Aluminum Scrap Processing for Premium Purity
Brazil recycles 850,000 tons of aluminum per year (ABAL) with a 97.3% can recycling rate — world leader. Two bottlenecks reduce margins: contaminated can bales (plastics, stones, sand) with 20-40% discounts, and profiles/sheets with embedded ferrous metals (screws, rivets) rejected or discounted 20-30% by premium foundries.
Solution in two stages: bale opening and primary shredding with PR pre-shredders, followed by particle size refinement with Serie Q to liberate embedded ferrous metals and achieve > 99.5% purity.
Flow 1: Aluminum Cans — Contaminated Bale Opening
- Bale reception — Purchased at reduced prices (R$ 3.50-4.00/kg) from cooperatives and collectors.
- Bale opening — PR4000/PR5000 — Wide cutting chamber (2,000-2,800 mm) and automatic reverse agitate and break dense bales, releasing individual cans.
- Sorting — Manual sorting conveyors, magnetic separators (ferrous), air blowers (light plastics), vibrating screens (stones and sand).
- Clean can re-baling — 20-50 kg bales with > 99% purity.
- Commercialization — Clean cans at R$ 5.50-6.00/kg. Gross margin: R$ 1.50-2.50/kg (40-50% increase).
Flow 2: Profiles, Sheets, Radiators — Ferrous Liberation
- Sorting — Separation by type and removal of coarse contaminants.
- Primary shredding — PR4000/PR5000 — Reduction to 50-200 mm. Low rotation minimizes fines (< 10%).
- Primary magnetic separation — Removal of coarse ferrous metals.
- Refinement — Serie Q (4-shaft) — Reduction to 20-80 mm. Embedded screws, rivets and nuts in aluminum are physically liberated and become accessible for magnetic separation. Internal classification screen ensures uniform product.
- Secondary magnetic separation — Removal of liberated ferrous metals. Final purity > 99.5%.
- Shipping — Aluminum > 99.5% sold to premium foundries at R$ 11.50/kg (vs. R$ 9.50-10.50/kg for 95-97%). 10-20% value increase + elimination of contamination discounts.
Equipment
Pre-shredders (bale opening + primary shredding):
| Model | Power | Capacity | Application |
|---|---|---|---|
| PR4000 | 300 hp | Up to 20 ton/h | Bale breaker, profiles, sheets |
| PR5000 | 400 hp | Up to 30 ton/h | Bale breaker, profiles, sheets, radiators |
4-shaft shredders (refinement + ferrous liberation):
| Model | Power | Opening | Capacity | Particle Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2923 | 40-60 hp | 600-900 mm | 1-3 ton/h | 20-80 mm |
| Q3600-1000 | 100 hp | 1,000 mm | 3-5 ton/h | 20-80 mm |
| Q4600-1400 | 250 hp | 1,400 mm | 5-8 ton/h | 20-80 mm |
| Q5300-1600 | 400 hp | 1,600 mm | 8-12 ton/h | 20-80 mm |
Learn about the PR Series → | Learn about Serie Q →
Ideal configuration depends on scrap type and volume. Request sizing
