Aluminum Recycling update at H&H Metals

Metal recycling services at H&H Metals are available for a wide array of scrap metals including steel, aluminum, brass, and copper. Each type of material has its own recycling process requirements, and H&H Metals’ modern facility is well equipped to handle each one.

Aluminum Scrap Metal

One of the most common metals recycled at H&H Metals is aluminum scrap. To understand aluminum recycling better, it is helpful to observe its history. During WWII, families and businesses saved and recycled aluminum scrap metal to assist with the war effort. This metal was recycled to use for weapons and supplies throughout Europe. However, aluminum scrap was not a very common household product at that time, not until a few decades later when the aluminum soda can was invented.

Aluminum Can Recycling

During the 1960s, more and more beverages like soda and beer began being sold in aluminum cans. Aluminum was used because it was cheaper to manufacture and easier to transport than glass bottles, and was less prone to breaking. The aluminum can soon became an industry standard and a common household item.

Aluminum recycling is a very cost-effective and efficient process. As law-makers began recognizing the positive environmental effects of aluminum recycling, many states started to offer recycling incentive programs to encourage aluminum cans to be collected and reused. As a result, aluminum can collection programs became more prevalent.

The Aluminum Recycling Process

Once aluminum has been collected by services like H&H Metals, the recycling process can begin. The first step involves shredding the aluminum into manageable, uniform sizes. These scraps are cleaned and pressed into blocks to prevent oxidation during the melting stage.

The aluminum blocks are heated to temperatures in excess of 700 degrees Celsius and may be chemically purified. Once the metal is melted and cleansed, it can be analyzed for future use. Aluminum can be mixed with other elements to create alloys, suitable for different purposes.

Once the alloys are created, the aluminum is shaped into rods, blocks, sheets, slabs, or even powder. At this point, the aluminum scrap has effectively been recycled to be used again for any purpose from manufacturing, to construction, to consumer goods. The recycling process is much faster and more cost effective than the mining process, and plays a significant role within the U.S. metal recycling industry.

Professional consultants at H&H Metals work with companies to identify and implement aluminum scrap metal processes. Whether you are looking to implement a soda can collection or a large industrial scrap metal processing program, H&H Metals is available to help.