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Aluminium’s journey from waste to new products
Recycled aluminium is a material that is made for more circular products. Here we describe nine steps where Stena Aluminium supplies industry with quality aluminium from 100% recycled raw material. From waste to new products, over and over again in a constant loop.
From waste to new products
Consumption
Aluminium's use is on the rise in manufacturing, from kitchen utensils to planes, thanks to its durability and useful properties. Our sister company, Stena Recycling, collects over 100,000 tonnes of aluminium annually, which is recycled for new, climate-smart premium products.
Recycling
We use a large part of all collected aluminium in Älmhult. Aluminium can be recycled over and over again. Aluminium recycling gives an energy saving of 95% compared to the production of virgin aluminium from bauxite.
Receiving incoming materials
Our production’s raw material consists of 100% recycled aluminium from industrial factory waste and end-of-life products. Stena Aluminium weighs, controls, and classifies incoming materials with a quality assessment based on about forty raw material specifications.
Preparation
The raw materials are first prepped for optimal handling in the recycling process. We sort, cut, press, and briquette aluminium chips ensuring the raw material is ready for the melting process.
Melting
The aluminium raw material is melted in rotating, tiltable melting furnaces. The addition of salt (sodium and potassium chloride) purifies and protects the metal from oxidation. The melt is transferred to alloy furnaces where the aluminium gets its final product properties.
Alloying/Refining
In alloying furnaces, we add silicon and copper to molten aluminum to match customer requirements. We purify the melt with nitrogen and chlorine gases, remove contaminants and recycle slag. Flue gas is treated in our purification plant.
Quality control
During the entire process, samples are taken to ensure correct analysis and guarantee the customer's requirements are fulfilled. We carry out material analyses in our laboratory. Together with technical support and training, we are increasing the benefits of using recycled aluminium.
Packaging and delivery
The finished aluminium products are primarily delivered in the form of ingots but also in liquid form. All our products are produced in accordance with customers’ specific requirements. In this way, the proper use of the right product is ensured when it reaches the manufacturing industry.
New products
Now the aluminium has returned to the factory and can become new, climate-smart products in society. Over and over again. A recycled wok can become a component in a car or anything else that is in demand!
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