Aluminum users and producers are backing technology to match scrap to its highest purpose.

An early December article on the website of the Switzerland-based World Economic Forum (WEF) points to “aluminum’s infinite recyclability” as “the answer to the aluminum industry’s emissions issue.”

The four co-authors of the WEF article write, “Over 90 percent of current aluminum emissions are associated with primary production. But secondary, or recycled, aluminum uses just 5 percent of the energy required for primary production.”

Boosting aluminum’s already high global 73 percent recycling rate is one task required to further reduce emissions for the light metal. The WEF co-authors also state, “The challenge with [aluminum] automotive scrap lies in sorting the aluminum alloys to retain the quality and value of the original components.”

Increased dismantling before shredding offers one alternative, say the authors, but in most nations that generate large numbers of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), the labor market is tight, so hiring people to take vehicles apart by hand may run into a barrier of its own.

Scrap processors and their technology vendors continue to seek out automated sorting improvements. In one recent example, Germany-based Steinert GmbH supplied equipment to Sweden-based Stena Recycling at one of its facilities in Roskilde, Denmark.

“Advancements in technological sorting represent one of the greatest differences” in today’s market, says Jesper Fournaise of Stena. “Now, here in our own country, we’re able to use X-ray technology to meet very high quality standards in order to put the metal back into commercial use.”

Another Germany-based technology provider, Erdwich Zerkleinerungs-Systeme GmbH, engaged in a project in Austria that sought to better separate aluminum from magnesium during and after the shredding process.

After consulting with Erdwich, the Austrian firm decided to install an Erdwich RM1350 ripper. An advantage of this twin-shaft ripper developed by Erdwich, compared to the shredder used previously, is that the blades “do not simply shred the input material, but literally tear it apart due to their special shape. This allows the plant to grip the aluminum scrap far better, and there are fewer blockages or damage to the machine,” states Erdwich.

To further purify the aluminum, Erdwich soon started planning and implementing what it calls a complete plant concept into which the existing twin-shaft shredder was integrated. The shredding plant was supplemented by a hammer mill also developed by Erdwich, but it entailed a few challenges.

“For one thing, the space available for the plant was limited to a very narrow, half-open hall, which required planning with centimeter precision and foresight,” says Harald Erdwich, managing director of Erdwich GmbH. “On the other hand, the input material consists in part of undefinable components such as nonmetallic impurities or even solid iron parts, which made sorting difficult. Therefore, it was necessary to implement several processes and the corresponding equipment to separate different materials and alloys.”

While ultra-fine materials such as sand or dirt particles are sorted out by a vibrating screen, a magnetic drum separator ensures that ferrous portions are removed from the shredded aluminum scrap using magnetic technology.

A zigzag air separator also separates foil and wood particles from the metallic components, and an eddy current separator is responsible for filtering out plastic parts. For impure alloys, a fourfold sorting device also is provided, which works, among other methods, by means of X-ray detection. “This makes it possible to achieve a particularly fine separation of the material and thus a high degree of grade purity,” states the equipment company.

Erdwich says the input fractions are not always composed in the same way, so the company what for it was a new concept: three different modes that can be set for the efficient processing of the material.

“In mode A, the aluminum scrap is fed directly into the RM1350 pre-shredder by means of a gripper or stacker and then re-shredded by means of our HA800 hammer mill,” says Harald Erdwich. “The mixed fractions are separated using various sorting techniques and then discharged into containers provided by the customer.”

Mode B enables the faster processing of pure aluminum scrap. After shredding in the twin-shaft shredder, separation of ferrous and stainless material is carried out by means of a double magnetic stage.

In Mode C, double feeding is used in order to be able to process input materials made up of different compositions simultaneously. This makes it possible to process both pure aluminum scrap, as in mode B, and aluminum/copper cast material in parallel. The latter is fed via the mobile conveyor belt into the vibrating feeder, crushed by a hammer mill and then separated by means of X-ray sorting and transported into containers.

The different modes can be selected on the operator panel by before the system is started. Depending on the composition of the material and the mode, a throughput of up to 2,500 kilograms per hour (5,500 pounds per hour) can be achieved.

“The shredding process for aluminum scrap, in particular, must be constantly monitored,” says Harald Erdwich. “As soon as aluminum is shredded to less than 4 millimeters (0.15 inches), or if the input material contains aluminum alloys with magnesium components, it can ignite and trigger an explosion.”

He continues, “To avoid accidents, the cutting mechanism geometry of the ripper is designed in such a way that the material is shredded as gently as possible under temperature-reduced conditions. Sensors also ensure that no excessive dust concentration can occur inside the hammer mill if, for example, there is a filter defect or other failure of the extraction/filter system.”

