Apparatus for converting Spent Pot Lining (SPL) into inert slag, aluminum fluoride and energy includes a plasma arc furnace such that the destruction of SPL occurs therein. The furnace generates an electric arc within the waste, which arc travels from an anode to a cathode and destroys the waste due to the arc's extreme temperature, thereby converting a mineral fraction of SPL into vitrified inert slag lying within a crucible of the furnace. The furnace gasifies the carbon content of the SPL and produces a well-balanced syngas. The gasification takes place due to the controlled intake of air and steam into the furnace. The gasification reaction liberates significant amount of energy. Steam captures this excess energy, to provide part of the oxygen requirement for gasification and to contribute to raise the syngas H2 content. Steam also contributes to converting some SPL fluorides (NaF and Al2F3) into hydrogen fluoride. The plasma SPL processing system is compact (occupying less area than some competitive methods of SPL treatment), can be installed in close proximity to the aluminium plant (minimizing transportation of SPL and AlF3), and requires only electricity as its energy source and thus no fossil fuels.

The present invention relates to techniques for producing 2024 and 7075 aluminum alloys by recycling waste aircraft aluminum alloys, which belong to technical fields for circular economy. The present invention develops techniques for obtaining the 2024 and 7075 aluminum alloys by subjecting waste aircraft aluminum alloys as raw materials to pretreatment, smelting, impurity removal, melt ingredient assay, ingredient adjustment, refining, and casting. Through utilizing the waste package aluminum alloys and the waste aluminum pop-top cans to adjust the ingredients, the waste aircraft aluminum alloys would be recycled at a lower cost without downgrading. The present invention has some advantages, such as low cost, and applicability for industrial production, as well as prominent economic benefit.

Provided herein are aluminum alloys and methods of making these alloys. The aluminum alloys described herein are produced with a high content of recycled scrap. The recycled scrap may include used beverage can scrap and mixed alloy scrap (e.g., automotive scrap containing one or more of 5xxx, 6xxx, and/or 7xxx series aluminum alloys). Surprisingly, aluminum alloy products produced from the aluminum alloys including a high content of recycled scrap as described herein exhibit mechanical properties comparable to those displayed by high-performance aluminum alloy products, such as high tensile strength, good formability without cracking and/or fracture, and/or high elongation before fracture.

A volatiles consuming eductor system for coated scrap metal furnaces with separate delacquering and melt chambers. Motive gas is forced through an inlet into a mixing chamber in a direction opposite a suction port, creating a Venturi that draws gases from the delaquering chamber through the mixing chamber. The motive gas and the drawn gases mix and are forced through a discharge port, ignited, and injected into the melt chamber to help heat the melt chamber. A computer monitors process conditions and controls a regulator that adjusts the motive gas flow in response to those conditions.

An exemplary furnace system for melting stock metal includes a main hearth and a side well subsystem, which includes a melting well disposed downstream of the main hearth for receiving flow from the main hearth, an input flow inducer disposed upstream of the melting well and downstream of the main hearth, and an output flow inducer disposed downstream of the melting well and upstream of the main hearth. The input flow inducer drives molten metal into the melting well, thereby forming a differential metal head in the melting well. The output flow inducer evacuates molten metal from an output conduit, thereby reducing counter-pressure at an output port of the melting well communicating with the output conduit. This allows atmospheric pressure to add to the differential metal head in the melting well, resulting in an increase in productivity of the side well subsystem and of the furnace system as a whole.

A volatiles consuming eductor system for coated scrap metal furnaces with separate delacquering and melt chambers. Motive gas is forced through an inlet into a mixing chamber in a direction opposite a suction port, creating a Venturi that draws gases from the delaquering chamber through the mixing chamber. The motive gas and the drawn gases mix and are forced through a discharge port, ignited, and injected into the melt chamber to help heat the melt chamber. A computer monitors process conditions and controls a regulator that adjusts the motive gas flow in response to those conditions.

A metal melting apparatus capable of providing a clear melt with little oxides, even when either one or a mixture of scrap material and fresh material is supplied. Solution is provided by a metal melting apparatus including melting chamber to which a melt raw material is supplied, and gas injection system for injecting gas into melt in the melting chamber to generate a vortex of melt in the melting chamber.

A metal furnace header gate system haying a recirculation port in the furnace, a hot gas generator, a gas blower, and a furnace door. The door has an embedded gas manifold and outlet ports that each connect the manifold to a directional nozzle. The blower draws exhaust from the recirculation port into the hot gas generator, which generates additional exhaust and mixes the exhaust gases together. The blower forces this exhaust mixture into the manifold, through the nozzles, and into the furnace. A computer controls the blower and the hot gas generator to regulate the system.

A molten metal mixing system capable of controlling generation of oxides in mixing of molten metals to. The system includes 1st/2nd apparatus for melting 1st/2nd raw materials into 1st/2nd molten metals, and a pipe connecting the 1st and 2nd apparatus. The 2nd molten metal produced in the 2nd apparatus is transferred through the pipe to the 1st apparatus to mix with the 1st raw material and/or the 1st molten metal. The 2nd apparatus has a tapping chamber for retaining the 2nd molten metal to be transferred to the 1st apparatus. The 1st apparatus has a receiving chamber for retaining the 2nd molten metal transferred from the 2nd apparatus. When part of the 2nd molten metal is discharged out of the receiving chamber to lower the surface of the molten metal, the 2nd molten metal in the tapping chamber is transferred through the pipe into the receiving chamber by siphon principle.

An aluminum alloy sheet includes an aluminum alloy composition. The aluminum alloy composition includes: a first component; and a second component. The first component includes recycled material and the second component includes non-recycled material. The aluminum alloy composition includes a recycled content of at least 50%. The ultimate tensile strength of the aluminum alloy sheet is from 37 ksi to 52 ksi and the tensile yield strength of the aluminum alloy sheet is from 34 ksi to 47 ksi. An aluminum alloy composition, a method of making an aluminum alloy sheet, a method of making an aluminum package, and a method of making an aluminum alloy composition are also provided.