Technical and Economic Feasibility of Recycling Aluminum Scrap to Aluminum Re- Draw Rod
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
Maintaining the bear low voltage line is a major difficulty that Ceylon Electricity Board faces today
since it is very sensitive to the natural and other impacts such as wayleaves, animal collisions and
electricity thefts. At present, Aerial Bundled Conductors are used for replacing existing low voltage
bear lines under maintenance/rehabilitation work and for newly constructed schemes or new
extensions. Aerial Bundle Conductors provide multiple benefits to the electricity distribution network
by increasing the network effectiveness, reducing the distribution network failures/faults and losses,
minimizing clearing of vegetation which protects environment especially in urban areas, protecting
the distribution network from theft and illegal tapping. When the low voltage power lines of bear
Aluminum conductors are converted to Aerial Bundle Conductors, the Aluminum conductors are
removed as scrap material and nearly 1000 MTon Aluminum scraps are being sold per year at a
predetermined price without using it for value-addition purposes. This project involved the study and
investigation of the technical and economic feasibility of recycling Aluminum scrap into Aluminum
Re-Draw rod to manufacture low voltage Aerial Bundle Conductors from the recycled Aluminum
scrap. Testing and detailed analysis were done on chemical composition, electrical properties,
mechanical properties and dimensional tolerance to the find technical feasibility of the scrap
Aluminum recycling process. Accordingly, with respect to all testing and analysis, fabricating
Aluminum Re-Draw Rod from scrap Aluminum is technically feasible. Further, a pricing formula
was generated and the total price was calculated for the Aluminum Re-Draw rod fabricated from
recycled Aluminum scrap by studying, witnessing, measuring and analyzing every sub-process of the
Aluminum recycling process namely Aluminum cleaning, Aluminum bailing, scrap ingot making and
Re-Draw Rod making. From this recycling process of Ceylon Electricity Board, the country can save
about US $ 2.3 million (Rs 412 million) foreign exchange per year by converting 1000 MT of scrap
Aluminum to Re-Draw Rods every year. According to the results, the economic benefit of the process
of recycling will be more than 50%. Hence this process of recycling Scrap Aluminum to Aluminum
Re-Draw rod is technically and economically feasible.
Keywords: Ceylon Electricity Board; Aerial Bundled Conductors; Aluminum; Recycling; Feasibility
Description
Keywords
Engineering Technology, Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, Recycling Aluminum Scrap