| GRN Recycle Talk FAQ Answer |
Date: Tue, 25 Nov 97 09:19 WET From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: Re: Cleaning of UBC scrap (G. G. Monte)
Nov. 25, 1997
Dear G. G. Monte,
According to the Aluminum Recycling Assn and the American International Co. even the largest (recyclers) are likely to have only minimal capital requirements for equipment, such as can flatteners or balers. Vendor quotes for can flatteners/blower systems begin at $10,000, for example, and balers for cans are available for as little as $4,000. The equipment that you need will depend upon the remanufacturing needs of the stuff as a raw material. It doesn't sound like you are smelting the scrap, for example. . If what you are operating is a mini-mill shredding would not be necessary, but it might be if you were smelting the cans.. What you would need would be a delacquering unit - possibly a rotary kiln - that removes UBC surface treatments. A detailing of the process is, among other places in an article in the magazine Resource Recycling 10/92 issue pp. 23-26. The process for processing molten UBC is included in an article on safety in the March/April, 1991 issue of Scrap Processing and Recycl
ing . The big aluminum can companies such as Anheuser Busch are frequently good sources of used equipment for recycling. In terms of separating contaminants, the best system that I've seen is one which simply bounces the stuff around sufficiently and then eyes-only inspects the results. I expect that moisture will also be a problem, unless a heat treatment or a thorough by-hand emptying process is involved. I'm sure you realize that moisture in alumionum plus furnace level heat yields a very explosive potential!!!
If you are in Brazil, my understanding is that there is already a fledgling UBC recycling infrastructure in place in the urbanized Sao Paolo/Rio areas. Reynolds Aluminum's Rio operation started recycling, according to documentation, in 1991. It was only supposed to cover the states in which those two urban areas are, but was aiming at recycling 60% of cans sold.. More possible suppliers of equipment and expertise are in Puerto Rico whose UBC recycling program is more advanced, and, I belieeve, decentralized.
Cempre at Rua Pedroso Alvarenga 1254/52, 04531-004 Sao Paulo, SP Brazil (Tel: 55, 11, 852-5200) may be a source of technical assistance. As may, the Environmental authority of the state of Minas Gerais.
-- Research Library for RCRA