Separating Copper From Scrap by Preferential Melting

Report of Investigations 7809
Separating Copper From Scrap
by Preferential Melting
Laboratory and Economic Evaluation
By Vance G. Leak, Twin Cities Metallurgy Research Center,
Twin Cities, Minn.,
M. M. Fine, Rolla Metallurgy Research Center, Rolla, Mo., and
Henry Dolezal, Salt Lake City Metallurgy Research Center,
Salt Lake City, Utah
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Rogers C. B. Morton, Secretary
BUREAU OF MINES
Elburt F. Osborn, Director
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CONTENTS
Page
Abstract 1
Introduction 1
Acknowledgments 2
Laboratory evaluation 3
Experimental procedure 3
Sweating with other predip treatments 6
Electronic component sweating 8
Discussion and concluding remarks 9
Cost estimate 13
Description of processes 13
Estimating method 16
Capital costs 16
Operating costs 17
Evaluation, results, discussion, and conclusions 17
Appendix A.--Data from copper sweating tests 22
Appendix B.--U.S. Patent 3,666,870, salt bath furnace for copper
reclamation, Eugene L. Kemper 44
ILLUSTRATIONS
1. Placing armature into induction-heated molten salt bath 4
2. Motor armature: Transversely sectioned with lamellae removed
after copper separation 5
3. Motor armatures: As received, after pretreatment, after copper
separation 7
4. Electronic components, stainless steel basket, and copper button,
before and after copper separation 8
5. Schematic drawing of typical salt bath furnace 10
6. Top view of electrodes and cavity of salt bath furnace 11
7. Top view of large salt bath furnace with sliding cover 12
8. Recovery of copper from armatures by salt coating and salt bath
sweating 14
9. Recovery of copper from armatures by salt bath sweating 15
10. Return on investment before taxes as a function of selling price
and raw material cost (Na2S04 dipping-BaCl2 sweating) 21
TABLES
1. Separation of copper from iron in scrap armatures by molten-salt
sweating, with and without pretreatment 6
2. Major equipment for sweating processes 18
3. Comparison of cost summaries for the processes evaluated 19
4. Summary of prices for recovered copper needed to make different
rates of return on investment before taxes 19
A-l. Sweating copper scrap with barium chloride 22
A-2. Sweating copper scrap with barium chloride, sodium sulphate
predip 23
ii
TABLES--Cont inued
Page
A-3. Sweating copper scrap with barium chloride, sodium silicate
predip 25
A-4. Sweating copper scrap with calcium chloride 26
A-5. Sweating copper scrap with calcium chloride, sodium sulphate
predip 26
A-6. Sweating copper scrap with calcium chloride, sodium silicate
predip
A-7. Sweating copper scrap with barium chloride or calcium chloride
and various bath additives 27
A-8. Sweating copper scrap with barium chloride and various predip
treatments 28
A-9. Fixed capital cost summary for copper recovery by Na2S04 coating
and BaCl2 sweating dismantling 29
A-10. Fixed capital cost summary for copper recovery by Na2S04 coating
and BaCl2 sweating, dipping, and drying 30
A-ll. Fixed capital cost summary for copper recovery by Na2S04 coating
and BaCl2 sweating 31
A-12. Annual operating cost for copper recovery by Na2S04 coating and
BaCl2 sweating 32
A-13. Annual operating cost for copper recovery by Na2S04 coating and
CaCl2 sweating 33
A-14. Annual operating cost for copper recovery by Na2Si03 coating
and BaCl2 sweating 34
A-15. Annual operating cost for copper recovery by Na2Si03 coating
and CaCl2 sweating 35
A-16. Annual operating cost for copper recovery by BaCl2 sweating 36
A-17. Annual operating cost for copper recovery by CaCl2 sweating 37
A-18. Summary of costs and operating personnel for copper recovery
by Na2S04 coating and BaCl2 sweating 38
by Na2S04 coating and CaCl2 sweating 39
by Na2Si03 coating and BaCl2 sweating 40
by Na2Si03 coating and CaCl2 sweating 41
by BaCl2 sweating 42
by CaCl2 sweating.... 43
SEPARATING COPPER FROM SCRAP BY PREFERENTIAL MELTING
Laboratory and Economic Evaluation
by
Vance G. Leak, 1 M. M. Fine,2 and Henry Dolezal3
ABSTRACT
A technique for recovering copper and steel from metallic scrap has been
developed by the Bureau of Mines based on preferential melting in molten salt
baths at 1,150 to 1,250 C. The molten salt, preferably barium chloride or
calcium chloride, both minimizes oxidation of the metals and promotes heat
transfer. Cleanest separations (0.01 percent copper remaining in iron) have
been achieved by pretreatment (dipping or spraying) with sodium sulphate or
sodium silicate, which alters and coats the surface of the iron to inhibit the
alloying or brazing with copper. An economic evaluation of the process was
carried out on six combinations of sweating media and inhibiting reagents. On
the basis of the postulated model, a cost of about $0.20 per pound of copper
recovered has been determined for the sweating treatment operation.
