Metal recycling

China's resource situation

Although China has a relatively complete variety of non-ferrous metal mineral resources, but the reserves are not abundant, per capita possession of even lower than the world average level of resources. In particular, after a new round of resource evaluations in accordance with internationally accepted standards, China’s mineral reserves of major non-ferrous metals such as copper, aluminum, lead, and zinc have shrunk substantially, and the amount of available reserves has been greatly reduced. The reserves of copper and other metals have been reduced by half compared to the original ones. Above, the recoverable reserves of aluminum are only about a quarter of the original published reserves, and they cannot guarantee the needs of economic development. Due to the shortage of domestic non-ferrous metal mineral reserves and the inability to support the continued growth of non-ferrous metal production, China's non-ferrous metal industry has continuously increased its demand for imported mine raw materials. In 2001, the import of copper concentrate exceeded 2.2 million tons (physical quantity, the same below); the import volume of alumina reached 3.35 million tons; the import volume of lead concentrate was 300,000 tons; the import volume of zinc concentrate exceeded 700,000 tons. Tons, became the world's leading importer of raw materials for non-ferrous metal mines.

China's economic development is in the mid-industrial period. The demand for non-ferrous metals and other raw materials continues to grow. In order to meet the growing demand for raw materials for economic development, the non-ferrous metal industry must increase the use of domestic and foreign primary mineral resources while increasing domestic recycling. Waste and non-ferrous metal resources.

Meaning of metal recycling

To vigorously carry out the recycling of waste and non-ferrous metals is an important way to achieve the sustainable development of China's non-ferrous metals industry. It can not only solve the problem of insufficient raw materials for domestic non-ferrous metal mines, but also help protect natural resources and reduce non-ferrous metal production. The impact and destruction of the ecological environment in the consumption process. Most non-ferrous metals such as copper, aluminum, lead, zinc, gold, and silver have good recyclability and can be repeatedly used without affecting the performance. This is a combination of non-ferrous metals and polymer materials, wood, cement, etc. Compared with the outstanding advantages. Giving full play to this advantage can greatly relieve the growing demand for mineral resources from social and economic development, significantly reduce the energy consumption in the non-ferrous metal production process, reduce environmental pollution, and realize the sustainable development of the non-ferrous metal industry.

Taking aluminum as an example, first, it is generally considered that the production of one ton of primary aluminum from bauxite requires approximately two tons of alumina, while the production of one ton of aluminum oxide requires approximately two tons of bauxite, that is, one ton of primary aluminum. At least four tons of bauxite resources will be consumed. The current global output of primary aluminum is about 25 million tons, and the annual consumption of bauxite is more than 100 million tons. If it continues to develop, the earth's bauxite resources will become less and less until one day it is depleted. If human consumption of aluminum can be recycled, as long as the recycling amount reaches one-half of the output, the consumption of bauxite will be reduced by about 50 million tons every year, which is of great significance for protecting the global bauxite resources. Secondly, the use of waste raw materials to produce one ton of alloyed aluminum ingots can save more than 95% of energy consumption compared to the production of one ton of primary aluminum ingots from bauxite raw materials. According to relevant statistics, the energy consumption per 21 tons of primary aluminum ingot production is 213.2TJ (electric energy accounts for about 82%), and the energy consumption for producing a ton of recycled aluminum alloy ingots is 5.5TJ (fuel accounts for about 80%). Only 2.6% of the energy consumption of primary aluminum ingot production, the comparative advantage is obvious. Since aluminum can be recycled and recycled, aluminum can be recycled from recycled aluminum scrap, and its energy-saving effect is even more remarkable. In addition, the production and emission of carbon dioxide in the production of recycled aluminum are greatly reduced compared with the production of primary aluminum. According to statistics, recycled aluminum production can reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by 91% compared with the use of hydropower, reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 97% compared to using fuel oil, and generate more carbon dioxide emissions than coal-fired power generation. The environmental benefits are significant.


From the perspective of sustainable development, the recycling of non-ferrous metals such as copper, lead and zinc is basically similar to that of aluminum. There are also many energy-savings such as the production of cathode copper from scrap copper and zinc, and the production of recycled zinc, such as the production of copper from scrap copper. The energy consumption is only 19.7% of the copper produced by mineral raw materials; the energy consumed to produce zinc from zinc scrap is only 27.4% of the zinc produced from mineral raw materials. The production of copper and zinc from waste non-ferrous metals has contributed even more to the protection of resources and the ecological environment than aluminum. Therefore, some experts predict that after the society's accumulated amount of waste and non-ferrous metals reaches a certain level, the non-ferrous metals needed by the market can no longer rely on mineral raw materials, and can be completely solved through the recycling of recycled non-ferrous metals. Therefore, making full use of renewable raw materials is an inevitable way for China's non-ferrous metals industry to achieve the goal of sustainable development.

Now known environmental pollution, such as pollution of lead and artificial rays, cannot be adapted to the self-cleaning power of the natural system. Therefore, they accumulate in ecologically harmful areas. At the same time, the environmental pollution caused by metals such as mercury and the lack of such metal resources are also the result of our wishful thinking.

Metal recycling method

The value of waste aluminum cans: Waste tanks can be recirculated many times to create new tanks, and can also be made into automobile and aircraft parts, or even furniture. The benefits of recycling Liu's environment and resources are: Recycling aluminum can save 95% of the resources required for new aluminum cans.

Scrap iron used for making iron salt

Used steel used for steelmaking

Recovery of extracted silver from fixer in the film industry, photography industry and hospital X-ray room