Metal Recycling Technology

Project Team

Natural Resource Canada, with in-kind contributions from international recycling associations and the Canadian metals industry

Objectives

To identify and review the major recycling and refining technologies used in the ferrous and nonferrous industries, such as steel, magnesium and aluminum, and to develop a detailed database on energy savings and GHG emission reductions resulting from the recycling of steel, aluminum and magnesium.

Description

The following issues are being reviewed and evaluated:
Scrap management, sorting and classification in primary and secondary metal industries of steel, aluminum and magnesium;
Refining technologies used in primary and secondary metal processing, removal and reduction of impurities in steel, aluminum and magnesium, and detection of trace elements in liquid metals;
Design of recyclable products in transportation, construction and energy, particularly the reuse of by-products and the production of alloys that are easy to recycle;
Energy efficiency and energy savings related to recycling.

Resources

Final Report on Design of Recyclable Products

Final Report on Energy Efficiency and Energy Savings in Recycling

Project Team

Natural Resources Canada

Objectives

To transform the R-NET Recycling Technology Newsletter into information dissemination tool for the Enhanced Recycling program of Action Plan 2000 on Climate Change.

Description

Information exchange, the development of joint research activities, and the adaptation of existing technologies and practices to accommodate cross-sector applications are key challenges that await all parties interested in recycling. The R-NET Recycling Technology Newsletter is ideally positioned to contribute to these activities by increasing the level of awareness and networking among communities relevant to the Enhanced Recycling program. The target audience includes those dealing with aluminum, magnesium and steel recycling, as well as those interested in the recovery of metals and minerals from municipal solid waste.

Resources

Access the latest edition and the archives on the R-Net web site.

Project Team

Natural Resource Canada

Objectives

To identify and assess the status of major sensing technologies for the separation of various materials (e.g., ferrous and nonferrous metals, glasses, rubber, plastics, etc.) from scrap metal and for the identification of impurities in molten scrap metal in order to produce high quality, value-added, recycled metal products through enhanced recycling.

Description

The refining step in both primary and secondary metals processing requires the monitoring and control of metallic and nonmetallic impurities in molten metal for improved product quality. The use of chemical sensors for in-situ/on-line detection of impurities during both primary and secondary metals processing can lead to a reduction in production time, improve product quality, and lower energy consumption with a commensurate reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Continued R&D efforts are needed to overcome certain technological challenges in order to make the metal production/recycling process more efficient.

Resources

• Final Report on Scrap Management, Sorting and Classification of Steel
• Final Report on Scrap Management, Sorting and Classification of Aluminum
• Final Report on Refining Technologies of Aluminum
• Final Report on Refining Technologies of Magnesium
• Final Report on Scrap Management, Sorting and Classification of Magnesium

Project Team

Natural Resources Canada

Objectives

To foster information exchange between the European Union and Canada in the areas of clean processing technologies to minimize emissions of greenhouse gas, enhanced recycling and environmental protection.

Description

For almost two decades, CANMET-MMSL and the Research Directorate-General of the European Commission have organized a series of joint workshops for the exchange of non-confidential technical and program information. More recently, these workshops have included increased discussion on enhanced recycling techniques and associated project examples. These meetings are organized and run by CANMET-MMSL and the proceedings will be available, as will a report highlighting the achievements of the meeting.

Resources

Environmentally Clean Technologies for Sustainable Production and Consumption, Workshop Proceedings, Vancouver, Canada, August 27-29, 2003

Project Team

Environment Canada Atlantic Region, Environment Canada Sustainable Consumption Unit (HQ), Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, MGI Limited, and the Canadian Association of Metal Finishers (CAMF)

Objective

The objective of this initiative is to collect relevant baseline information on the metal finishing industry (MFI), assess the feasibility of metal sludge recovery from the regional finishers, identify and promote implementation of feasible eco-efficiency opportunities, build capacity within the MFI, and consult industry in the Atlantic Region to address environmental issues and create awareness of CAMF services available to regional finishers.

Description

Metal finishing operations in Canada include: anodizing, metal parts cleaning, electroplating, etching, galvanizing, jewellery manufacturing, metal recovery, powder coating, and printed circuit board manufacturing. Metal finishing is a key process in many manufacturing industries since it has a profound effect on the appearance and/or functionality of the final product. Waste streams produced by the MFI include effluents, process solutions, and sludge and air emissions. Depending on the type of MFI operation, there are opportunities to recover and recycle metals that can yield significant environmental and economic benefits.
Atlantic MFI businesses were surveyed in order to collect data that could be used to design a metal sludge recovery/recycling pilot program. Recycling companies where the sludge could be sent were identified for each metal. Challenges to making recycling a viable option and how obstacles to recycling can be overcome were also discussed. CAMF and MGI Limited succeeded in getting six facilities involved in a detailed eco-efficiency evaluation. Many opportunities for improvement were identified and 12 facts sheets have been generated to summarize pollution prevention and energy efficiency options. Follow-up visits to the six companies will occur in winter 2005 to determine how/if recommendations have been implemented.