Recycling of

Materials

Group 5
Members:

 PEDRON, ALESTHER VHON

 RAMOS, PETE SHEDRICK

 REYES, CHRISTELLA MAE

 REYES, SHEMEI

 SAN JUAN, ELIZABETH JOY

RECYCLING

Recycling of used products rather than disposing of them as waste is a desirable

approach for several reasons. Recycled material replaces the need to extract
raw materials from the earth. The energy requirements to process recycled
materials are normally less, and in the case of aluminum much less, than the
energy required to process extracted raw materials from the earth. In addition,
recycling conserves natural resources and eliminates the ecological impact from
the extraction of raw materials from the earth. Proper product design facilitates
recycling, which reduces pollution emissions and landfill deposits.

Some issues surrounding recycling include that products must be disassembled

or shredded to recover materials, and collection and transportation costs are
significant factors in the economics surrounding recycling.
 “If it can’t be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt,
refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled, or composted,
then it should be restricted, designed or removed from
production.”

Pete Seeger, Folk Singer & Social Activist

RECYCLING OF METALS

As mentioned in the e-book, aluminum is the most commonly recycled

nonferrous metal. (Ferrous is Latin for iron, so a nonferrous metal is a metal
which does not contain iron.) Aluminum is recycled because it takes a lot less
energy to recycle aluminum than it takes to extract aluminum from bauxite ore,
which requires heating and electrolysis. In addition, aluminum readily forms an
oxide that forms a protective surface. This protective surface protects the bulk
of the aluminum from oxidizing further. This results in most of the aluminum
being recovered every time it goes to the recycling phase, in contrast to iron.

In the case of iron, oxidation, i.e., rust, does not protect iron from oxygen and
water, and significant amounts of iron are not recyclable because the iron has
been converted to rust.
THE METAL RECYCLING PROCESS
The main stages of the metal recycling process are as follows:

1. Collection
The collection process for metals differs than that for other materials because of higher scrap value. As
such, it is more likely to be sold to scrap yards than sent to the landfill. The largest source of scrap
ferrous metal in the U.S. is from scrap vehicles.6
Other sources include large steel structures, railroad tracks, ships, farm equipment, and of course,
consumer scrap. Prompt scrap, which is created in the course of new product manufacturing, accounts
for one-half of ferrous scrap supply.
2. Sorting
Sorting involves separating metals from the mixed scrap metal stream or the mixed multi-material
waste stream. In automated recycling operations, magnets and sensors are used to aid in material
separation.
At the entrepreneurial level, scrappers may employ a magnet, as well as to observe the material color
or weight to help determine the metal type. For example, aluminum will be silver and light. Other
important colors to look for are copper, yellow (for brass) and red, for red brass. Scrappers will
improve the value of their material by segregating clean metal from the dirty material.
3. Processing
To allow further processing, metals are shredded. Shredding is done to promote the melting process
as small shredded metals have a large surface to volume ratio.
As a result, they can be melted using comparatively less energy. Normally, aluminum is converted into
small sheets, and steel is changed into steel blocks.
THE METAL RECYCLING PROCESS
4. Melting
Scrap metal is melted in a large furnace. Each metal is taken to a specific furnace designed to melt
that particular metal. A considerable amount of energy is used in this step.
Still, as mentioned above, the energy required to melt and recycle metals is much less than the
energy that is needed to produce metals using virgin raw materials. Based on the size of the
furnace, the degree of heat of the furnace and volume of metal, melting can take from just a few
minutes to hours.
5. Purification
Purification is done to ensure the final product is of high quality and free of contaminants. One of
the most common methods used for purification is Electrolysis.
6. Solidifying
After purification, melted metals are carried by the conveyor belt to cool and solidify the metals.
In this stage, scrap metals are formed into specific shapes such as bars that can be easily used for
the production of various metal products.
7. Transportation of the Metal Bars
Once the metals are cooled and solidified, they are ready to use. They are then transported to
various factories where they are used as raw material for the production of brand new products.
When the products made of these metal bars come to the end of their useful life, the metal
recycling process cycles again.
EXAMPLE OF RECYCLING OF METAL
RECYCLING OF GLASS

