Recycling of metals from waste with thermal plasma

Environmental regulations and quality demands require clean and efficient processes for recovery of materials from scrap and waste. Thermal plasma is a heat source for recovering metals pyrometallurgically. High energy density, high temperatures and flexibility in the plasma gases employed are the basic advantages of plasma. Plasma methods are gaining importance for scrap melting of reactive and refractory metals and alloys, aluminum containing wastes, steel plant wastes and recovery of metals from spent catalysts. In the paper, some metal-containing wastes in different scrap and waste categories, related problems, goals and recycling furnace concepts are presented and discussed: titanium scrap consolidation and refining (plasma cold hearth furnace), aluminum dross recycling (plasma rotating hearth furnace), MMCS, spent catalysts recycling and dust treatment. The paper also summarizes recent developments and some future aspects of plasma metal recovery from scrap and waste.