INTRODUCTION
The secondary metals industry has been a major segment of the domestic
economy for years. Many secondary commodities (heavy melting steel and lead
storage batteries are familiar examples) have become so well established and
recycled so promptly that industry commitments for metal would be impossible
without them. Although some recovery and refining processes developed for
primary metals are also used in scrap, the technology on secondary metal recla-
mation has lagged.
There are a number of reasons for this lag. Difficulties in collection,
variability of materials, and rapid obsolescence of fabricated products are
several of the factors contributing to the mounting accumulation of solid
waste. The situation is aggravated by the growing complexity of modern scien-
tific and engineering technology. The components of highly sophisticated
instruments, apparatus, and equipment are often intricate composites of sev-
eral metals and nonmetals, which are almost impossible to reclaim from worn
items.
Metallurgist.
2 Research director.
3Research chemist.
Processing economics is usually the sole consideration in determining
whether to recover secondary metals from particular scrap commodities. This
may make economic sense at the moment, but sociologic and ecological implica-
tions could be paramount in the future. Increasing public awareness of con-
servation and the consequences of land pollution has generated pressure on
industry and the Government to find acceptable means of disposing of or
recycling solid wastes.
Because of the unique combination of physical properties possessed by
iron and copper, they are compatible for fabrication into various types of
electrical products. Because the copper has high electrical conductivity and
ductility and the iron has high mechanical and ferromagnetic strength, they
can be fabricated into intimate mechanical composites such as motor armatures,
field cores, transformers, copper-clad wire, etc. After the useful service
life of these items has been expended, recovery of the iron and copper, as
separate fractions, presents a problem. Both the clean high-silicon steel and
the copper have relatively high scrap values, but each material is a deleteri-
ous contaminant of the other. As such, a clean separation of both materials
is not presently possible except by tedious and/or slow methods.
This Bureau of Mines report presents the results of research on the
separation and recovery of copper and steel from scrap items in which substan-
tial percentages of both metals are present. There are several procedures by
means of which this can be done, some of which are practiced commercially.
These procedures include leaching, mechanical concentrations such as crushing
and magnetic separation, and disassembling by hand labor. Leaching is an
efficient means of extracting copper but is economical only on a large scale.
The other procedures may also be costly or suffer from shortcomings in
recovery or grade of product. An excellent compilation of these and other
methods for producing secondary copper has been prepared by Spendlove.4
The Bureau has developed a method for reclaiming the components of copper-
iron scrap items, armatures, some electronic scrap, and gilding metal; details
were published in 1968. Continued research has resulted in a significant
improvement of separating efficiency, particularly for armatures.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors wish to cite the Economic Evaluation Group, Salt Lake City
Metallurgy Research Center, Salt Lake City, Utah, for their economic evalua-
tion. Figures 5-7 were provided through the courtesy of A. F. Holden Co.,
Milford, Mich.
Appendix B was provided through the courtesy of Upton Industries, Inc.,
Roseville, Mich.
4Spendlove, Max J. Methods for Producing Secondary Copper. BuMines IC 8002,
1961, 41 pp.
Leak, V. G., and M. M. Fine. An Improved Method for Separating Copper and
Steel From Copper-Containing Ferrous Scrap. Secondary Raw Mater., v. 6,
No. 7, July 1968, pp. 27-29.
LABORATORY EVALUATION
Experimental Procedure
Preferential melting would seem to be an appropriate means for separating
copper and steel considering the wide spread in melting points (1,083 and
about 1,450 C, respectively). Sweating techniques are effective in reclaim-
ing the low-melting-point metals--such as lead, tin, zinc, and aluminum--and
have been commercial for some time. However, experiments in gaseous combus-
tion atmospheres showed ordinary sweating procedures were not satisfactory for
the copper-iron system owing to oxidation of iron and entrapment of copper
within the oxide scale. A reducing atmosphere diminishes scaling but enhances
the tendency for copper to alloy with iron.
In Bureau research, it was discovered that if the sweating is