Glasses are the most common commercial ceramics, however, there is

little economic incentive to recycle glass. The raw materials for
producing glass are inexpensive and readily available. Glass is relatively
dense, which makes it expensive to transport which adds to the costs
of recycling. Glass must be sorted before being processed during
recycling, usually done manually which adds to costs. Not all glass is
recyclable, and the glass comes in many different forms.
GLASS RECYCLING PROCESS
Step 1: You Recycle Your Glass
Deposit your glass in an area glass drop-off bin or your curbside glass bin.
Step 2: Collection & Delivery
Glass is collected and delivered from all over Utah and as far away as Jackson Hole, WY. All
colors of glass are stored together. All loads are carefully inspected for contamination and
hazardous materials.
Step 3: Sorting Stations
The first two stations are dedicated to sorting out contaminants. Common contaminants
include ceramics, Pyrex, aluminum cans, light bulbs, cardboard, window frames, and
mirrors. The remaining stations are dedicated to sorting out non-brown glass, which is
batch processed later.
Step 4: Glass Breaking
24 hammers, each the size of a forearm, spin quickly around an axle, breaking the glass into
crude particles for future optical sorting. A slight water mist is applied when necessary to
control airborne particulates.
GLASS RECYCLING PROCESS
Step 5: Trommel
Broken glass particles are passed through a revolving screen and sorted into 3/8” and 3/4” sizes. Fans
propel the paper labels detached during breaking through the trommel and into a paper recycling bin.
Items that don’t shatter and cannot fit through the screens (corks, caps, lids, errant labels) are
collected and recycled.
Step 6: Fluidized Bed Drier
A smooth ribbon of glass particles enters the drier in a 4” bed. Vibratory action moves the particles
through the drier.
Air is heated to 190 degrees F, using natural gas and forced through the bed of the drier. Think air
hockey. Sugars and bacteria are burned and label glue is loosened. Residue floats to the top and is
sucked away via our vacuum system.
Step 7: Primary Rotary Screen
Dried and cleaned glass is screened to cull out specific sizes. Screens are quickly changed to produce
different size grades for different customers. For example, fiberglass manufacturing requires all
particles to be 12 mesh or smaller.
Step 8: Pulverizer
Glass particles that are too big to fit through the primary screen are sent through the pulverizer.
Similar to the breaker, the pulverizer uses 36 hammers inside a small enclosure to aggressively reduce
particles size. All particles recirculate until they finally pass through the primary screen.
GLASS RECYCLING PROCESS
Step 9: Secondary Rotary Screen Size Classifier
Particles that are small enough to pass through the primary screen are then processed through the secondary
screen. Particles are separated into four size grades:
• 12 mesh to 20 mesh
• 20 mesh to 40 mesh
• 40 mesh to 70 mesh
• 70 mesh and smaller
Each size grade is used for different end markets.
The Final Product
Glass cullet is classified in sizes that can range from pebbles to sand and even powder.

Uses for Glass Cullet

• Glass container manufacturing
• Fiberglass manufacturing
• Abrasives (sandblast media, etc)
• Flux / binder in ceramics and bricks
• Filler in paint and plastic
• Hydroponic rooting medium
• Adsorbent and cation exhange (an alternative to natural clays and zeolites, fly ash – calcium silicate hydrate)
• Filtration medium (swimming pools and potentially municipal water)
• Frictionator in matches and ammunition
• Additive and flux in metal foundry
EXAMPLE OF RECYCLING OF GLASS
LIMITS OF RECYCLING

Recycling has a number of advantages. Properly done, it

reduces the usage of raw materials, energy usage, air pollution,
water pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. There are,
however, a number of limits to the effective implementation of
recycling. Recycling can involve energy usage, hazards, labor
costs, and practices by individuals and countries, which can
hamper the efficient implementation of recycling plans. The
biggest limit to recycling is that not all materials can be recycled
and so materials can only be recycled a limited number of times
due to degradation each time through the process. This
degradation is referred to as downcycling.
In addition, recycling poses a number of societal and
ethical issues. As highlighted in the e-book, e-waste
recycling has led to electronic waste from developed
countries being shipped to undeveloped countries for
recycling. In many cases, this leads to low wages and
terrible conditions for workers involved in the recycling
process and the release of toxins which are
environmental and health risks for the individuals and
their surrounding communities. 
RECYCLING POLYMERS

One way of classifying polymers is to break them up into

two classes. The two classes of polymers are thermoplastic
polymers and thermosetting polymers. The basic property
that separates a thermoplastic polymer from a
thermosetting polymer is the polymer’s response to being
heated. When the thermoplastic polymer is heated, it
melts, softens, and can be reformed when cooled. When
the thermosetting polymer is heated, it hardens and
cannot be reformed and stays hard when cooled. We will
learn much more about each of these two classes of
polymers and the reasons for their defining properties
later in our lesson on polymer structures.
THE PLASTIC RECYCLING PROCESS

