ZORBA Scrap Recycling
Iron Removal
Firstly, iron is separated from the recycling processes. Permanent Drum Magnet, Electro Drum Magnet, Permanent Overband Magnet, and Block Magnet are designed to continuously and automatically remove ferrous metal from the material flow.
Recover Non-ferrous (Aluminum)
In secondary raw materials, scrap contains non-ferrous metals - mainly aluminum, along with some other non-ferrous metals. We sort the non-ferrous metal flow using an eddy current separator (a type of non-ferrous metal separator).
Remove Zinc
X-ray Sorters are regularly combined with Eddy Current Separators, which helps extract harder-to-detect non-ferrous metals such as copper, zinc, and lead. Currently, recycled aluminum is in a critical development period.
Sortek Group is well-versed in ZORBA recycling and separation systems for various recycling industries. We have experience in building top-tier separation lines. Above all, we always focus on the quality of magnetic equipment used in different material streams and prioritize our customers’ needs.
Whether you are recycling aluminum scrap from building demolition, working in Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR), Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), or Incineration Bottom Ash (IBA) processing, or handling remelted aluminum foil or used aluminum beverage cans (UBC), we can provide customized recycling equipment solutions to purify your secondary raw materials. Sortek Group offers solutions for both small and large-scale ZORBA recycling projects, and we have extensive experience in manufacturing machines for bulk material handling.
Using eddy current separators and magnetic separators to recover non-ferrous metals and ferrous metals helps aluminum manufacturers purify recovered aluminum (recycled aluminum).
How to effectively recycle and utilize aluminum?
It refers to sorting and dismantling aluminum scrap according to its aluminum content level and scrap grade, followed by differentiated classification and recycling. This maximizes the use of its alloy composition. During the subdivision process, developed countries use special equipment for scrap sorting, such as gravity sorting and magnetic separation.
For example, the process of dismantling a scrapped car is as follows:
End-of-life car → Briquetting → Slicing → Crushing → Magnetic separation → Sorting (weight method) → Classification, utilization or sales
All substances, including rubber, plastic, oil, and paint, are effectively recycled and utilized, with a comprehensive utilization rate of over 95%.
The aluminum scrap recycling rates in other industries are as follows:
The aluminum scrap recovery rate during building demolition is as high as 98%.
The recycling rate for automotive aluminum scrap is also high, reaching 95%.
The average recycling rate for aluminum beverage cans is 63%.
The recycling rate for remelted aluminum foil is 70%.
In the future, aluminum alloy products will develop from cast aluminum to deformed aluminum. ZORBA recycling is one of the most profitable items in the recycling industry.
In recent years, global production of secondary aluminum has been growing. The reasons are twofold:
Aluminum is versatile and easily available. It is a metal that can be infinitely recycled without any loss of quality—100% recyclable. Industries such as aviation, automotive, railways (trains and rail vehicles), telecommunications, and construction all require large quantities of aluminum.
Recycling aluminum is cheaper than mining bauxite and refining it into primary aluminum.
Zorba is the key to renewable aluminum supply
What is ZORBA?
ZORBA is a mixture of non-ferrous metals. It mainly includes aluminum, along with some other non-ferrous metals such as copper, stainless steel, tin, zinc, lead, and magnesium.
Where does ZORBA come from?
ZORBA is derived from aluminum scrap recycling in three key areas: packaging, vehicles, and construction. Among these, end-of-life vehicles and aluminum beverage cans are two important sources. Eventually, aluminum scrap is transformed into a wide variety of new products, such as food cans, soda cans, beverage cans, aluminum tableware, window frames, siding, gutters, bicycles, motorcycles, pharmaceutical/food aluminum foils, computers, airplane parts, and even space shuttles.
Most notably, aluminum is a major component of automobiles, refrigerators, washing machines, and other appliances. Developed countries have more complete recycling systems and sound recycling regulations for aluminum scrap.
Aluminum Recycle System
COLLECTION is an important step for aluminum recycling
Like other non-ferrous metal scraps, the resource cycle of aluminum cans only starts when aluminum beverage can scraps are collected together - this is when they become a "resource". In other words, for the waste aluminum beverage can recycling industry, collection is more important than melting methods.
Aluminum recycling benefits society, the economy, and the environment
Most large aluminum companies use used beverage cans, ZORBA, and end-of-life vehicles as raw materials. The reason is that the aluminum resource cycle benefits not only society but also the economy.
Specifically:
Recycling aluminum is cheaper than mining bauxite and refining it into primary aluminum.
Most notably, it significantly reduces electricity consumption. For one ton of aluminum, primary aluminum production consumes up to 15,500 kWh/t, while recycled aluminum only requires 800 kWh/t. Compared with electrolytic primary aluminum production, using recycled aluminum saves 95% of energy per ton.
In the long run, saving bauxite resources means reducing CO₂ and toxic emissions, which is beneficial to the environment.
Due to aluminum’s metallic properties, it can be infinitely recycled without any loss of quality.
Aluminum scrap is recycled from three key areas: packaging, vehicles, and construction. Among these, end-of-life vehicles and aluminum beverage cans are two important sources. Eventually, aluminum scrap is transformed into a wide variety of new products, such as window frames, aluminum tableware, bicycles, airplane parts, motorcycles, pharmaceutical/food aluminum foils, beverage cans, space shuttles, and computers.