The company also announced enhancements to its sustainability performance and embedded ESG more deeply into its business strategies.

Sales once again rose for Delaware, Ohio-based Greif as the company has announced its fourth-quarter earnings. The packaging producer reports net sales of $1,570.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with $1,161.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 — a 35 percent increase that Greif attributes to stronger volumes and higher selling prices.

The company also reports adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $211.3 million compared with EBITDA of $154.5 in the fourth quarter of 2020. Greif Chief Financial Officer Larry Hilsheimer says the adjusted EBITDA result overcame an old corrugated cardboard (OCC) index headwind of $51 million and approximately $40 million of nonvolume-related transportation and manufacturing inflation.

“Big picture, our team delivered excellent fourth-quarter results despite significant external challenges,” Hilsheimer said during Greif’s earnings call Dec. 9.

Greif President and CEO Pete Watson said during the earnings call that the company’s global industrial packaging business (GIP) sales were $951.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with $652.3 million in 2020, a nearly 3 percent increase benefited by a strong overall global primary product line.

GIP’s stronger volumes and higher average selling prices resulted in higher segment sales and gross profit year-over-year. Its fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA rose by approximately $47 million due to higher sales, partially offset by higher raw material manufacturing and transportation costs, Watson said.

“Generally speaking, our industrial end markets remain healthy,” Watson added. “Customers report solid order backlogs and strong underlying demand, but they do face external supply chain disruptions. Across GIP we see little indication of customers building inventory, but some are carrying more stock than normal due to supply chain disruptions impacting their ability to ship to their customers.”

Watson also reported the company’s Paper Packaging segment's fourth-quarter sales rose by roughly $120 million compared with the fourth quarter of 2020 due to stronger volumes and higher published containerboard and boxboard prices.

“Volume demand across our paper business remains strong that our combined mill backlogs exceed eight weeks,” Watson said. “Fourth-quarter volumes in our CorrChoice sheet feeder system were up 2.4 percent today versus the prior year. Demand for durables, e-commerce growth and the OEM’s [original equipment manufacturer's] auto supply chain all remained very solid, and we see no slowdown on the horizon.”

Greif also notes several environmental, social and governance (ESG) achievements in 2021. The company says it diverted 90 percent of waste from landfills at more than 140 of its global facilities, increasing its global diversion rate to nearly 85 percent compared with 70 percent in 2020, and 50 percent of its global facilities had achieved zero-waste-to-landfill status at year-end.

“The takeaway here is that Greif’s strong ESG focus is core to our plans for sustainable value creation,” Chief Operating Officer Ole Rosgaard said.

Looking ahead to fiscal year 2022, Grief says it anticipates spending between $150 million and $170 million in capital expenditures and an adjusted Class A earnings per share of $5.85 million to $6.45 million.

The company says the acquisition expands ADS’ reach into the southern region of the United States.

Hilliard, Ohio-based Advanced Drainage Systems Inc. (ADS), a provider of water management solutions in the stormwater and septic wastewater industries and plastics recycler, has acquired Jet Polymer Recycling, a privately owned recycling company located in Fort Payne, Alabama.

“We are excited to welcome Jet to ADS,” says Scott Barbour, president and CEO of ADS. “This acquisition advances our strategic priority to expand the ADS Recycling capabilities to support future growth while also underpinning ADS’ commitment to environmental sustainability.”

According to a news release from ADS, the transaction secures high-quality recycled plastic to leverage in the on-site septic wastewater business. It also provides the company a platform to obtain additional high-density polyethylene (HDPE) in the southern region of the United States, which remains a key growth area for both ADS and Infiltrator Water Technologies, a subsidiary of ADS.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Jet Polymer has three locations in Alabama and Georgia. Jet Polymer is currently the largest supplier of recycled polypropylene (PP) for Infiltrator Water Technologies.

ADS Recycling, formerly Green Line Polymers, purchases high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bales, flakes and pellets from postconsumer and postindustrial sources. According to ADS' 2020 sustainability report, in its 2020 fiscal year, the company reprocessed 81 percent of the recycled HDPE purchased by ADS through its recycling operations. ADS subsidiary Infiltrator mainly buys recycled HDPE flakes and pellets and PP from postindustrial and postconsumer sources. In the company's 2020 fiscal year, its recycling operations reprocessed 27 percent of the recycled plastic purchased by Infiltrator. 

The bill revises provisions related to the nation’s ocean shipping policies in an effort to strengthen shipping supply chains.

