PARTICLE SORTING OF LIGHT-METAL ALLOYS PARTICLE SORTING OF - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

PARTICLE SORTING OF LIGHT-METAL ALLOYS PARTICLE SORTING OF LIGHT-METAL ALLOYS AND EXPANDED USE OF MANUFACTURING AND EXPANDED USE OF MANUFACTURING SCRAP IN AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE AND SCRAP IN AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE AND AEROSPACE MARKETS AEROSPACE MARKETS

Hartmut Harbeck TiTech GmbH Adam Gesing Gesing Consultants Inc

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Value-added markets: Al-intensive vehicles

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Value-added markets: Al-intensive vehicles

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Value-added markets: Al-intensive vehicles

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Value-added markets: Al-intensive vehicles

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Value-added markets: Al-intensive vehicles

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Use of Al- Use of Al- and Mg-based alloys in automotive components nd Mg-based alloys in automotive components

AE41, AE44 (Mg-Al-RE) Creep-resistant castings AJ62 (Mg-Al-Sr-Ca) AZxy, AZ91 (Mg-Al-Zn-Mn) x<4 sheet and extrusions x>4 castings AMxy, AM60 (Mg-Al-Mn) Mg brazed heat exchangers 1100/4147, 3003/4147 extrusions 6061, 6082, 7004, 7008, 7129 stiffener sheet 5182, 5754 closure sheet 6016, 6111 cast wheels A356.2 power train castings 38X.0, 319, 356 Al Application Application Alloy Alloy Par Parent nt

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Value-added markets: Al-intensive vehicles

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Value-added markets: Al-intensive vehicles

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Al alloys dominant in marine market Al alloys dominant in marine market

extrusions: spars, structural stiffeners

6061, 6063 6XXX

sheet and plate: hulls, superstructures

5052, 5X56, 5X83, 5X86 5XXX Applications Applications Alloys Alloys Alloy Alloy Family Family

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Value-added markets: Al-intensive vehicles

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Value-added markets: Al-intensive vehicles

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Use of Al- Use of Al- and Mg-based alloys in aerospace components nd Mg-based alloys in aerospace components

creep-resistant castings AE41, AE44 Mg + Al + RE sheet and plate 6061 extrusions 6056, 6061 Al + Mg + Si sheet 5086 Al + Mg extrusions 2X96, 2099 sheet and plate 2050, 2X95, 2090, 2X98 Al + Li extrusions, sheet 7X50, 7055, 7X75 sheet and plate 7010, 7X50, 7X75 Al + Zn extrusions 2014, 2X18 2024, 2026 sheet and plate 2X14, 2X19, 2X24 Al + Cu Application Application Alloy Alloy Alloy Family Alloy Family

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Secondary die castings

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Aluminum p Aluminum prod

• duction and recycling

uction and recycling Remelt and ingot casthouse Semi- fabricator Component manufacturer Assembler Use Shape caster Dross processor Prime smelter Scrap dealer Landfill Casting scrap Dross Shredder Sorter Fab scra p Manuf scrap Mixed manuf scrap Reject components Assembly scrap Oxides Salts Foils Chips Turnings Contaminated scrap RSI Al shred EoL scrap Waste EoL & mixed metal scrap Handsorted Al scrap Shredde r residues

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Quantities of new fabrication and manufacturing scrap

A mass balance of global Al flows done around 2005 demonstrated that new scrap represents >50% of prime metal production at ~21,000 kt. This was three times as much metal as was recovered from old post-consumer scrap. Mg-based alloys consume currently ~300 kt of prime Mg and result in ~200 kt of die trim and machining chips. New scrap has a significant advantage over post- consumer scrap in that it is already collected at the fabrication and manufacturing locations, is generally more predictably contaminated, and is not corroded.

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Production and manufacturing scrap sources Production and manufacturing scrap sources

• Primary smelter dross
• Remelt and secondary smelter dross and skim
• Ingot/billet casting scrap
• Shape casting scrap
• Semi-fabrication scrap
• Manufacturing scrap

Prompt and manufacturing scrap quantity is large (~3 × old scrap). Metal production and semi-fabrication scrap either is or should be alloy segregated at source. Manufacturing scrap often is a simple mixture of known metals and alloys. Scrap is usually surface contaminated: oily, lubricated or coated with paint, paper or plastic. Scrap should be cleaned, preferably before sorting, but definitely before remelting. All metal separated from production or manufacturing scrap is already recycled, some of it closed-loop into a similar alloy.

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

New scra New scrap

New scrap generation has immediate financial impact on product component costs. Manufacturers purchase metal for their products – and the resulting scrap – at a high price that includes the cost of production of the prime metal, and all metal fabrication steps Manufacturers then sell the new scrap at a discount to prime metal. The size of the discount depends on how clean the scrap is and if it is segregated by alloy or sold as a mixture. In this way scrap generators pay more, while scrap recyclers could the benefit of the discount when they batch secondary alloys from scrap.

