О свойствах и тенденциях развития вторичной переработки алюминия

1、The Necessity and Environmental Significance of Recycling Aluminium Profiles

As an essential industrial material, aluminium profiles are widely used, making their recycling and reuse a crucial part of resource management and environmental protection. Recycling aluminium profiles not only conserves resources and reduces pollution, but also effectively addresses the increasingly severe environmental issues. The following is a detailed explanation of the necessity and environmental significance of recycling aluminium profiles:

1. Resource Conservation

• Limited natural resources: The raw material for aluminium primarily comes from bauxite, which is a finite natural resource. The extraction process places significant pressure on the environment. By recycling aluminium profiles, dependence on bauxite can be greatly reduced, thereby lowering the extraction and consumption of resources.

• Reducing the demand for new aluminium production: Recycling aluminium profiles helps to reduce the need for new aluminium, thereby cutting down on the energy and raw materials required in the production process, and alleviating the environmental burden associated with mining and smelting.

2. Energy Savings and Reduction in Carbon Emissions

• Recycling aluminium is highly energy-efficient: Compared to extracting aluminium from bauxite, recycling aluminium consumes significantly less energy. The energy required for recycling aluminium is only about 5% of that used in primary aluminium production. This energy saving not only reduces dependence on fossil fuels but also significantly lowers carbon emissions.

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: The production of aluminium generates substantial amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. Recycling aluminium profiles effectively reduces these emissions during the process, helping to combat climate change and mitigate global warming.

3. Reducing Landfill Waste and Pollution

• Reducing waste: As the use of aluminium profiles increases, so does the amount of discarded aluminium profiles. Without recycling, these discarded profiles would be sent to landfill or incinerated, leading to environmental pollution and resource wastage. Recycling aluminium profiles helps to reduce the pressure on landfills and decreases the emission of harmful substances during waste disposal.
• Reducing toxic substance pollution: Some aluminium profiles may be coated with harmful finishes or contain other toxic substances. The recycling process can effectively remove these pollutants, preventing them from entering the environment.

4. Reducing Production Costs and Promoting Economic Sustainability

• Reducing production costs: By recycling aluminium profiles, the production costs of aluminium can be significantly reduced. Recycled aluminium is typically cheaper, yet its performance is almost identical to that of new aluminium. This makes recycled aluminium an important raw material source for the industry, helping to lower production costs for manufacturers.
• Promoting a green economy: Recycling aluminium profiles fosters the development of a circular economy. By recycling and reusing aluminium materials, businesses can not only reduce costs but also enhance resource efficiency, promoting green production and sustainable development.

5. Improving resource efficiency

• High recycling rate of aluminium: Aluminium has an exceptionally high recycling rate. Recycled aluminium profiles can be used to manufacture new aluminium profiles or other aluminium products without losing their physical properties. Compared to other metals, aluminium has a lower recycling cost and higher resource efficiency.
• Long lifespan: The recycling process of aluminium profiles does not degrade the material’s properties, meaning that each aluminium profile can undergo multiple cycles of reuse. This results in a longer lifespan and helps to reduce the demand for new raw materials.

6. Advancing global sustainable development goals

• Supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Recycling aluminium profiles aligns with several aspects of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in areas such as “Responsible Consumption and Production”, “Climate Action”, and “Life on Land”. Through efficient recycling and resource management, we can better protect the environment and promote the sustainable development of the global economy.

Recycling aluminium profiles not only conserves natural resources and reduces energy consumption, but also helps to decrease environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. It contributes to the development of both the green economy and the circular economy, while also lowering production costs and promoting the sustainable development of businesses. In today’s world, where environmental awareness is on the rise, recycling aluminium profiles has become a key measure for achieving a win-win outcome in both economic development and environmental protection.

2、The recycling process of aluminium profiles

The recycling process of aluminium profiles involves several steps, from collection and sorting to final melting and processing, ensuring that the recycled aluminium matches the quality of primary aluminium, making it suitable for continued use across various industries. Below is the main recycling process for aluminium profiles:

1. Collection and Sorting

• Collection of scrap aluminium: Scrap aluminium profiles are collected from sources such as building demolition, industrial production waste, old appliances, and discarded vehicles.
• Preliminary sorting: The collected scrap aluminium is sorted to remove impurities such as steel, plastic, wood, etc. It is then initially categorised by alloy type or intended use to facilitate subsequent processing.

2. Removal of contaminants and impurities

• Surface cleaning: Remove contaminants such as grease, dust, coatings, and oxide layers from the scrap aluminium profiles to ensure the purity of the material.
• Separation and pre-treatment: Methods such as magnetic separation, flotation, and mechanical cutting are used to remove other metal and non-metal impurities, further improving the purity of the recycled aluminium.

3. Melting

• Preheating: The processed aluminium profiles are preheated to help remove residual impurities and improve the melting efficiency.
• Furnace melting: The aluminium is placed in a furnace and melted at high temperatures. During the melting process, refining agents may be added in appropriate amounts to further remove impurities and enhance the purity of the aluminium.
• Alloy adjustment: Depending on the requirements of the final product, other metals (such as magnesium, silicon, copper, etc.) may be added during the melting process to adjust the alloy composition and achieve aluminium alloys with specific properties.

4. Кастинг

• Casting: After the melted aluminium is purified and degassed, it is cast into aluminium ingots or bars. These castings can either be standard ingots or semi-finished products cast into various shapes according to the requirements of subsequent processing.
• Cooling and solidification: The cast aluminium ingots or bars are cooled and solidified, preparing them for the next stage of the processing.

