Aluminium recovery and recycling. Strategy

As soon as industrial production of aluminium began, following the patents by Héroult (France) and Hall (USA) in 1886, internal recycling of offcuts became the norm, as with other metals: offcuts made from a known alloy were generally recycled to produce an identical alloy in the foundry itself, mixed with virgin metal from alumina electrolysis.

When aluminum production expanded and aluminum products became the norm, old objects of all origins posed a specific recycling problem, which was handled by units specialized in secondary aluminum smelting.

The production of aluminum from the electrolysis process consumes large quantities of electrical energy and, as a result, electrolysis plants are located close to large, attractively-priced electricity resources.

Secondary aluminum smelters are much less dependent on energy supply conditions, and can be set up either close to sources of recycled raw materials, or close to outlets for secondary alloys, i.e. where the aluminum casting industry expresses significant needs. In fact, the development of secondary aluminum smelting is driven by the development of the casting industry, which generally follows the development of automobile production: surpluses or deficits in recycling raw materials are offset by exports or imports. Raw materials can travel far and wide.

The table at 1 shows that the development of secondary aluminum smelting (also known as refining) follows very closely, in terms of volume, the development of casting.