How It Works
Scrap metal is a type of industry that recycles old and discarded materials into new products. Scrap metal can be anything from an aluminum beer can to a car made in the 20th century. Before scrap metal becomes a product, it must go through many different processes to remove any contaminants, such as lead paint or asbestos insulation. These processes include melting the metals down and then separating them by density. After this process is complete, they are cooled and formed into ingots which come in various shapes and sizes depending on what they were melted from. Make sure to check out Cash for Junk Cars in Clintonville, Columbus because you can come across some really good deals.
The first thing a scrap metal dealer will do is look at the material to see if it is worth anything. If it is, they will weigh it and give you a price based on the weight. They may also ask where you got the material from so that they can track down the original manufacturer if necessary.
Once the dealer has purchased the scrap metal, they will take it to a recycling plant where it will be melted down and reformed into new products. Recycling plants come in all shapes and sizes, but most of them use some variation of an arc furnace to melt down the metals. The furnace works by creating an electrical arc between two carbon electrodes. This creates enough heat to melt any type of metal, including steel, aluminum, brass, and copper.
The recycling process begins by loading the scrap metal into a furnace. The furnace is then heated to a very high temperature, which melts the metal down. The molten metal is poured into molds called pigs and hogs. These molds come in different shapes and sizes, depending on what type of product is being made. For example, copper wire is usually poured into small molds called pigs, while steel beams are poured into large molds called hogs.
Once the metal has been poured into the mold, it is allowed to cool and harden. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, depending on the size and shape of the mold. Once it has hardened, the mold is opened and the newly formed product is removed. The final step of the recycling process is to inspect and clean each product before it can be sold or used by a manufacturer.