Recycled scrap stainless steel is considered secondary raw material. The recycling and utilization of secondary materials can save material consumption and reduce cost expenditures. The recycling and use of waste materials can conserve resources for the nation, purify the environment, transform waste into treasure, and benefit the country and the people.

What should be noted when recycling scrap stainless steel?

The sudden decrease in the consumption of scrap stainless steel recycling is mainly due to the increasing reconstruction of blast furnace converter. Of course, the primary factor is also the reduction in social resources, as well as the quantities of national viscosity and the storage of stainless steel scrap. The annual storage of used stainless steel is composed of the consumption of iron and steel and steel products.

Developed countries have large steel reserves and abundant scrap stainless steel resources, whereas China has relatively low steel reserves and a scarcity of scrap stainless steel, which cannot meet the rapid increase in steel production demand. Since 2004, China's steel production has increased rapidly, and it is also widely used in construction projects.

Typically, when recycling stainless steel, it is simply differentiated into the two main types: the 300 series and the 200 series. For instance, 304 stainless steel is a general-purpose stainless steel material with superior corrosion resistance compared to 200 series stainless steel, and it also commands a higher recycling price. Common food-grade stainless steel materials usually employ the 304 grade, while the scrap stainless steel imported from abroad is typically old material from discarded stainless steel utensils used in daily life, which can only be reused as furnace feedstock.

Recycled stainless steel, characterized by the following: the consumption of scrap steel per ton has been decreasing year by year, down by 67 kg/ton over 6 years, a reduction of 29.52%. Meanwhile, the consumption of iron ore has seen a significant increase, much greater than the growth rate of scrap steel consumption, indicating a resource allocation trend of compensating for the tightness of scrap steel resources with high iron ore consumption, which is cause for concern. Regarding this, the China Association of Scrap and Iron & Steel Applications directly points out that "eating less ore and more scrap steel" is an inevitable outcome of historical development.

There are generally three methods for the recycling and processing of scrap stainless steel:

1. Refurbishment: There are many companies in China involved in the refurbishment of scrap stainless steel, with technology and equipment continually being developed. However, a significant amount of waste is still produced during the main processes of cleaning, stripping paint, and recoating, which is similar to the three waste treatment mentioned earlier in the painting production. This needs to be addressed with serious treatment to prevent the creation of new environmental pollution.

2. Utilizing old stainless steel for other products: Some companies manufacture other products using methods like stamping. During the recycling process, if scrap sheet material needs to be cleaned and stripped of paint, attention should also be given to the treatment of the three wastes to minimize environmental pollution.

3. Recycle Old Stainless Steel: The primary method of recycling waste stainless steel is to melt it and cast it into ingots. During repeated recycling, the metal itself does not lose strength. However, issues may arise when recycling tinplate or galvanized drums. Due to the presence of even a small amount of tin or zinc, less than 0.01%, it can cause hardening in the steel, making subsequent rolling difficult. Therefore, only a small amount of tinplate and galvanized drums are currently used directly for melting and recycling.

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