The difference between recycled aluminum alloy and primary aluminum alloy

1. Recycled aluminum alloy is an aluminum alloy or aluminum metal obtained by re-melting and refining scrap aluminum alloy materials and scrap aluminum or aluminum-containing waste materials. It is an important source of metallic aluminum. Primary aluminum is pure aluminum extracted from aluminum ore through electrolytic cells. Compared with recycled aluminum, it has stronger strength, hardness, toughness, anti-oxidation performance and longer service life.

2. Primary aluminum and recycled aluminum products are all kinds of standard or non-standard aluminum alloy ingots. The main difference is that the materials are different. The raw material of primary aluminum is bauxite, while the raw material of recycled aluminum includes scraps, scraps and chips generated during the production and processing of various aluminum materials, as well as aluminum scrap generated after the scrapping of aluminum-containing products, such as old aluminum doors and windows.

3. The cross-section gloss of recycled aluminum and primary aluminum are different. The light emitted by the cross-section of raw aluminum is like that of a diamond, which is a bit bluish. Recycled aluminum has little gloss in cross section.

4. To distinguish between primary aluminum and recycled aluminum, their chemical composition can only be analyzed through experiments.

It is recommended to use trace element content to indirectly prove whether the material base is made of raw aluminum or has scrap aluminum added. For example, calcium, lead, chromium, zinc, etc., if scrap aluminum, that is, recycled aluminum, is added, the mass fraction of the content of these elements is very different from that of primary aluminum, and is basically not in the same order of magnitude.

Extended information:

Historical development of aluminum alloys

Aluminum alloys are the most widely used non-ferrous metal structural materials in industry. They are used in aviation, aerospace, It has been widely used in automobile, machinery manufacturing, shipbuilding and chemical industries. With the rapid development of the industrial economy, the demand for aluminum alloy welded structural parts is increasing day by day, which has led to in-depth research on the weldability of aluminum alloys. Aluminum alloy is currently the most widely used alloy.

Alumina was electrolytically reduced to aluminum in the laboratory in 1808, and has been used as a building material on the spire of the Washington Monument in the United States since 1884; aluminum is an aluminum alloy synthesized by adding various metal elements. The material has been widely used in various aspects of the construction industry.

In 1908, Alcoa invented the electrical aluminum alloy 1050 and made it into steel-core aluminum stranded wire, pioneering high-voltage long-distance power transmission.

The American Aluminum Company invented 2017 alloy in 1915 and 2024 alloy in 1933, which enabled the rapid expansion of the application of aluminum in aircraft. In 1933, Alcoa invented the 6061 alloy and then created the extruder quenching process, which significantly expanded the application range of extruded profiles.

In 1943, Alcoa invented 6063 alloy and 7075 alloy, ushering in a new era of high-strength aluminum alloys.

In 1965, Alcoa invented the A356 cast aluminum alloy, which is a classic cast aluminum alloy.

With the in-depth research on aluminum alloy materials, the use of high-strength aluminum alloys (2000 and 7000 series) on commercial aircraft has reached more than 80% of its structural quality due to its excellent comprehensive properties. It has received widespread attention from the global aviation industry. Aluminum alloys are gradually being used in daily life, military, and technology.

Reference materials:

Baidu Encyclopedia-Aluminum Alloy