5. Forming and processing

• Экструзия: The cooled aluminium is fed into an extruder to be shaped, producing aluminium profiles of various specifications and shapes. The control of temperature and pressure during the extrusion process ensures that the aluminium achieves the required strength and shape.
• Surface treatment: Depending on the application requirements of the aluminium profiles, surface treatments such as anodising, electroplating, and powder coating are applied to enhance the aluminium’s corrosion resistance and aesthetic appearance.

6. Quality inspection

• Окончательная проверка: The recycled aluminium profiles undergo strict quality testing, including checks on physical properties, chemical composition, and dimensional accuracy, to ensure that the performance of the recycled aluminium meets the required standards.
• Performance testing: Mechanical tests such as tensile and compressive strength tests are conducted in specific application scenarios to ensure the safety and durability of recycled aluminium.

7. Storage and transportation

• Хранение: The recycled aluminium profiles that pass inspection are stored in appropriate warehouses and are awaiting shipment or further processing.
• Transportation: The recycled aluminium profiles are transported to various industries or manufacturers for use in production within sectors such as construction, automotive, electronics, and more.

The recycling process of aluminium profiles involves a series of sorting, cleaning, melting, and reprocessing steps, ensuring the purity and performance of the recycled aluminium. Through this process, scrap aluminium profiles are efficiently transformed into new aluminium resources, supporting the development of the circular economy and playing a crucial role in resource conservation and the reduction of environmental pollution.

3. The Future of Promoting Aluminium Profile Recycling and Sustainable Development

With the increasing global awareness of environmental protection and growing resource pressures, the recycling of aluminium profiles and sustainable development have become key focus areas in the industrial sector. In the future, through technological innovation, policy support, and collaboration across the supply chain, aluminium profile recycling will bring about more positive impacts for both the economy and the environment. Below are the prospects for promoting aluminium profile recycling and sustainable development:

1. Technological innovation and intelligent development

• Efficient recycling technology: In the future, advanced sorting, purification, and melting technologies will further improve the efficiency of aluminium recycling, ensuring that the quality and purity of recycled aluminium are close to, or even match, that of primary aluminium.
• Intelligent sorting and automated recycling: The application of intelligent robotics and sensor technologies will enhance the efficiency of scrap aluminium sorting, reduce human error, and enable automated processing, thereby lowering costs and speeding up the process.
• Green smelting and recycling technologies: Developing low-energy, low-emission aluminium smelting technologies that utilise renewable energy sources such as electrolysis and solar thermal techniques will help reduce the carbon footprint during the recycling process, achieving green recycling.

2. Supply chain collaboration and resource sharing

• Close collaboration across the supply chain: Aluminium production companies, recycling firms, and end manufacturers can strengthen their cooperation to establish a closed-loop supply chain, integrating the entire process from scrap aluminium collection to the application of recycled aluminium.
• Building a resource-sharing platform: Through resource-sharing and information platforms, all parties can share scrap aluminium supply and demand information in real-time, improving resource allocation efficiency and reducing the idle time and waste of aluminium materials.
• Expansion of the scrap aluminium supply network: Establishing a multi-level scrap aluminium recycling network that covers various sectors such as industry, construction, and transportation will help increase the recycling volume of aluminium profiles at the source.

3. Promotion of the circular economy model

• Lifecycle management: Promoting the lifecycle management of aluminium profiles, from design and production to use and recycling, to achieve sustainable development. This includes incorporating “recyclability” into the design phase of aluminium products.
• Promoting the marketisation of green products: Facilitating the market promotion of recycled aluminium products by showcasing their environmental benefits through certifications and labels, allowing consumers to more easily understand and choose sustainable products, thereby enhancing the market competitiveness of green products.
• Urban mining and reverse logistics: Implementing an “urban mining” strategy to extract aluminium resources from discarded buildings, old appliances, and scrapped vehicles. Through a reverse logistics system, these aluminium resources are brought back to the production end.

4. Driven by low-carbon objectives

• Supporting carbon neutrality goals: The recycling of aluminium profiles complements low-carbon emissions, supporting industrial and national carbon reduction commitments and contributing to the achievement of carbon neutrality goals.
• Corporate carbon emissions management: In the future, businesses can reduce carbon emissions in the production process through aluminium recycling, thereby lowering carbon tax burdens and advancing the development of carbon management systems.
• Developing a carbon trading market: Through the carbon trading market, aluminium recycling companies can gain additional carbon allowance benefits, accelerating the development of a low-carbon recycling system.

The future prospects for promoting aluminium profile recycling and sustainable development are promising. As the collaboration between technology, policy, the supply chain, and the market strengthens, aluminium profile recycling will continue to evolve towards greater efficiency, sustainability, and lower carbon emissions. Through the collaboration of multiple stakeholders, integrating aluminium recycling into the overall framework of the circular economy and green production, the sustainable development of the aluminium industry will become more robust, providing crucial support for achieving global low-carbon goals and environmental protection efforts.

4. Conclusion

Promoting aluminium profile recycling and sustainable development has broad prospects. Through efforts in technological innovation, policy support, industry collaboration, and market education, aluminium profile recycling will become more efficient, sustainable, and low-carbon. Advanced recycling technologies will significantly enhance energy efficiency and environmental standards, while comprehensive policies and regulations will provide strong support. Meanwhile, industry collaboration and the promotion of the circular economy model will broadly increase the recycling rate of aluminium.

Moreover, as consumers become increasingly environmentally conscious, recycled aluminium products will gain greater competitiveness in the market. Aluminium recycling not only provides sustainable resource support for economic development but also contributes to global carbon neutrality and environmental protection goals, laying a solid foundation for a green economy in the future.