The first category is called new resources

Mainly refers to the "waste" generated in the industrial production process, which is mainly composed of scraps and machining debris. If strictly managed, the grades of copper and alloys can be distinguished, and this resource can be recycled through corresponding copper processing plants. Taking copper and copper alloy processing materials as an example, about 30-40% of the consumed copper processing materials become scrap materials, also known as the utilization rate of copper processing materials in actual production. Scrap materials in various electrical component factories are very popular because they are mostly pure copper semi-finished products and produced through mechanical processing.

The second type of copper renewable resources is called old resources

It is a copper product in various industrial products, equipment, and spare parts. The source of this resource is very complex, and the lifespan of various industrial products varies greatly. Among them, copper for recycling can only be obtained after dismantling industrial products, and it is often a mixture of various copper alloys. For example, in automotive heat dissipation, the water tank pipe is made of H90 brass, the heat sink is made of T2 wave strip, and it is welded together with lead tin solder, The water tank chamber is made of H68 alloy, etc. The important second type of renewable resources include electronic components, car water tanks, air conditioners, waste copper conductors (wires, cables, conductive copper bars), etc. According to the data from the International Copper Association, the actual recovery rate of copper put into use is 85%, and the rest will participate in the material cycle of nature. The process flow of regenerated copper

There are various types of recycled copper resources, and the regeneration methods are also different, but the basic procedures are: inspection and acceptance of recycled copper raw materials - determination of impurity ratio - sampling and analysis of composition - pretreatment of recycled materials - furnace melting (reflector furnace, crucible boiler, induction furnace) - casting (castings, pressure processing billets, copper wire rods, coarse copper blocks, remelted alloy ingots, etc.)

The typical copper regeneration process is illustrated as follows:

1. Purple impurity copper (bare copper wire) - pretreatment (selection, drying, bundling, packaging, pelletizing, etc.) - reflection furnace melting (20-100 tons/furnace) oxidation, reduction - intermediate insulation furnace - continuous casting and rolling of copper bright rods (copper content ≥ 98.0%, conductivity ≥ 98% IACS);

2. Yellow impurity copper → Pre treatment (selection, bundling, packaging, bulk materials, etc.) → Induction melting (3-6 tons/furnace) → Holding furnace (6 tons) → Multi line horizontal continuous casting rod billet → Lead yellow copper easy cutting rod (HPB58-2, used for locking)

3. Car and tractor water tanks → Disassemble and remove the casing → Bake and partially remove lead and tin solder → Melt and remove slag in crucible boilers → Cast iron molds → Brass ingots → Analyze chemical composition → Provide production and casting of brass parts, bearings, valves, sanitary ware, etc.

4. Air conditioner evaporator and condenser → pre-treatment (cutting off bent pipes, end plates, oil removal, crushing to a length of 30-50 millimeters) → wind blowing aluminum heat dissipation fins → magnetic separation for iron removal → packaging → melting aluminum bronze, aluminum brass in the furnace, or producing copper ingots;

5. Regenerated yellow impure copper ingots → Induction melting of high-strength wear-resistant brass;

6. The cable is made of copper rice and directly used as a copper smelting ingredient. To prevent copper powder from floating on the surface of the copper liquid, it can be packaged with copper skin and pressed into the copper liquid;

7. Copper and brass shavings → pelletizing → induction melting → obtaining remelted copper ingots → melting corresponding alloys;

8. Copper oxide, copper ash → Mix wood charcoal chips, clay, etc. to make pellets → Pyrometrically refine copper to reduce crude copper → Casting → Anode furnace → Anode plate → Electrolytic refining to produce electrolytic copper.

With the industrialization of recycled copper and the development of recycling technology, the production of recycled copper has shifted towards mechanization, continuity, and automation. Developed countries abroad have developed specialized recycling and production lines for important recycled copper varieties such as household appliances, electronic components, and heat exchangers. With economic development, recycled copper will appear as an important industry in the industrial system.

Article source: Dongfang Nonferrous