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan bill designed to strengthen shipping supply chains. The Ocean Shipping Reform Act, H.R. 4996, was passed in the House in a 364-60 vote.

The bill, introduced Aug. 10 by Rep. John Garamendi (D-California), revises provisions related to ocean shipping policies and is designed to support the growth and development of U.S. exports and promote reciprocal trade in the foreign commerce of the United States.

The bill would require shipping companies to adhere to minimum service standards that meet the public interest and block them from unreasonably declining cargo. Under the proposed legislation, shipping carriers and port operators cannot retaliate against a shipper, a shipper’s agent or a motor carrier by threatening to withhold available cargo space.

Additionally, improved data collection and reporting practices will be put in place under the bill through the creation of a shipping exchange registry. The Ocean Shipping Reform Act also requires the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) to publish and annually update all of its findings of false certifications by ocean common carriers or marine terminal operators and all penalties assessed against such carriers or operators. Ocean common carriers also will be required to report to the FMC each calendar quarter on total import and export tonnage and the total loaded and empty 20-foot equivalent units per vessel that makes port in the United States. FMC would be authorized to initiate investigations of an ocean common carrier’s fees or charges and apply enforcement measures as necessary.

The bill now moves to be reviewed by the Senate.

The Washington-based Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) says it supports the House’s passage of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act. ISRI states that it has been advocating on behalf of the recycling industry regarding unfair ocean shipping detention and demurrage charges.

“This is an important first step towards addressing both the long-term unfair shipping practices employed by ocean carriers and helping to solve the nation’s supply chain disruptions that are impacting the recycling industry as well as every sector of our nation’s economy,” ISRI states. “We urge the U.S. Senate to move quickly to also pass this bill. ISRI will continue to work with our coalition partners to advance this bill and improve our nation’s transportation networks.”

The company’s refinery is expected to produce 5,000 metric tons of cobalt contained in battery-grade cobalt sulfate beginning in 2022.

Electra Battery Materials Corp., a battery material provider based in Toronto, has announced it will expand its operations to recycle lithium-ion batteries with an initial investment of about $3 million. The announcement comes following engineering studies and metallurgical test work in support of the expansion.

The company says it will start refining the components of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, known as black mass, in 2022. The expansion is the second phase of a four-part strategy to turn the company’s facility into a low-carbon North American battery materials park.

Electra says it will grow its recycling business in a staged, modular fashion, initially targeting black mass from consumer electronics and subsequently targeting primary battery scrap material from North American EV cell manufacturers. The facility is expected to have a low carbon footprint in light of the hydrometallurgical process and hydroelectric power source.

“A secure, sustainable and domestic solution for recycling lithium-ion batteries is essential as North America shifts to electric mobility,” says Trent Mell, CEO of Electra. “At present, there is no industrial-scale hydrometallurgical facility in North America to recycle the black mass material that is recovered when lithium-ion batteries are dismantled and shredded.”

Electra’s processing team has developed a flow sheet targeting lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, graphite and manganese. The company developed the process with consultancy groups Hatch in Mississauga, Ontario, and SGS Lakefield, a subsidiary of SGS in Geneva.

“We plan to demonstrate the ability to make products containing, nickel, cobalt, copper, lithium and graphite all from recycled lithium-ion batteries,” says Mark Trevisiol, vice president of project development for Electra. “This would be the first industrial-scale operation in North America to recover this list of recycled products for resale. Our first circuit will treat black mass from suppliers that we have identified as potential partners and can then be expanded to treat battery scrap from [cathode active materials] and cell manufacturers.”

The company says the plant will make existing equipment and infrastructure with an experienced processing team on-site, developing the company’s cobalt sulfate plant. Additional investments will allow the facility to produce battery-grade materials that can be directly returned to the lithium-ion battery supply chain.

Electra says the refinery can produce 5,000 metric tons of cobalt contained in battery-grade cobalt sulfate beginning in 2022. The company’s Battery Materials Park will host cobalt and nickel sulfate production plants, a large-scale lithium-ion battery recycling facility and battery precursor materials production. The company says all of these entities will serve North American and global customers.

The initial capacity of the cobalt, nickel and precursor facilities at the Battery Materials Park will supply raw materials for more than 1.5 million electric vehicles per year. 

“With our existing facility in Canada, Electra can be the first recycler to establish a closed-loop supply of battery materials, making electric vehicles more sustainable and more reliant on domestic material,” Mell says. “Our first concrete steps on that path will be a commercial-scale demonstration plant in 2022 utilizing existing facilities and equipment.”