Alloyed Steel Separation

1. Alloyed Steel Separation Team 1: Rodrigo Gomez-Mendoza Namjun Kim Kristen Myatt Clark Bardman

2. Specific Scrap Separation • Scrap metal separated as it enters scrap yard • Piles have specific, known composition of alloyed steel • Allows a more specific output of shredded scrap • Later, sold to companies with more certainty of the various metals with in the scrap.

3. Density • Density of lower alloyed steel: 7.6 g/cm3. • Density of higher alloyed: around 7.85 g/cm3 depending on the type of the scrap • Melted in a vat together • the higher density (higher alloyed) steel will be on the bottom • Higher alloyed steel that sits on bottom can be tapped out, leaving the low alloyed steel behind • Only steel with desired alloy content is left in vat http://hypertextbook.com/facts/2004/KarenSutherland.shtml

4. Melting Point Separation • Low alloyed steel melts at 1432 C • High alloyed steel melts at 1415 C • All scrap is placed in chamber at1415 degrees • Only high alloyed steel melts off • Conveyer belt will have small holes for melted high alloy steel to fall through • Low alloyed steel will not melt and will continue on for processing • http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/melting-temperature-metals-d_860.html

5. Shape Memory Alloy • Replace aluminum and steel that are used for making cars • Shape Memory Alloy is lighter and cheaper. • High temperature causes them to arrange themselves into the most compact and regular pattern shape. • Nitinol has two common phases • High temperature form austenite: Hard and solid • Low temperature form martensite: flexible & with pressure, atoms • Due to the lack of manufacturing, only used in military, medical, safety, aerospace, and robotic fields. • Would make scrap life cycle more closed and efficient

6. Final Concept • All scrap steel will be moved to the processing plant and placed on a conveyer belt in heated chamber • High alloyed steel melts away, and low alloy steel stays on belt • Remaining steel moves into heated vat • Dense material (high alloyed steel) sinks to the bottom and is tapped out • Less dense metal (low alloyed steel) will remain in the vat and can be tapped out later, ready for use

7. Scrap enters Elements heat chamber to 1415 C Scrap moves with belt Low alloyed steel falls into vat High alloyed steel melts and falls though Higher density, higher alloyed, steel is removed

8. Pros • Effectively separates high and low alloyed steel • Saves higher alloyed material for later use • Does not require expensive machinery • Not much physical labor involved

9. Cons • Requires a decent amount of energy • May be hard to setup correctly and implement • Cannot process too much material at one time