Ferrous metal can be recycled by remelting, recasting, and redrawing processes completely.
These processes are far cheaper than producing new metal from the basic ore. Manufacturers produce their own coke. The by-products from the coke oven include several organic compounds, ammonia, and hydrogen sulfide. All these can be sold to various consumers.
Ferrous Metal Recycling helps to reduce the quantities of solid waste deposited in landfills, which have become more expensive. As these metals are magnetic, scrap can be collected using a magnet and sent to a recycling unit.
Metal
Ferrous Metal
Ferrous metals are those metals or alloys that contain iron; such metals include carbon steel, stainless steel, and wrought iron.
The recycling of ferrous metals begins with sorting and removing those metals containing iron from non-ferrous materials. Because ferrous metals are magnetic, this process simply requires running all scrap metals collected through a device that contains a magnet or magnetic belt. During this process, the ferrous metals are attracted to the magnet, easily separating them from the remainder of the scrap metal.
Alternatively, a shredder containing magnetic drums can be used to separate ferrous metals from other scrap metals for recycling. Ferrous metals don’t require further separation by type before recycling can begin. Recycling ferrous metals involves melting the metals down to a liquid state, then purifying them and compacting the resulting material into solid blocks or beams for manufacturing use.
Ferrous Metal
USES & ADVANTAGES
Ferrous metals are quite valuable in the scrap metal recycling industry—each year, more than 500 million metric tons of ferrous metals are recycled and reused for many purposes.
Studies have shown that recycled steel has the same strength as new steel. Today most appliances contain about 75% recycled steel.
Ferrous metals are used in numerous applications. The following are key uses:
- Girders, plates, nuts and bolts
- Heavy crushing machinery
- Car cylinder blocks, machine tool parts, vices, brake drums, machine handle and gear wheels, and plumbing fitments
- Gears, shafts, engine parts
- Cutting tools for lathes
- Kitchen draining boards, pipes, cutlery, aircraft
- Chisels, files, lathe tools, hammers, drills, taps and dies
- Metal ropes, springs, wire, garden tools
Tons of
Steel Recycled
Worldwide in 2022.
