09 Apr Understanding the Metal Recycling Process

Maybe you’re a consistent recycler of metals? Perhaps you’re thinking about recycling your metals for the first time? Maybe you just like to know how stuff works? In any case, you’re reading this because interested in the metal recycling process.

In this blog post, we’re going to discuss the specifics of metal recycling, focusing in on each step in the process. Let’s get into it!

Metal Collection

The metal recycling process starts with metal collection. Metal recycling companies pay good money to get ahold of metal items. Sometimes they seek these items out, and sometimes they purchase these items from private sellers.

Commonly collected metal items include fencing, auto parts, televisions, and furniture. However, essentially anything that’s made out of metal can be put through the recycling process.

Metal Sorting

Upon collection, different metals will be sorted into different groups. For instance, aluminum items will be placed with other aluminum items, brass items will be placed with other brass items, and so on, and so forth.

This is done to ensure that different types of metals aren’t being mixed together. By keeping different metals separate from each other, the recycling company is able to ensure metal purity.

Metal Shredding

Once different metals have been separated into their respective groups, they will be shredded. Shredding is done to minimize the size and density of the collective metals.

Reducing their size and density allows the metals to be melted with much greater ease. Not only can shredded metals be melted faster than non-shredded ones, they can be melted with less heat as well.

Metal Melting

The metal melting process is different depending on the type of metal that is being recycled. However, regardless of the type, a large, hot oven is where the process takes place.

This stage of the process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to be completed. The exact amount of time required depends on the type of metal that is being melted.

After the shredded metals have been melted, they will return to their purest liquid form. However, before they can be reformed into new objects, an inspection will be needed.

Quality Assessment

The inspection, or quality assessment, is performed to ensure that the melted metal is pure. If there are contaminants in the melted metal, its structural integrity will be compromised, and it will not work suitably for manufacturing purposes.

Testing the quality of the metals requires a great deal of technology. Often times, electrolysis will be used to ensure the consistency of the metal.

Reformation

If the quality assessment of the melted metal goes well, the melted metal can then be used to form new metal objects. This is usually done with the use of molds.

During the reformation process, all types of new objects can be created, from car components, to furniture, to electrical components, and much, much more.

Regardless of what is made from the recycled metal, it will come at a bargain. Using recycled metals to manufacture new products is much cheaper than using fresh metals.

Do You Have Metal to Recycle in Bedford Park? 

Are there any old, metal items lying around your house or garage? Are you looking to get rid of them? If so, an Bedford Park area metal recycling company is just what you need, and Central Metal Recycling is here to help.

We are the premier metal recycling facility in all of Chicagoland. Our team is more than prepared to accommodate all of your metal recycling needs.

Contact us now to start the process of recycling your metal!