accomplished in a neutral molten substance such as barium chloride, both oxida-
tion and alloying of copper and iron are lessened, and the liquid bath
promotes rapid heat transfer. Although this constituted a considerable
improvement, the steel core (as in scrap armatures) still retained several
percent of copper. Recently, an almost quantitative separation was achieved
by pretreatment with chemical reagents that alter and coat the surface of the
iron so it is less subject to brazing in the molten bath. In effect, a bar-
rier interface is created on the steel surface to prevent intimate contact of
the liquid copper while it flows over the surface of the armature. The exact
procedure is as follows: A number of small (1-3/4-inch-diameter) armatures
were dipped into saturated solutions of sodium sulphate (5 to about 40 percent
depending on temperature) or sodium silicate (about 40 to 60 percent) and then
dried at about 100 C. The immersion time is not critical. This may also be
accomplished by spraying the solution on the scrap or by immersing completely
as in a rotary drum.
A graphite crucible containing about 4 pounds of the salt, which com-
prises the molten separating medium, was placed into the laboratory induction
furnace (fig. 1). The furnace was brought up to the selected operating tem-
perature of 1,150, 1,200, or 1,250 C as measured with an optical pyrometer.
A motor armature, pretreated as previously described, was placed in the molten
salt bath with tongs and allowed to attain equilibrium temperature. This
usually required about 1 or 2 minutes after which the armature was soaked for
the desired period, which ranged from 2 to 15 minutes. Copper droplets are
sweated off the scrap and collected in the bottom of the vessel; the liquid
copper could be easily tapped from a vessel of commercial size. The armature
was then grasped with the tongs and shaken to remove some of the molten copper
from the crevices. The armature was removed from the salt bath and dropped
onto a hard surface to remove more molten copper from the crevices of the
steel core. The salt bath heat transfer medium may be reclaimed and reused
many times.
Analytical samples of the steel were made by cutting the armature in half,
transversely, and then removing several typical steel laminae in a lathe or by
hand (fig. 2). Chemical analyses were performed on the sampled lamellae.
FIGURE 1. - Placing armature into induction-heated molten salt bath,
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0I2
Scale, cm
3456789 10
after copper separation.
IIIIIII
FIGURE 2. - Motor armature: Transversely sectioned with lamellae removed
Typical results are shown in table 1, and photographs of treated and untreated
armatures appear in figure 3.
TABLE 1. - Separation of copper from iron in scrap armatures by
molten-salt sweating, with and without pretreatment
Temper-
Residual analysis
of steel
Copper lost in steel cores,
Test
Separating
media
ature ,
0C
cores
, pet Cu
pet
of total
No pre-
Na2S04
Na2Si03
No pre-
Na2S04
Na2Si03
treatment
dip
dip
treatment
dip
dip
BaCl2
1,150
2.8
0.27
0.14
9.9
0.8
0.5
BaCl2
1,200
5.2
.26
.12
12.7
.6
.3
BaCl2
1,250
5.7
.37
.18
21.4
1.0
.7
CaCl2
1,150
7.0
1.7
3.4
19.9
4.9
9.1
CaCl2
1,200
4.8
3.6
treated
Scale , in
separation
As received
SCRAP ARMATURES
Na2S04 After copper
FIGURE 3. - Motor armatures: As received, after pretreatment, after copper separation.
A listing of these compounds is as follows: Braze inhibitor paint-titanium
dioxide pigment, braze inhibitor paint-calcium carbonate pigment, sodium
bismuthate, bismuth chloride, vanadium pentoxide, ammonium molybdate, ammonium
molybdate-tin chloride, sodium phosphate, sodium borate, and tin chloride.
Although most of the testing was concentrated on sulphates and silicates as
brazing inhibitors, a limited number of tests were executed with these other
active agents. In general, the results do not appear to be as successful as
those tests with silicate or sulphate inhibitors, but in view of the limited
tests, they cannot be disregarded as brazing inhibitors. Additional testing
would be required to fully evaluate their effectiveness.
Electronic Component Sweating
The applicability of the barium chloride sweating technique was evaluated
on a broad range of copper-containing materials. Basket sweating tests were
performed on copper-base electronic components (fig. 4).
MtylW
|f^
FIGURE 4. - Electronic components, stainless steel basket, and copper button, before and
after copper separation.
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In these experiments, stainless steel baskets were used to sweat several
500-gram lots of mixed components about 5 minutes each at 1,250 C. A com-
posite copper ingot of these batches was produced, which accounted for
85.7 percent of the input weight with 0.9 percent iron as the only objectional