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Segregation by alloy at source

At source, the composition of each alloy is known to a better precision than can be determined by on-line sensors. Segregation by alloy at source is always preferable to later sorting. Alloy segregation is typically practiced at the semi- fabrication plants. Mistakes and mix-ups still sometimes happen. Logistically, scrap segregation by alloy is difficult in large machining shops and stamping plants. When source segregation is attempted, mistakes often happen.

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Mixed-alloy scrap

Occasionally mixed-alloy new scrap has an average composition that is compatible with an alloy with a higher alloying element content, and can be used directly in batching this alloy without sorting. This is a case for used beverage cans, where the average can composition can be used for batching the can body alloy. However, these cases are exceptions, and more commonly new mixed metal scrap is sold at a discount to be used later for secondary foundry alloy or painted building sheet applications. To recover full material value and keep this metal in marine and automotive wrought product markets, sorting of mixed scrap will usually be necessary.

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Sorting technology –current commercial practice

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Chute type particle sorter Chute type particle sorter

1

Unsorted particle feed

2

Scanning and processing

3

Diversion

1 2 3

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Belt type particle sorter Belt type particle sorter

1 2 3 1

Unsorted particle feed

2

Scanning and processing

3

Diversion

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Sensors suitable for scrap sorting tasks Sensors suitable for scrap sorting tasks

There are a number of sensors that can remotely inspect and analyse particles distributed on a conveyor belt, sliding down a chute or in free fall. Vision 2-D and 3-D sensors identify shape and size of individual

• particles. In new scrap there may be a consistent correlation

between the metal/alloy type and the shape/size of scrap pieces. In cases where such a correlation exists sorting by shape is one of the most cost-effective options. Colour or gray-scale sensors identify painted particles and contaminants and sort by parent metal (Mg, Al, Zn, Cu, Fe). Sometimes, during a pre-cleaning step, the scrap surface is chemically altered to selectively tint different alloys in the mix. X-ray transmission sensors are able to look through light-metal

• particles. This enables the sensors to identify attachments or

contaminant particles; sort by wall thickness; separate light metal from dense metal; Al from Mg; and Al alloys with Mg or Si only from Al alloys that contain dense alloying elements such as Cu and/or Zn.

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Finder Finder Eddy-current coil sensor Eddy-current coil sensor sorter sorter

Air jet ejection Conveyor Sorted Products Sorted Products Sorted Products Sorted Products Conveyor Sorted Products Air jet ejection Conveyor Sorted Products ECC sensor Mixed feed

Find metal in residue and/or separate stainless steel Potential for grouping some non-ferrous metals

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

CombiSense CombiSense Color and ECC Color and ECC sensor sorter sensor sorter

Air jet ejection Conveyor Sorted Products Sorted Products Sorted Products Sorted Products Conveyor Sorted Products Air jet ejection Conveyor Sorted Products ECC sensor Mixed feed Color sensor Illumination

Separate Cu, brass, Zn, stainless steel, nonmetal

• r

Al, Mg and nonmetal

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

X-Tract X-Tract dual energy x-ray dual energy x-ray transmission sensor sorter transmission sensor sorter

Mixed feed Air jet ejection Conveyor Sorted Products Sorted Products Sorted Products Mixed feed Sorted Products Conveyor Mixed feed Sorted Products Air jet ejection Conveyor X-Ray Illumination Sorted Products DE sensor Mixed feed

Identify contaminants, attachments, separate light metals from dense metals

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

DE-XRT identification of Al and Mg DE-XRT identification of Al and Mg

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Elemental composition sensors Elemental composition sensors

Elemental composition sensors enable separation of alloy mixtures that are not separable by physical shape

• r colour or X-ray absorption.

For new scrap mixtures consisting of few known alloys, calculation of the actual elemental concentrations is not necessary. It is adequate to base the sort on the alloy spectral fingerprint. This significantly simplifies the complexity of the sorting task, as compared with trying to batch an alloy from a mixture of scrap particles of many unknown alloy compositions.

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Elemental composition sensors: Elemental composition sensors: X-ray fluorescence sensor (XRF) X-ray fluorescence sensor (XRF)

Used for discrimination based on high (>18) atomic number alloying elements. In air XRF can remotely sense characteristic x-rays from Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Ni, Zn and denser elements. Air absorbs low-energy x-rays from light metal elements such as Li, Mg, Al and Si. XRF sensors have limited usefulness for Al- and Mg- based alloys.

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Elemental composition sensors Elemental composition sensors Laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIBS) Laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIBS)

The optical emission from a plasma spark generated by the ablation laser impact is spectroscopically analysed. All alloying elements of interest can be detected by

• ptical emission spectroscopy.

LIBS technique is used where discrimination based on light alloying elements (Li, Mg, Al and Si) is necessary.

