One of the most abundantly available elements is aluminum (Al), making up nearly 8% of the earth’s crust. Its superior mechanical properties make the metal an ideal choice for many industries. Still, sustainable environmental concerns raised questions regarding recycled Al instead of the pure one.
This article sheds light on both aluminum types to make a combined and decisive comparison.
What is Pure Aluminum?
Pure aluminum is a silvery-white-looking, soft, ductile, and non-magnetic element. However, pure Al indicates at least 99% purity aluminum in the manufacturing industry. Meanwhile, highly pure aluminum should contain a minimum of 99.99% purity.
Aluminum is one of the most active elements, showing a high oxygen affinity. Therefore, finding the metal in its pure elemental form is impossible. Instead, Al remains combined in naturally occurring minerals, among which ores are used to extract the element.
What is Recycled Aluminum
Recycled aluminum is the residual aluminum extracted or collected from numerous waste streams. Many people think of the metal to be non-reusable or non-recyclable. However, the non-toxic material is entirely recyclable.
As much as 75% of the extracted aluminum is still in use across different industries. It specifically refers to the aluminum reprocessed for uses from waste. Metal scraps or discarded parts are the ultimate source of Al recycling.
Recycled vs.Pure Aluminum
Nearly 270 naturally occurring minerals have aluminum present in their compositions. Only a few minerals can provide commercially beneficial amounts of Al upon extraction. Those minerals are known as ores, of which Bauxite is the foremost one.
The high cost of the Al extraction process makes recycled aluminum so important. The metal is difficult to put and keep in an elemental state as it’s exceptionally active. Hence, the proper extraction process requires more energy, increasing the overall cost.
The primary distinction between the two can be summarized as follows ：
- Pure aluminum is known as primary, whereas recycled aluminum is called secondary. The alloys of secondary aluminum often cover 90% of primary alloys’ properties.
- Aluminum recycling takes nearly 95% less energy to produce/manufacture something. More purity requires more energy to extract and maintain the elemental state.
- Pure Al exhibits all the mechanical properties perfectly as desired for applications. However, recycled Al comes with compromised quality and performance.
- Recycled aluminum is easy and simple to extract from scraps using magnets. Pure Al takes detailed electrolysis to produce commercially usable aluminum.
- Pure Al contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon emissions. Recycling the metal can save as much as 97% of carbon emissions and tonnes of Bauxite.
Recycling aluminum is not only an environment-friendly decision but also an economic choice for industrialists. That’s why 75% of the aluminum ever extracted is still in play.
Which One is Better – Recycled vs Pure Aluminum
Despite the downsides, pure Al is still a must where strict properties, quality, and performance are mandatory. This is because recycling aluminum often falls short of the desired properties with damaged quality. And using such compromised materials can result in serious problems in certain industries.
High-strength structural frameworks like aerospace, firearms, or machinery must maintain maximum quality. Also, mechanical properties required to perform specific tasks flawlessly are bound to pure aluminum. Only applications to handle slightly compromised quality or properties can use recycling.
Luckily, most industries don’t require such high-end striction regarding aluminum properties. It allowed the metal to be universally preferred by manufacturers for recycling and reusing. Nearly all everyday sectors, along with the environment, are safely enjoying the benefits of recycled aluminum.
Whether it’s discarded metals or production scraps, Sunrise Metal always prioritizes its recycling. The environment-concerned and economical service provider utilizes a closed-loop cycle to reuse the waste. It uses proper sorting, shredding, cleaning, and melting to remove all mixed by-products. Other elements are added to the recycled aluminum to create an almost perfect recreation of primary aluminum alloys.
Sunrise Metal has been a leading aluminum die casting manufacturer for over 10 years. We have professionals to ensure optimized quality for the end product. You should contact us to discuss your thoughts and requirements for the next project.