impurity.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUDING REMARKS
The operation of any sweating separation is based on close temperature
control above the melting point of one metal but below that of the other. In
the present case, the molten bath not only facilitates temperature control but
also improves heat transfer and limits oxidation. The purpose of the pre-
treatment is to render the steel less susceptible to alloying with copper
either by controlled, mild oxidation (as in the case of sodium sulphate) or by
coating the steel surface with a nonreactive substance (as in the case of
sodium silicate).
Components of the molten baths were, as noted earlier, anhydrous barium
chloride or calcium chloride. Commercial heat-treating salts for high-speed
steel were also used successfully; these are proprietary mixtures with barium
chloride as a principal component. The baths are not limited to these sub-
stances. Components of the molten baths may be any salt, slag, or glass,
provided the substance is stable, noncorrosive, relatively inexpensive,
possesses a moderately low vapor pressure, and forms a fluid melt in the
appropriate temperature range. Similarly, the pretreatment could be effected
by other soluble or liquid chemicals, which would render the steel less sus-
ceptible to alloying with copper and is compatible with the balance of the
system. Care must be taken in the choice of salt mixtures since some combina-
tions are explosive or may emit poisonous gases.
In consideration of the rising demand for copper over the projected
future, which is reflected in an escalating price tag, recovery of copper from
secondary sources should be encouraged. The technique described is a workable
means of separating copper and steel from scrap commodities in which these are
the major ingredients. There are some limitations on the method that must be
recognized. One of these limitations is the copper content of the electrical
scrap, which must be rich enough to bear virtually all the processing costs.
Another potentially limiting factor is the physical structure of the scrap; it
must be sufficiently open to allow the free flow of molten salt and metal and
must not be so intricately constructed as to retain substantial quantities of
either.
The salt bath sweating process should pose no unusual equipment problems
in being scaled up to commercial size. The economics have been evaluated
based on a treatment line capable of recovering 1 ton of copper per day. In
this model, the scrap copper is presumed to be a byproduct of a fairly large
automobile wrecking yard, but the model would be equally appropriate for other
sources of worn or reject fractional horsepower motors. The separating
vessels would be suspended-electrode, salt-pot furnaces, which could be
modified to provide a semicontinuous discharge of copper. These internally
heated, electrical resistance furnaces, available from several suppliers
Angle support
Air-cooled transformer
Flexible cable
Electrode (cold leg)
Electrodes (cold leg)
Reinforced steel shell
-Secondory steel pot
Insulation
-Ceramic pot
"Air space for expansion
\k-
Air-cooled
-transformer
Angle support
',1 OpenyA
fa///'////////%
^'Solt area^
'<'/ v ^ #&
'///' <, ,Y' //// V[
Removable electrode
assembly; -v.
Tap changing switch-
Flexible cables
Flecfrodes(hot leg>^
Reinforced steel
Insulation
Air space for
expansion $?'';
Secondary steel w
pot ^,s
Castable -^ r:
Ceramic pot -^v j|
FIGURE 5. - Schematic drawing of typical salt bath furnace. (Courtesy of A. F, Holden Co.)
11
FIGURE 6. - Top view of electrodes and cavity of salt bath furnace.
(Courtesy of A. F. Holden Co.)
(figs. 5-7), are used for heat treatment of high-speed steel articles and are
capable of continuous service at temperatures up to 1,300 C.
>
a:
Q.
12
LU
CD
=>
13
COST ESTIMATE
The objectives of the cost estimate are (1) to compare the merits of
barium chloride and calcium chloride as neutral baths for sweating copper from
starter and generator armatures and (2) to assess the value of coating the
armatures by dipping in sodium sulfate and sodium silicate solutions prior to
sweating. Estimated costs will also provide a basis for comparing this
process with other methods for separating copper and steel in scrap materials.
To provide information as to the distribution of costs, the processes
were divided into the unit operations of dismantling, dipping, and sweating.
Costs were estimated on the basis of a very small operation because of the
limited number of starters and generators available at any one location.
Owing to the small size and the fact that the sweating plant would probably be
added to an existing scrap yard, special conditions could easily exist that
would change the estimated costs considerably. However, comparison between
different versions of the process should be valid.
Description of Processes
