Scrap black metal. Benefit of re-melting

The article tells about what a scrap of black metal is, because of what it is formed and how it is reused in industry.

Start

With the metal, mankind is familiar from time immemorial, and it played a significant role in the development of society. The very first primitive tools of labor were made of copper, and later bronze, all of them were not strong enough and quickly fell into disrepair. Especially if used in weapons. But with the discovery of the method of melting iron ore, everything has changed. Naturally, the iron was not enough, as the process of its manufacture was long and painstaking, and the quality left much to be desired. But at the end of the XVIII and beginning of the XIX century, with the extraction of coal, everything changed. A new type of fuel allowed to set up a mass production of iron and made an industrial revolution. But what is a scrap of black metal? Why is it formed and how can it be applied again? In this we will understand.

Terminology

According to the official definition, scrap metal is the collective name of the waste of the metallurgical industry, iron debris and metal aggregates that have become unusable. It is divided into the one that is utilized in the secondary cycle, and one with which it is impossible to do this. Simply put, scrap of black metal is iron, which is no longer used for its intended purpose, but re-melting it can be used again. In addition to the natural appearance in the form of old products, scrap metal also appears as waste in one or another production. For example, in the form of waste castings (drops), scale or chips in the work of turning and milling machines. For economic reasons it is much more profitable to scrap ferrous metal for a second time than to do the same from ore.

Also an important factor is the ecology - the products of iron oxides pollute the environment much less than non-ferrous metals, for example, the same lead, but the constant purification of reservoirs and dumps from iron has a beneficial effect on nature.

Scrap of ferrous metals: types

After entering the factories of recycling or remelting, black iron necessarily undergoes sorting, and let, at first glance, the difference is small, but it is not. First sorted by the type of metal: steel, cast iron, stainless steel. Then, according to the percentage content of carbon, it is divided into two classes, then again into two classes by the number of alloying materials. The final division is of a quality, only 28 degrees. And only after that he goes not to melting. With non-ferrous metal, everything is somewhat more complicated, but we will not dwell on it, since we are considering only a scrap of ferrous metals.

Causes and benefits

As already mentioned, one of the reasons for the recycling is the economic benefits, as it is easier to remelt metal garbage than to start the process of its manufacturing from scratch. But, as in any technological process, melting scrap entails a number of other important consequences.

First, the deposits of iron ore are severely depleted. Although the percentage of it in the earth's crust is very large in comparison with others, but mankind has been producing them for hundreds of years on a large scale.

Secondly, the use of fuel for melting ore - coal - whose reserves are also far from unlimited is reduced. This also entails a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere and, as a consequence, a greenhouse effect. In a word, scrap of black and non-ferrous metal and its processing have a beneficial effect on the economy of the state and the environment in general.

Such a practice exists in all developed countries for more than a hundred years.

Business

After the collapse of the USSR and the introduction of the capitalist economic system, private business began to grow and expand in the expanses of the former republics. And one of its types is the reception of black and colored scrap metal from citizens. In addition, entire enterprises were subjected to recycling, in which a huge amount of iron accumulated over the years or stagnation time.

And in our time this business is widespread, in almost every locality you can find a place where you take black or colored iron. The prices for it though are not squeezed in rigid frameworks, but nevertheless differ insignificantly depending on region.

the USSR

In the years of the Soviet Union, large-scale actions to collect iron were also often carried out. Scrap and waste of ferrous metals were taken up by schoolchildren, Komsomol members and other citizens, both in personal and public order, when, for example, on a volunteer day, the students of the institute or workers of the plant needed to collect a ton or two iron for surrender. For visual motivation, often on the May Day holidays, they organized a kind of procession of tractors and cars that were entirely made of iron found by the Komsomol members.