1. Collection + distribution
The first step in the mechanical recycling process is the collection of
post-consumer materials from homes, businesses, and institutions. 
This can be done by either local government or private companies,
with the latter often a popular option for businesses.
Another option is taking plastics to communal collection points
such as designated recycling bins or facilities. This may be as simple
as a bottle bank on a street corner or as complex as a local waste
site with large areas for various recyclable and non-
recyclable municipal solid waste (MSW).
2. Sorting + categorizing
The next step in the plastic recycling process is sorting. There are
several different types of plastic (see below), which need to be
separated from each other by recyclers. Further to that, plastics
might be sorted by other properties such as color, thickness, and
use. This is done by machines at the recycling plant and is an
important step to increase the efficiency of plants and avoid the
contamination of end products.
THE PLASTIC RECYCLING PROCESS

3. Washing
Washing is a crucial step in the plastic recycling process since it removes
some of the impurities that can impede the operation, or completely ruin a
batch of recycled plastic. The impurities targeted in this step commonly
include things such as product labels and adhesives as well as dirt and food
residue. While plastic is often washed at this stage, it is important to
remember that this doesn’t take away from the importance of ensuring
plastics are as free from impurities as possible before disposal and
4. Shredding
The plastic is then fed into shredders, which break it down into much
smaller pieces. These smaller pieces, unlike formed plastic products, can be
processed in the next stages for reuse. Additionally, the resized plastic
pieces can be used for other applications without further processing, such
as an additive within asphalt or simply sold as a raw material.
Breaking down the plastic into smaller pieces also allows for any
remaining impurities to be found. This is especially true
of contaminants such as metal, which may not have been removed by
washing but can be easily collected with a magnet at this stage.
THE PLASTIC RECYCLING PROCESS

5. Identification and separation of plastics

Here, the plastic pieces are tested for their class and quality. First,
they are segregated based on density, which is tested by floating
the particles of plastic in a container of water. This is followed by a
test for what is known as the “air classification”, which determines
the thickness of the plastic pieces. It is done by placing the
shredded plastic into a wind tunnel, with thinner pieces floating
while larger/thicker pieces stay at the bottom.
6. Extruding + compounding
This final plastic recycling process step is where the particles of
shredded plastic are transformed into a usable product for
manufactures. The shredded plastic is melted and crushed together
to form pellets. It is worth noting that it is not always possible to
compound all types, classification, and qualities of plastic at a single
plant, so different grades of plastic are sometimes sent to other
recycling facilities for this final step.
RECYCLING POLYMERS
Since thermoplastic polymers can be melted
and reformed, they are easily recycled.
However, their properties do degrade with each
reuse. Thermosetting polymers are much more
difficult to recycle. Some of them can be ground
up and used as filler for other processes, and,
on a case-by-case basis, some can be processed
to be broken down into their underlying base
units which can be reused. Another approach to
reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in
our landfills is the development of
biodegradable plastic. The idea here is that
plastic can be made to breakdown (be
compostable). In addition, bioplastics often
come from renewable raw materials. But this
leads to an ethical issue: do you use the
available arable land for plastic or food
production?
WHAT IS INCINERATION?

Incineration is a method of treating waste which

involves the combustion of the organic substances
found in waste materials. The solid mass of the
original waste is reduced by around 80 to 85%,
while the volume is reduced by between 95 and
96%. While incineration does not totally replace
the process of landfilling, it does reduce the
amount of waste to be disposed of considerably.
Incineration leads to a huge volume reduction
of waste, which results in less waste ending up
in the landfill. Waste in the landfill is the least
environmentally friendly option. However,
incineration typically results in less recycling,
which would be a more efficient use of
recyclable material than incinerating it. This
reduction of recycling due to incineration is
considered the major disadvantage of
incineration. Although an important concern
with incineration is the production of toxins,
with proper technology these toxins can be
managed. 
WASTE INCINERATION
 SUMMARY

Producing a sustainable society is one of the

greatest challenges facing our society. The supply of
natural resources, the creation of pollution during
the manufacture of materials, recycling issues, and
materials waste all issues of concern towards
creating a sustainable society. By considering a
material's total life cycle, utilizing materials life cycle
analysis, and implementing a ‘green design’
philosophy, engineers can work towards alleviating
some of these issues. 
 REFERENCE:
Materials in Today’s World
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/matse81/node/2088.
What is Incineration?
https://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=15708
The Metal Recycling Process.
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/an-introduction-to-metal-
recycling-4057469
 REFERENCE:
Glass Recycling Process
https://utah.momentumrecycling.com/glass-recycling-process/
The Complete Plastics Recycling Process
https://www.rts.com/blog/the-complete-plastics-recycling-process-
rts/
THANK
YOU!