Costs are estimated for six processes, of which three employ a molten
barium chloride bath for sweating the copper and three employ molten calcium
chloride. Each series of three processes includes the following variations:
(1) Pretreatment of the armatures by dipping in sodium sulfate, (2) pre-
treatment in sodium silicate solution, and (3) no pretreatment. The flow-
sheets for these processes are shown in figures 8-9.
Prior to sweating, both starters and generators must be partially
dismantled to expose the copper parts. First, the end plates are removed by
loosening the bolts with a speed wrench. This releases the armatures for
removal; however, about half the starters have cast-iron solenoid linkage
housings that must be broken with a hammer to release the armatures. In
addition, about three-fourths of the starter armatures must have one end of
the shaft cut off to remove the bendix spring and end plate. This is most
efficiently done with a bandsaw. The starters with solenoid linkages also
have solenoid cases that must be opened by cutting with an acetylene torch to
remove the copper coil. Field coils are broken loose from the stator housing
with a power hammer to remove the copper windings. Copper bushings and
brushes are readily removed by hand.
In the sweating operation, nine armatures are loaded into a multiple-
clamp mechanism, which automatically grips the shaft ends when the mechanism
is lifted by a small hoist. While held in this mechanism, the armatures are
lowered into an electric, salt-bath furnace containing a 12-inch-square by
24-inch-deep pot of molten barium chloride or calcium chloride at approxi-
mately 1,200 C. Tests showed that the copper melts and drops to the bottom
of the pot in 3 to 5 minutes; consequently, 9 minutes was assumed to be
adequate time for charging, sweating, and removing the armatures. After
sweating, residual copper and salt is shaken loose in a vibrating screen and
returned to the furnace. Salt adhering to the armatures is not recovered.
14
Generators and starters from
incinerated automobiles
To market
400 units
Copper 1,080 lb
Iron 6,789 lb
Dismantling
Makeup salt
Na2S04 7.7 1b
or
Na2Si03 15.3 lb
A rma tures
Copper 594 lb
Iron 1,851 lb
* Salt dip
Drying oven, I50C
Makeup salt
BaCI2 115 1b
or
CaCI2 74 lb
Salt bath sweating
furnace, l,200C
Alternate salt additions
Na2S04
BaCI2
Copper
ingots
Copper
589 lb
Na2S04
CaCL
I mpure
iron
Iron
1,851 lb
Copper
5 lb
(0.27 pet
Cu)
Copper
ingots
Copper
567 lb
Impure
iron
Iron
1,851 lb
Copper
27 lb
(1.44 pet
Cu)
To
market
To
waste
To
market
To
waste
Reclaimed wire
Copper 486 lb
Casings and
field coils
Casings and
15
Generators and starters from
incinerated automobiles
To market
400 units
Copper 1,080 lb
Iron 6,789 lb
Reclaimed wire
Copper 486 I b
Dismant I ing
Casings and
field coiIs
A rma tures
Copper 594 lb
Iron 1,851 lb
Cas i ngs and
pole pieces
I ron 4,938 lb
Makeup salt
BaCI2 M5lb
or
CaCI2 74 lb
Salt bath sweating
furnace-90 kW
12 in x |2 in x 24 in
To market
Power-1,393 kW-hr
Alternate salt additions
r- BaCl2 sweating
Copper ingots
Copper 498 lb
Impure i ron
Iron 1,851 lb
Copper 96 I b
(4.93 pet Cu)
i- CaCl2 sweating
Copper ingots
Copper 506 lb
To ma r ket
To wa ste
I mpure i ron
Iron 1,851 lb
Copper 88 lb
(4.54 pet Cu)
To ma r ke t
To waste
FIGURE 9. - Recovery of copper from armatures by salt bath
sweating.
cases that were assumed marketable as No. 2 heavy melt
taken for the copper-contaminated armatures. However,
The furnace is
large enough to hold a
full day's production
of copper. After each
day's operation, the
furnace is tilted with
a 1-ton hoist, and the
salt is decanted into
a holding ladle. The
copper is then cast
into billets for
marketing, and the
salt is returned to
the furnace.
An 8-hour-day,
5-day-per-week opera-
tion (250 days per
year) was used for
this evaluation, and
16
sodium silicate or sodium sulfate and sweated in barium chloride would be
salable and would decrease the selling price of copper required for a given
return on investment by $0.02 per pound. The copper product includes manually
removed copper together with sweated copper.
Estimating Method
The method used for estimating is intended for use with complete chemical
or metallurgical plants. However, the results obtained appear to be reasona-
ble based on experience with small-scale construction in such an environment.
The scale of this plant is small, and the usual roundoff of costs to the
nearest $100 for unit costs and the nearest $1,000 for total costs would have
introduced some apparent discrepancies. These discrepancies were avoided by
printing all costs to the nearest dollar. Because this was done only for con-
venience, it should not be taken to indicate a high degree of accuracy.
Accuracy of estimated capital costs should be within 30 percent.
Capital Costs
