Recovery of Copper from Waste Cables used in Electrical Appications

Abstract

The recycling of copper cables wastes has as main objective the recovery of copper. The effectiveness of this operation is guaranteed by the following factors: infrastructure able to collect, select and sort these wastes; a market capable to capitalize copper recovered from cables wastes to their true value; processors with equipment and technologies to achieve maximum recycling yields without negative effects on the environment. The most effective chains for wastes recycling may be considered those which use the copper recovered in wires and rods production. So is possible the design and operation of specialized flows for production of secondary copper with high purity. Contrary, a less efficient management of these wastes lead to the poor collection and mixed storage mixed with other types of copper scrap. In this case the copper wire can be recycled effectively to obtain copper-based alloys if special measures are applied at the recycling. The paper analyzes the driving forces that motivate the recycling of copper cables wastes. Also are presented the smelting experiments for obtaining high quality secondary copper and secondary brass from feed containing copper recovered from cables wastes into electric crucible furnace. The results are analyzed in terms of recovery yield and chemical composition.