Article | REF: M2243 V1

Copper recycling and the environment

Authors: Pierre BLAZY, El-Aid JDID

Publication date: September 10, 2002

You do not have access to this resource.
Click here to request your free trial access!

Already subscribed? Log in!


Français

1. Recycling copper scrap

In 1999, 30% of copper was recycled in France, 50% in Western Europe, 60% in the USA and 47% in Japan. Worldwide, however, only 40% is recycled. This relatively low rate is explained by the fact that copper in its applications has a long service life.

Energy consumption, which is 105 to 110 MJ/kg of copper to extract this metal from an ore, is only 20 to 25 MJ/kg to produce copper from scraps. Scrap is classified according to its copper content and impurities. The latter must be eliminated either by burning, which has the disadvantage of being polluting, or mechanically after grinding to a mesh size of 1 to 30 mm, depending on the case.

1.1 Type of materials recovered

Copper materials can be grouped into three main categories:...

You do not have access to this resource.

Exclusive to subscribers. 97% yet to be discovered!

You do not have access to this resource.
Click here to request your free trial access!

Already subscribed? Log in!


The Ultimate Scientific and Technical Reference

A Comprehensive Knowledge Base, with over 1,200 authors and 100 scientific advisors
+ More than 10,000 articles and 1,000 how-to sheets, over 800 new or updated articles every year
From design to prototyping, right through to industrialization, the reference for securing the development of your industrial projects

This article is included in

Metal manufacturing processes and recycling

This offer includes:

Knowledge Base

Updated and enriched with articles validated by our scientific committees

Services

A set of exclusive tools to complement the resources

Practical Path

Operational and didactic, to guarantee the acquisition of transversal skills

Doc & Quiz

Interactive articles with quizzes, for constructive reading

Subscribe now!

Ongoing reading
Recycling copper scrap