Fixed capital costs are based on the delivered cost of individual items
of equipment. These costs are for 1971 and correspond to an M&S average
equipment cost index7 of 321.3.
The total direct construction cost for each unit operation consists of
the delivered cost of all equipment plus the cost of labor to erect it and the
cost of additional construction required to support, house, protect, and make
it operable. These various construction costs were estimated by factors
applied to the total delivered cost of equipment to be installed. A miscella-
neous cost item was added to cover minor equipment or construction that might
be overlooked. Equipment not requiring installation, which in this case is a
forklift truck, becomes part of the direct construction cost without installa-
tion cost or the application of construction factors. This forklift is used
for only 1 hour per day; the balance of the time it would be used in the scrap
yard. Therefore, only one-eighth the cost of the forklift is charged to these
processes.
Forty percent of the total direct construction cost was added as indirect
cost, contingency, and fee. This approximates the addition of 10 percent for
field indirect expense plus the following percentages of successive resulting
subtotals: 5 for engineering plus 5 for administration and overhead, 10 for
contingencies, and 5 for contractor's fees. The field indirect cost covers
field supervision, inspection, temporary construction, equipment rental, and
payroll overhead.
The fixed capital cost of facilities was estimated as 10 percent of the
total fixed capital cost of the production units. These facilities include
buildings and equipment for offices, shops, and warehouses, plus fencing,
roads, fire protection facilities, and safety equipment.
7Chemical Engineering. Marshall and Stevens Equipment Cost Index. V. 76,
No. 10, May 5, 1969, pp. 134-138.
17
Utilities were estimated as 12 percent of the total fixed capital cost of
the production units. This cost includes the cost of construction and equip-
ment necessary to conduct the utilities to the plant from an outside source
and to distribute them to the various operating units of the plant.
The working capital requirements were estimated as the sum of 1 month's
supply of raw materials, 1 month's out-of-pocket expense (operating cost less
depreciation), and 2 month's product inventory.
Operating Costs
The cost of raw materials includes the shipping cost. Electricity was
the only utility used. This was estimated at a rate of 1.5 cents per kilowatt-
hour because of low consumption. Direct labor was based on a rate of $4.00
per hour, and the cost of supervision was taken as 15 percent of this labor
cost. Plant maintenance labor varies between 2 and 3 percent of the fixed
capital cost without interest for the various operations. Maintenance labor
supervision is 20 percent of the labor cost. Maintenance material was assumed
to cost the same as maintenance labor. Payroll overhead was estimated as
25 percent of the cost of labor and supervision for operation and maintenance.
Operating supplies were assumed equal to 20 percent of the cost of maintenance,
These costs constitute the direct operating cost of the plant.
Indirect operating costs include the cost of maintaining the plant facili-
ties and utilities, the expense of accounting, engineering, plant protection
and safety, warehousing, shipping, and offices. The indirect cost was esti-
mated as 40 percent of the cost of labor, maintenance, and operating supplies.
Fixed costs include the annual cost of taxes, insurance, and depreciation
of the plant. Taxes and insurance combined were estimated as 2 percent of the
fixed capital cost including utilities and facilities without interest.
Depreciation cost was estimated on the basis of straight-line depreciation
over a life of 12.5 years (8 percent per year).
Evaluation, Results, Discussion, and Conclusions
The six processes evaluated were developed to treat the limited number of
automobile generators and starters that might be available at a large scrap
processing yard; therefore, the scale of operations had to be small. Although
it would appear that a more profitable operation could be obtained by
increasing the size of the plant, the purchase and shipping costs required to
bring raw materials from other locations could offset any gains.
Major items of equipment for these processes are shown in table 2. Fixed
capital cost of equipment is the same for the unit operations required by each
of the processes evaluated. Examples of equipment costs for the dismantling,
dipping and drying, and sweating operations in the process using Na2S04
coating and BaCl2 drying are presented in appendix tables A-9 , A-10, and A-ll,
respectively.
TABLE 2. - Major equipment for sweating processes
Number
Horse-
power
Size
Capacity,
each
Purpose
Forklift truck...