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Elemental Elemental concentration concentration sensor sorters sensor sorters

XRF sensor Alloy sort based on analysis of dense elements

Mixed feed Air jet ejection Conveyor Sorted Products Sorted Products Sorted Products Mixed feed Sorted Products Conveyor Mixed feed Sorted Products Air jet ejection Conveyor X-Ray Illumination Sorted Products XRF array sensor Mixed feed Mixed feed Air jet ejection Conveyor Sorted Products Sorted Products Sorted Products Mixed feed Sorted Products Conveyor Mixed feed Sorted Products Air jet ejection Conveyor Sorted Products OE Spectrometer Mixed feed XYZ scanner LASER Illumination Camera

LIBS sensor Alloy sort based on analysis of all elements, light and dense

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Competition: Competition: Sorting table vs Sorting table vs Sorting circuit Sorting circuit

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Sorting circuits

In order to provide sorted products with an acceptable combination of recovery and product purity, sorters are arranged in a circuit with auxiliary unit operations. A typical dry sorting circuit for light-metal scrap might include following unit operations:

• Particle sizing – size reduction and size separation
• Clean and dry – removing cutting fluids and forming

lubricants from new scrap

• Sort out non-Al contaminants from Al-alloy mix
• Sort mix by alloy or batch target alloy(s) from the mix

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

LM alloy batching/sorting plant

1000-2000 HP hammer mill Al fines Overbelt magnet steel Oversize Mg steel >3<9 mm Al mix Oversize 30 mm 9 mm fines screens >9<30 mm >30<100 mm >3<9 mm Eddy current rotor circuit attached steel stainless steel Nonmetal Headpulley magnet >9<100 mm Mg / Mg+Al / Al DE x-ray sensor particle sorter circuit Al-alloy mix Mg-alloy mix Clean LIBS sensor elemental composition particle sorter circuit Al alloy 1 Al alloy 2 Al- alloy mix Mg alloy 1 Mg alloy 2 Mg- alloy mix Contaminated Mg + Al <3 mm fines Mg fines >3<9 mm Mg mix Dense Metals

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Sorting circuit

Sorter Optimum Performance Curve

0 Component Recovery (%) 100 0 Product Grade (%) 100

Circuit Optimum Performance Curve Feed mix Prepare Feed PS mix product PS mix Clean Residue Clean product

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Scrap sorting plant (current technology)

Scale and radiation detector 1000-2000 HP hammer mill nonmetal Overbelt magnet steel Oversi ze steel lead <3 fines >3<9 mm metal mix Cu Oversize 30 mm 9 mm fines screens >9<30 mm >30<100 mm >3<9mm Eddy current rotor circuit attached steel stainless steel Nonmetal lead wire stainless steel Headpulley magnet Eddy current coil particle sorter circuit attached steel re- shred wire >9<100 mm metal mix DE –X-ray sensor particle sorter circuit Al Mg Dense metal mix XRF sensor elemental composition particle sorter circuit red brass yellow brass Color sensor particle sorter circuit Red Whit e Zn stainless steel Dense metal mix (dense media sink) Dense metal mix (dry sort) DE –X-ray sensor particle sorter circuit Al + Mg (light media float)

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Desirable and feasible separations for new scrap: Desirable and feasible separations for new scrap:

Impurity removal Impurity removal

Impurity separation from purchased new scrap, nominally alloy-segregated at source (nonmetal, other metals, other alloys of the same metal, pieces with “other” attachments, dirty, painted or coated) from (2024, 3003, 5754, 5182, 5052, 5083, 5086, 6061, 6082, 6022, 6111, 6016, 7004, 7008) Small quantity of impurity from large quantity of good material. Economic for small particle sorting.

colour

dirty, painted

• r coated

XRT, LIBS,XRF

• ther alloy

eddy current rotor

nonmetal

XRT

pieces with attachments

colour, XRT, eddy current coil

• ther metal

how

what Remove

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Desirable and feasible separations for new scrap: Desirable and feasible separations for new scrap:

Sorting of new scrap Sorting of new scrap

XRT, color

Machining chips, turnings

6063, 6061 from 2024, 7050, 7075, 356 from 319, 38X Al from brass, st. steel, zinc LIBS

Stamping skeletons:

Automotive: 6111 from 5754 XRT, LIBS

Sprues, gates, mold trim,

356, 319, 38X, 413 LIBS

Cutting trim:

Aerospace:2024 from 7050 & from 7075,

Marine: 5083 from 5086

how

what

Sort Sorting among known alloys of new, mixed- alloy scrap Similar quantities of known alloys. Economic for sorting

• f larger particle.

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Conclusions Conclusions

Manufacturing of aerospace, marine and automotive components results in generation of large quantities of new scrap. Source segregation of scrap by alloy is desirable but

• ften not practical

Sorting of scrap to maintain its value is usually more cost effective than Sorters that can identify and remove impurities are already commercially available and proven in large tonnage industrial applications. Sorters that enable sorting by alloy have also been proven and commercial units are under development.

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Conclusions

Source segregated fabrication scrap is routinely used in batching aerospace marine and automotive alloys Sorting of new scrap mixed manufacturing can significantly increase the quantity of light metal scrap that is practical to use as starting material for value added alloys for production

• f cars, boats and airplanes.

REWAS 2008 12-15 October, Cancun

esing

• nsultants Inc

Consumer Consumer

Collection & de-pollution Feedstock production Material production Semi-product fabrication Energy recovery Mechanical segregation Manufacturing Construction Assembly

Thank you