized equipment.   

Stage #2: Sorting Metals  

Most recycling centers are going to want you to sort your metals. Generally, you need to sort the metals you are recycling into ferrous and non-ferrous. Some recycling centers may also require you to sort items by the specific type of metal.   

Often, if you are trying to make money from selling the metal, you will get more money if you sort items by specific type of metal.  

Stage #3: Processing the Metals  

Once the metal is collected and sorted, it is processed. The first part of the processing process is all about shredding the metals. The metal is made as small as possible to reduce the surface of the metal and make the surface more equivalent to the volume. This makes it easier to melt the metal. It is essential that only the metal, and not other items, are present during the shredding process.  

Stage #4: Melting the Metal  

Once the metal is shredded, it is melted. Metaling recycled metals take less material and energy than virgin metals, which benefits recycling. It takes less energy and thus less money to create the same product.   

Stage #5: Purification and Solidifying  

Finally, the metal is checked to ensure that it is free of contaminants, and then the metal is cooled into a solid and sold to be turned into new items.  

When you collect ferrous and non-ferrous metals to take to a scrap yard, they are going to be collected, sorted, shredded, melted, and turned into a new raw product to create new metal items. Collecting scrap metal helps aid in the reuse of metals and protecting the environment. Understanding how the process works will help you know what to collect, how to prepare it, and will help you understand the impact your recycling has on the environment. 

To learn more, find a company that offers services such as ferrous steel recycling.