1.There are two main types of copper resources that can be used for recycling

(1)The first category is called new resources, mainly refers to the industrial production process of the "waste" , this "waste" mostly to scraps, machining debris-based. If strictly managed, the copper and alloy grades can be distinguished, and the resources can be recovered by corresponding copper processing plants. Taking copper and copper alloy processing materials as an example, about 30-40% of the copper processing materials consumed become scrap materials, which is also called utilization ratio 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, after mechanical processing and produced.

(2)The second type of copper renewable resources is called old resources, which are copper products in various kinds of industrial products, equipment and spare parts. The resources are very complicated and the life cycle of various kinds of industrial products varies greatly, available only after dismantling industrial products, and often mixed with a variety of copper alloys, such as automotive heat sinks of H90 Brass, heat sinks of T2 corrugated strip, which are soldered together with lead tin solder, water tank water chamber for H68 Alloy, etc. . The second important type of renewable resources are: electronic components, automotive water tanks, air conditioners, waste copper conductor (wire, cable, conductive copper bar) and so on. Copper in use, according to the International Copper Association, the true recovery rate of copper is 85% , the rest will participate in the natural material cycle.

2.Specific classification of copper scrap

The waste copper can be divided into three types according to its production stages: primary waste copper produced in industrial production, new waste copper produced in processing, and old waste copper produced after consumer use.

Grade 1 copper wire: Grade 1 includes bare, uncoated, unalloyed pure copper wire, no oxidation on the surface, no hair, copper wire diameter not less than 1.6 mm. Grade 2 includes clean, colourless, uncoated, Wuxi, unalloyed pure copper wire and copper cable wire, free of wool and burnt, friable copper wire.

No. 2 Copper Wire: unalloyed copper wire, containing impurities, containing 96% (minimum 94%) of copper. Not to contain excessive lead and tin copper wire, soldered copper wire, brass and bronze wire, excessive oil, scrap iron and non-metallic, brittle overfired wire, insulated copper wire and excessive fine wire.

No. 1 variegated copper: including clean, unalloyed, uncoated scrap, conductive plates, and copper wire larger than 1.6 mm in diameter, with clean copper tubing and other pure copper bulk materials allowed, copper content is 98% (minimum copper content is more than 96%) . There shall be no burnt brittle copper wire.

No. 2 Copper: including mixed pure copper scrap, no copper alloy, containing 96% copper (minimum 94%) . It shall not contain excessive lead and tin, soldered copper, excessive oil, iron and steel, non-metallic wastes, copper tubes with non-copper joints or copper tubes with residue, burnt or insulated copper wires, wool wires, brittle copper wires after incineration, soil, etc. .

No. 1 Copper Rice: including No. 1 bare, uncoated, unalloyed copper wire scrap copper rice with a minimum copper content of 99% , no wool. No Tin, lead, zinc, aluminum, iron and other metal impurities, no insulation, no other impurities.

Grade 1 shall include unalloyed copper wire with a minimum copper content of 99% , free of other non-metallic and insulating materials. The maximum limits of metallic impurities are as follows: aluminium 0.05% nickel-0.05% iron-0.05% tin-0.25% antimony-0.01% grade 2: copper rice from scrap copper wire without alloy No. 2 shall be included. The minimum copper content is 97% , the metal impurity aluminum content is not more than 0.5% , other metals or insulators are not more than 1% .

THIN COPPER PLATE: containing 92% (minimum 88%) of copper, including mixed unalloyed scrap. Including thin copper plates, flume, downspouts, copper kettles, water heaters and similar scrap copper. SHALL NOT CONTAIN: burnt fine copper wire, clad copper, plating plate, Abrasive, partially burnt wire, radiator, refrigerator parts, printed circuit board, Screen Mesh, copper, brass and bronze containing excessive solder, excessive oil, iron and non-metallic, cinder soil.

SCRAP COPPER FOIL: Mainly Copper Foil Factory and Circuit Board factory produced scrap copper foil. Grade 1: pure copper foil, without any inclusions. Grade 2: pure copper foil with a maximum inclusion content of 3% . Grade 3: pure copper foil with adhesive.

Brass scrap: includes both processed and cast brass scrap. Level 1: Single brand brass scrap, including scrap collar parts, scraps and other various shapes of scrap, but must not contain powder, car dust, inclusions less than 2% . Grade 2: The same name of brass scrap, such as general brass scrap, nickel brass scrap, including waste parts, scrap and other shapes of waste, shall not contain powder, car dust, inclusions less than 2% . Grade 3: Mixed Brass scrap of different names, including waste parts, scrap and other scrap, must not contain powder, car dust, inclusion less than 2% .

3.Technology of copper regeneration

There are many kinds of regenerated copper resources, and the methods of regeneration are different, the basic process is as follows: The raw material of the regenerated copper is examined as

Examples of typical copper recycling processes are as follows:

(1) Copper (bare copper wire) -- pretreatment (selection, drying, bundling, packing, briquetting, etc.)—— Oxidation in a reverberatory furnace (20-100 ton/furnace) , bright Copper Rod (copper content ≥98.0% , conductivity ≥98.0% iacs) for continuous casting and rolling in the intermediate holding furnace of Foshan

(2)Brass Sundries → pretreatment (selection, bundling, packing, bulk materials, etc.)→ induction melting (3-6 tons/furnace)→ holding furnace (6 tons)→ multi-line horizontal continuous casting bar billet → lead brass free cutting bar (HPB58-2, used for making locks)

(3)Car, tractor water tank → disassemble, remove the shell → bake, partial removal of lead tin solder → melting of crucible furnace, slag removal → iron mold casting → brass ingot casting → analytical chemistry composition → for production of cast brass parts, bushing, valve parts, sanitary ware, etc. 

(4)Air Conditioner evaporator, condenser → pretreatment (cutting off elbow, end plate, removing oil, breaking to length of 30-50 mm)→ wind blowing aluminum heat sink → magnetic separation iron → packing → melting aluminum bronze, aluminum brass, can also produce Red Copper Castings;

(5)Regeneration brass scrap casting → induction melting high-strength wear-resistant brass;

(6)Copper Rice made from cable is directly used as copper smelting burden. In order to prevent copper powder from floating on the surface of copper liquid, it can be packed with copper sheet and pressed into the copper liquid

(7)Kill. Copper scraps, brass scraps → agglomerating → induction melting → obtaining remelting copper ingots → melting corresponding alloys;

(8)Copper Oxide, copper ash, mixed charcoal, clay and so on, group-making, pyrometallurgy copper, reduction of crude copper → casting block → anode furnace → anode plate → electrolytic refining into electrolytic copper.

With the development of industrialization and technology of regenerated copper, the production of regenerated copper has developed toward mechanization, continuity and automation, in developed countries, there are specialized recycling and production lines for home appliances, electronic component, heat exchangers and other important recycled copper products. With the development of economy, recycled copper will appear in the industrial system as an important industry. 

Source: Tongxinbao, Hengju good stuff

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