2.0 ton
Moving raw
materials.
Bandsaw
3/4
14 in
40-4,600 saw
ft/min.
Cutting armature
shafts.
Breaking loose
the field
coils.
12
3 ft sq by
3 ft deep.
27 cu ft
Portable, for
moving and stor-
age of materials
19 in sq by
19 in deep.
3.97 cu ft..
Dry armatures
after dipping.
Tank1
1.5 ft sq by
1.5 ft deep.
3.38 cu ft..
Holding tank for
Na2S04 or
Na2Si03
solutions.
Tray1
18 in by 18 in.
To hold armatures
in drying oven.
Hauling trays.
Electric salt
90 kW
2.0 cu ft. ..
Sweating copper.
19
TABLE 3. - Comparison of cost summaries for the processes evaluated
Number
of
operators
Annual production,
tons
Total
capital
cost
Annual
operating
Process
Copper
Iron
cost
Dismantling, Na2S04 coating
134.4
617.3
$103,258
$119,042
CaCl2 sweating
131.6
617.3
102,454
116,630
119,452
Dismantling, Na2Si03 coating
134.8
617.3
103,394
127.3
123.0
124.0
617.3
617.3
617.3
102,590
94,473
93,669
117,040
Dismantling, BaCl2 sweating..
Dismantling, CaCl2 sweating..
102,332
99,920
NOTE.--These data were extracted from tables A-18 through A-23 in the appendix,
TABLE 4. - Summary of prices for recovered copper needed
to make different rates of return on
investment before taxes, dollars
Process
BaCl2 sweating
CaCl2 sweating
BaCl2 sweating
CaCl2 sweating
Dismantling, BaCl2 sweating..
Dismantling, CaCl2 sweating..
Rate of return on investment, pet
20
pretreatment, slight variations were caused by minor differences in the cost
of Na2S04 , Na2Si03, BaCl2, and CaCl2. Operating costs for the two processes
not using a pretreatment were considerably lower, primarily because one less
operator was needed and also, to a lesser extent, because the salt dip was
eliminated.
The aforementioned operating costs were calculated on the assumption that
these plants would be part of a scrap yard and that the starters and genera-
tors would be available at negligible cost. These units were, therefore,
listed as a raw material with $0.00 cost. However, if they had to be
purchased, their cost delivered would be between $20 and $60 per ton. The
effect that the cost of generators and starters has on a process can be shown
by its effect on the selling price of recovered copper to obtain a given rate
of return on investment before taxes. The effect was evaluated over a range
of 0 to 60 percent for each of these six processes, and the data were similar.
A typical example of this effect for Na2S04 dipping and BaCl2 sweating is
plotted in figure 10. This plot shows that if the copper product can be sold
for 50 cents per pound the return on investment before taxes would not be more
than 35 percent if $0 per ton were assigned to the cost of generators and
starters. Also, in order to obtain a return on investment of 20 percent, the
starters and generators would have to be purchased at about $15 per ton. This
would limit the use of these processes to scrap yards that recover their own
starters and generators.
The application of this process to automobile generators and starters
tends to hide the favorable features of copper removal by sweating because
about half the operating costs are in dismantling. Data from the sweating
operation alone can be used as a basis for estimating the treatment cost of
other copper-containing materials that do not require as much preliminary
disassembly as starters and generators.
21
10 20 30 40 50
COST OF STARTERS AND GENERATORS
RAW MATERIAL), dollars/ton
FIGURE 10. - Return on investment before taxes as a function of selling price and
raw material cost (Na2S04 dipping-BaCI2 sweating).
60
22
APPENDIX A.--DATA FROM COPPER SWEATING TESTS
TABLE A-l. - Sweating copper scrap with barium chloride
Temperature,
Armature
Copper
Copper in
Iron in
Copper
Copper
Time, min
weight, g
Iron, g
button, g
iron, pet
copper,
pet
loss, g
recovery,
pet
x 4.0
430.0
349.7
91.0
2.75
1.39
9.6
90.3
/ 4.0
430.0
349.7
91.0
2.75
1.39
9.6
90.3
4.0
430.0
349.7
91.0
2.75
1.39
9.6
90.3
\ 10.0
229.2
186.6
NA
2.99
NA
5.6
NA
\ 8.0
235.7
200.5
NA
5.30
NA
10.6
NA
I 6.0
208.2
277.6
NA
5.90
NA
10.5
NA
2.5
23
TABLE A-2. - Sweating copper scrap with barium chloride,
sodium sulphate predip
Tempera-
Time,
Armature
Iron,
Copper
Copper
Iron in
Copper
Copper
ture ,
min
weight,
button,
in iron,
copper,
loss ,
recovery,
0C
pet
pet
pet
/2.0
415.1
322.9
109.0
0.09
2.40
0.3
99.4
/ 2.5
266.7
183.7
109.0
.18
2.40
.3
99.4
/ 3.0
265.0
170.2
109.0
.70
2.40
1.2
99.4
3.0
280.0
216.0
51.3
3.12
4.85
6.7
91.2
3.0
235.0
173.0
51.3
1.10
4.85
1.9
91.2
3.0
238.0
25
TABLI
] A-3. - Sweating
copper scrap with
barium c
hloride,
sodium
silicate
predip
Tempera-
Time,
Armature
Iron,
Copper
Copper
Iron in
Copper
Copper
ture ,
min
weight,
button,
in iron,
copper,
loss ,
recovery,
pet
pet
pet
/2.0
362.0
275.0
110.0
0.23
2.06
0.6
99.4
[ 2.5
369.2
295.8
110.0
.10
2.06
.3
99.4
I 3.0
295.1
197.5
110.0
.09
2.06
.2
99.4
\ 2.0
210.0
145.0
69.0
1.44
4.52
2.1
98.6
2.0
230.0
175.0
69.0

