For the first time ever, the ISRI Annual Convention and Exposition is taking place in Nashville, TN. The show website promotes the event as bringing together the rhythm and harmony of recycling where folks in the industry “come together to sharpen their skills, gain knowledge, build relationships, grow their business, and celebrate each other.”
It may be in a different city — It’s usually held in Las Vegas — but as always, the show will host speakers and exhibitors focused on various technologies related to recycling topics involving paper, plastics, and different metals. On the metals side of recycling, there’s usually a discussion on ferrous and non-ferrous. But another important topic this year will be battery recycling. With the worldwide focus on Green Energy solutions, lithium-ion battery production is in the forefront. More battery production but a shortage of raw materials means more battery recycling opportunities. More ‘’urban mining” will be utilized to save landfill space and turn batteries into revenue by recycling target elements:
- Nickel (Ni), Cobalt (Co), Manganese (Mn) — value of the black mass + type of cathode material
- Copper (Cu), Aluminum (Al) — residue from substrate foils
- Iron (Fe) — from casing or Lithium Iron phosphate (LFP)
- High Performance Materials (High P) — indicates Lithium Iron phosphate (LFP) materials
To optimize operations, recyclers need to prevent unwanted material from entering the recycling process.
There will be a session that will discuss proper ways to handle, store, ship, and recycle lithium-ion batteries for optimum safety and risk mitigation. You can learn about methods to control risks of batteries, procedures to handle both intact and damaged batteries, and proper response to an incident. Related to lithium-ion battery recycling, I’ll be presenting a talk on “Urban Mining” on Tuesday, April 18 at 12:00 noon in the exhibit hall and the growing need to supply accurately identified and sorted materials to electrical vehicle factories.
When the exact chemical composition of scrap is uncertain, quality, safety, and regulatory compliance are at risk. To help ensure product integrity made of recycled metals and maximize profit, scrap metal operations utilize handheld X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) technologies for accurate, reliable material identification.
Handheld XRF analyzers used in scrap metal recycling can verify elements of interest in virtually all types of metal alloys, from trace levels to commercially pure metals, and are capable of distinguishing alloy grades that are nearly identical in composition to one another. LIBS analyzers are more suited for carbon analysis of metals and alloys.
Additional Scrap Metal Recycling Concerns
Another automotive topic important to the recycling industry topic is the issue of materials theft. We’ve written in the past about our concerns with scrap metal theft, especially stolen catalytic converters. Catalytic converters – which contain precious metals — appeal to thieves because they generally cannot be traced back to a particular vehicle. It’s a double concern to scrap metal recyclers – they don’t want them stolen from their yard, and they don’t want to accept them if they are stolen.
The catalyst component of a catalytic converter is usually platinum (Pt), along with palladium (Pd), and rhodium (Rh). Stop by our booth to learn about these platinum group metals, or PGMs, which are extremely rare but have a broad range of applications in addition to catalytic converters. Platinum, for example, is used in laboratory and dental equipment, electrical contacts and electrodes, and jewelry, while palladium plays a key role in fuel cell technology. With numerous applications and limited supply, these valuable metals are an attractive target for recovery and reuse from spent catalytic converters.
Additional technologies for scrap metal recyclers that can be seen in our booth include radiation detection equipment. Undesirable radioactive sources can frequently show up at metal processing facilities, threatening the safety of employees, products, and resulting in expensive plant decontamination and shut down. Multiple points of inspection are necessary in the workflow to ensure processed materials are free from radioactive sources.
Hope to see you there
The show is right around the corner, but if you won’t be joining us, feel free to visit our website and get the latest metals analysis and scrap metal recycling blogs and information on the latest scrap metal identification technologies. Follow on twitter @ISRI using #isri2023.
Event Details:
ISRI 2023 Convention and Exposition
April 17 – 20, 2023
Music City Center
Nashville, Tennessee
Booth #1703
Presentation:
“Urban Mining”
Tuesday, April 18 at 12:00 noon in the exhibit hall
Live Demo:
Tuesday, April 18, 1:15 PM – 1:35 PM
Exhibit Hall at the Live Demo Stage located in hospitality area 5
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