TY - THES

T1 - Comparative considerations of the recycling of aluminium-containing raw materials in the laboratory and industrial scale

AU - Trippl, Michael

N1 - embargoed until 07-05-2029

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Aluminium is a highly recyclable material with special properties and remains an indispensable and future-oriented raw material for the transport, packaging and construction industries. To achieve environmental friendly recycling processes with the highest possible overall efficiency, new processing concepts and systems are continually being developed to improve conventional recycling methods. Contaminants, including metallic, non-metallic, organic (such as paints, varnishes, and oils), and inorganic substances (such as oxides), are often found as adhesions or free foreign substances on the scrap used. These can significantly impair the overall process and, therefore, the quality of the products. This thesis covers recycling methods, focusing on the different scrap categories: in-house, pre-consumer, and post-consumer. The literature review describes the main pre-treatment steps, including shredding, sorting, and pyrolysis, which remove impurities from the scrap and prepare it for remelting. Furthermore, various smelting technologies and the role of remelters based on the level of impurities in the scrap are described. Pyrolysis is particularly important for removing organic contaminants in the production of secondary aluminium. The review also examines the remelting process and its challenges, specifically dross formation and its impact on the melting yield. For the experimental study sample material from Alu Menziken SRL is used. To validate the findings on an industrial scale, experiments were conducted on a labratory scale under controlled conditions at the Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy at the University of Leoben. The aim of this project is to develop a standardised method for predicting dross formation and melting yields in an industrial two-chamber furnace using various scrap input materials.

AB - Aluminium is a highly recyclable material with special properties and remains an indispensable and future-oriented raw material for the transport, packaging and construction industries. To achieve environmental friendly recycling processes with the highest possible overall efficiency, new processing concepts and systems are continually being developed to improve conventional recycling methods. Contaminants, including metallic, non-metallic, organic (such as paints, varnishes, and oils), and inorganic substances (such as oxides), are often found as adhesions or free foreign substances on the scrap used. These can significantly impair the overall process and, therefore, the quality of the products. This thesis covers recycling methods, focusing on the different scrap categories: in-house, pre-consumer, and post-consumer. The literature review describes the main pre-treatment steps, including shredding, sorting, and pyrolysis, which remove impurities from the scrap and prepare it for remelting. Furthermore, various smelting technologies and the role of remelters based on the level of impurities in the scrap are described. Pyrolysis is particularly important for removing organic contaminants in the production of secondary aluminium. The review also examines the remelting process and its challenges, specifically dross formation and its impact on the melting yield. For the experimental study sample material from Alu Menziken SRL is used. To validate the findings on an industrial scale, experiments were conducted on a labratory scale under controlled conditions at the Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy at the University of Leoben. The aim of this project is to develop a standardised method for predicting dross formation and melting yields in an industrial two-chamber furnace using various scrap input materials.

KW - Aluminium

KW - Nichteisenmetallurgie

KW - Recycling

KW - Industriemaßstab

KW - Laborversuche

KW - Vergleich

KW - Krätzebildung

KW - Schmelzausbeute

KW - Aluminium

KW - Recycling

KW - Recycling of Aluminium

KW - Industrial Scale

KW - Dross

KW - Melting

KW - Casting

KW - Nonferrous Metallurgy

M3 - Master's Thesis

ER -