How to Obtain Pure Copper by Recycling Old Motors and Electrical Wires?

The recycling of materials has become an increasingly central theme, as it is an effective way to reduce environmental impact and create new economic opportunities.

From this perspective, treating electrical wires and motors offers great economic potential for companies. Recycling electrical components, indeed, makes it possible to recover a material of great economic value: copper.

The potential of copper: A resource with huge economic value
Copper is known to be a strong and malleable metal that can be used in numerous processes. Thanks to these characteristics, copper is considered an extremely valuable material and in recent years, its value has continued to grow, leading to an increased interest in the processing of cables and electric motors for its extraction.

So why is copper recycling so much talked about? And why are companies interested in the machinery for its processing?

A great plus of copper recycling is its ability to be recycled countless times without losing its properties. In fact, by disposing of wires and electric motors, it is possible to regain pure copper, which can be used for new processes.

FOR REC’s customized machinery for recycling electrical wires and motors
FOR REC designs and develops in-house turnkey plants for grinding and processing electrical wires and motors.

Predicting the market, FOR REC identified the growing demand for copper and decided to invest in research and development to realize increasingly sophisticated technologies for treating these materials. The lines developed by FOR REC are designed to activate a grinding and separation process that guarantees high-quality standards of the output product, delivering up to 99.5 percent pure copper.

Specifically for the treatment of wires and electric motors, FOR REC has developed recycling lines equipped with:

• Double-shaft grinders for accurate volumetric reduction and roughing of the material, with partial control of the output size.
• Single-shaft grinders for processing materials with a high specific weight, able to process materials that generate high stress on mechanical organs;
• Granulators for grinding

The lines developed by FOR REC guarantee high production rates and a capacity ranging from 500 kilograms to 10 tons/hour, with an output product that is 99.5 percent pure.

Why choose FOR REC: professionalism and expertise to realize your tailor-made projects
FOR REC has specialized in designing and creating waste treatment machinery for many years. Thanks to the experience and know-how gained over the years, the company designs customized and turn-key machines ideal for treating numerous materials, including plastic, metal, rubber, WEEE, MSW, paper and aluminium.

The strength of this company lies in the customized management of each project. The process starts with analysing waste and continues with the customized design of the machinery – manufactured according to the technical specifications and needs expressed by the customer. Next, the installation starts, and then FOR REC provides assistance in all phases of plant maintenance and control.

Would you like to learn more about how FOR REC’s machineries work? Watch the latest webinar on wires and motors treatment to discover all the technical features of their lines: forrec.eu/news-events/webinar/

(Published in GLOBAL RECYCLING Magazine 3/2023, Page 52 -Advertorial-, Photo: FOR REC)