The role of automated sorting in the recovery of aluminium alloys waste

Selected papers from the 3rd Edition of the International Conference on Wastes: Solutions, Treatments and Opportunities

A large number of aluminium alloys with varying alloying elements are present in vehicle structures and components, as well as in other household equipment. The recycling of these alloys is nowadays processed to low quality metal products due to high level of contamination, hindering the upgrading of recycling rates. The development and application of automated sorting technologies capable to detect, select and separate different alloy types could be of crucial importance in the progression of the recycling loop. This paper addresses the importance of sorting based on a study on the characterization of Al alloys in non-ferrous fraction of shredder plants.