In article > ,
Krypsis > wrote:

> On 22/06/2010 2:42 AM, Omelet wrote:
> > In m.au>,
> > > wrote:
> >
> >> Even in the narrow range of concentrations which make up steel, mixtures
> >> of carbon and iron can form a number of different structures, with very
> >> different properties. Understanding such properties is essential to
> >> making quality steel.
> >
> > So how do you feel about recycled steel?
> > Tons of dead cars go over to other countries ever year to become more
> > cars.
> >
> > I've heard bad things about engine blocks made from it.
>
> contaminants - see below
> >
> > Is it simply a matter of forging temperatures?
> >
> > I'm very much a believer in recycling whenever and wherever possible...
>
> Recycling steel is a wonderful concept. The problems arise because of
> the vast range of impurities in the recycled material. Even running the
> recycled steel through the smelting process doesn't guarantee that the
> iron or steel output has the correct alloying makeup. Probably this
> arises because of the exotic contaminants that are in the recycled steel
> as opposed to raw iron ore dug up from the ground.

Cars are often cubed whole so I can see that as a problem.
>
> Many years back, when we were running a desert rally in the Pilbara
> region of Western Australia, I took the opportunity to visit and do
> tours of the iron ore mining and port facilities. I was amazed at the
> purity of the iron ore they were digging up, anything up to 90%. Much of
> the ore was too pure for the smelters in Japan so one of the functions
> of the loading process at the port was to grade the ore into the desired
> purity level by blending high and low grade ores. The smelter operators
> knew exactly what impurities were present and could gear the processes
> up to deal with it.
>
> If you get an opportunity, go visit a car recycling plant and see just
> how cars are recycled. They aren't stripped into their component parts
> and graded into various levels of steel. Instead the entire care is
> shredded or just simply crushed into a block. Contaminants include glass
> and plastics, not good inputs into the steelmaking process.

I understand that. I would imagine that some of it would burn off, but
not all of it.

>
> Plastic recycling is becoming more sophisticated these days with the
> various forms and grades of plastic being marked with identifying labels
> to expedite the recycling process.
>
> I personally don't like to see cars recycled that way as it creates a
> dire shortage of raw materials for hotrod builders like myself. In the
> old days you could find old cars in just about every backyard in this
> country. Not so nowadays and the building of hotrods will necessarily be
> forced to change their tactics in the future because of this.
>
> Krypsis

Yes. Unfortunately, dead cars in yards tend to provide nesting sites
for Norway rats. That is why there are ordinances against them here.
--
Peace! Om

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