This paper reports the initial results of thermal pre-treatment of used beverage can scrap in an industrial size reverberatory multi-chamber shaft furnace. By investigating the heating conditions in the pre-heating shaft, conclusions about improving de-coating parameters are made. In the second step, the de-coated scrap was remelted in a new laboratory experiment with focus on dross formation by solid-liquid reactions. These results indicate that de-coating to minimize dross formation is possible in oxygen containing atmosphere of a multi-chamber furnace. By avoiding a maximum temperature above 500 °C in the baled beverage can scrap, oxidation of the material was limited and de-coating maximized under given furnace conditions. By preventing dross formation during the melting in a reverberatory furnace, the metal recovery is increased. Using the hot furnace off-gas to pre-heat the scrap and post-combusting the thermolysis gases of organic contamination decrease energy consumption. Resource and energy consumption are minimised while making the recycling process more energy efficient at the same time.
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