MELT PURGING AND SEPARATION OF ALUMINUM COMPONENTS

摘要

In a process of fragmenting and segregating metallic components fabricated from different aluminum alloys, a method of removing tramp impurities therefrom is provided. The method comprises the steps of providing a feedstock comprised of the metallic components having mixed therewith tramp impurities, the alloys having different incipient melting temperatures. The feedstock is heated to effect incipient melting of the component having the lowest incipient melting temperature and is then agitated sufficiently to cause the component having the lowest incipient melting temperature to fragment. The agitation also causes the fragmented component to scour tramp impurities from the unfragmented feedstock. The fragmented components and tramp impurities are segregated from the unfragmented feedstock and fragmented components are separated from the tramp impurities.