Novelis Recycling - Life-Cycle of the Aluminum Can

	Bauxite Extration Aluminum is the third most common element in the earth’s crust but it does not occur naturally in its pure state: It has to be extracted from its ore, known as bauxite. Bauxite’s color varies from deep red to creamy white. Most bauxite is mined in Brazil, Australia, Russia, Greece and Jamaica and shipped to the United States for processing.
Close

	Alumina Refining Bauxite is converted into aluminum through a refining process to remove impurities. The refining process produces a fine, white powder called alumina.
Close

	Primary Smelting Electricity is used to “zap” this white powder with a continuous electric current, which separates aluminum from oxygen. The electricity melts the aluminum so that it is hot and bubbly, like lava. Small amounts of other metals are added to the molten aluminum to add strength and corrosion resistance to the final product.
Close

	Ingot Casting The molten aluminum flows into molds and a curtain of water is sprayed to cool it down. As the metal cools it hardens and an ingot (a block) is formed.
Close

	Fabrication Aluminum ingots are heated and passed through a series of rollers. Gradually a long thin sheet is produced and coiled.
Close

Can Manufacturing

Coils of can sheet are fed into a large machine called cupping press. This press cuts circles from the aluminum sheet, forms them into shallow cups, which are then dropped onto a cup conveyor.

These two can body shaping steps occur at high speeds. Up to 3,750 cans are produced per minute. Cans are trimmed, printed and cleaned before being filled with your favorite beverage and sealed.

Close

	Beverage Cans Canned drinks are available almost everywhere! Over 100 billion beverage cans are sold in the United States every year. All kinds of drinks come in cans – from fizzy cola to sport drinks. They are easy to transport, drink and recycle.
Close

	Recycling Cans Cans are collected for recycling at the curbside or they can be taken to drop-off centers. Cans can also be exchanged for cash at ‘buy-back’ centers. In some states consumers can return aluminum beverage cans and redeem a deposit fee at local supermarkets. These cans are then shipped to recycling facilities.
Close

	Sorting Aluminum cans are received at the recycling facility in large bales. The bales are placed on a conveyor and broken apart into a stream of loose cans in the debaler. Magenets, vibrating conveyors and air knives are used to remove steel, lead, dirt and other contaminants.
Close

	Shredding Each can is chopped into three or four pieces and run through the decoater where paints and coatings are removed.
Close

	Remelting Using computerized equipment to control heat loss, the furnances melt the metal while blending in other metals to produce high quality can sheet alloy, in line with customer specifications.
Close