Separating Copper From Scrap by Preferential Melting

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Report of Investigations 7809

Separating Copper From Scrap

Laboratory and Economic Evaluation

By Vance G. Leak, Twin Cities Metallurgy Research Center,

Twin Cities, Minn.,

M. M. Fine, Rolla Metallurgy Research Center, Rolla, Mo., and

Henry Dolezal, Salt Lake City Metallurgy Research Center,

Salt Lake City, Utah

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Rogers C. B. Morton, Secretary

Elburt F. Osborn, Director

Generated on 2013-10-21 20:30 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015078521708 Public Domain, Google-digitized / http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-google

Sweating with other predip treatments 6

Electronic component sweating 8

Discussion and concluding remarks 9

Evaluation, results, discussion, and conclusions 17

Appendix A.--Data from copper sweating tests 22

Appendix B.--U.S. Patent 3,666,870, salt bath furnace for copper

reclamation, Eugene L. Kemper 44

1. Placing armature into induction-heated molten salt bath 4

2. Motor armature: Transversely sectioned with lamellae removed

after copper separation 5

3. Motor armatures: As received, after pretreatment, after copper

4. Electronic components, stainless steel basket, and copper button,

before and after copper separation 8

5. Schematic drawing of typical salt bath furnace 10

6. Top view of electrodes and cavity of salt bath furnace 11

7. Top view of large salt bath furnace with sliding cover 12

8. Recovery of copper from armatures by salt coating and salt bath

9. Recovery of copper from armatures by salt bath sweating 15

10. Return on investment before taxes as a function of selling price

and raw material cost (Na2S04 dipping-BaCl2 sweating) 21

1. Separation of copper from iron in scrap armatures by molten-salt

sweating, with and without pretreatment 6

2. Major equipment for sweating processes 18

3. Comparison of cost summaries for the processes evaluated 19

4. Summary of prices for recovered copper needed to make different

rates of return on investment before taxes 19

A-l. Sweating copper scrap with barium chloride 22

A-2. Sweating copper scrap with barium chloride, sodium sulphate

Generated on 2013-10-21 20:31 GMT / http://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015078521708 Public Domain, Google-digitized / http://www.hathitrust.org/access_use#pd-google

A-3. Sweating copper scrap with barium chloride, sodium silicate

A-4. Sweating copper scrap with calcium chloride 26

A-5. Sweating copper scrap with calcium chloride, sodium sulphate

A-6. Sweating copper scrap with calcium chloride, sodium silicate

A-7. Sweating copper scrap with barium chloride or calcium chloride

and various bath additives 27

and BaCl2 sweating dismantling 29

and BaCl2 sweating, dipping, and drying 30

and BaCl2 sweating 31

A-14. Annual operating cost for copper recovery by Na2Si03 coating

and BaCl2 sweating 34

A-15. Annual operating cost for copper recovery by Na2Si03 coating

and CaCl2 sweating 35

A-16. Annual operating cost for copper recovery by BaCl2 sweating 36

A-17. Annual operating cost for copper recovery by CaCl2 sweating 37

A-18. Summary of costs and operating personnel for copper recovery

by Na2S04 coating and BaCl2 sweating 38

A-19. Summary of costs and operating personnel for copper recovery

by Na2S04 coating and CaCl2 sweating 39

A-20. Summary of costs and operating personnel for copper recovery

by Na2Si03 coating and BaCl2 sweating 40

A-21. Summary of costs and operating personnel for copper recovery

by Na2Si03 coating and CaCl2 sweating 41