Method and system for processing aluminum alloy rims with rim serial numbers

Abstract

1. A method for processing aluminum alloy rims comprising: providing a feedstock comprising a plurality of aluminum alloy rims of differing compositions, each aluminum alloy rim having a serial number that distinguishes it from the other aluminum alloy rims; storing a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories in a non-transitory computer readable memory; separating the feedstock into a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims by scanning each rim in the feedstock to determine a serial number for the aluminum alloy rim and operating a data processor to determine one of a plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims to which each batch in the plurality of batches corresponds based on the serial number; then allocating the aluminum alloy rims to the batch corresponding to that category; and thereafter processing each batch individually.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 145,246, filed February 3, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The described embodiments relate to the field of processing aluminum alloy rims, and in particular to the use of aluminum alloy rim serial numbers during processing and / or recycling. [Background technology]

[0003] In modern waste management, it is important to recycle what would otherwise be waste material to form new materials or objects. Many different materials can be recycled, such as glass, paper, cardboard, metals, plastics, tires, textiles, batteries, and electronic devices. Typical methods for recycling waste include collection, sorting, cleaning, and processing.

[0004] Metals are particularly valuable for recycling: unlike other materials, metals can be recycled into products that are substantially identical to their source material.

[0005] Minor differences in elemental composition can result in vastly different material properties. Certain high-value alloys have specific elemental compositions. Metals submitted for recycling may differ in elemental composition from high-value alloys. Furthermore, metals submitted for recycling may have unknown compositions. When waste metals are submitted for recycling with an identifying mark, such as a serial number, it may be advantageous to use this mark to improve the recycling process by grouping similar products together or by determining the attributes of the metal waste by analyzing the attributes of the mark. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This summary is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of applicant's teachings, but does not attempt to define any particular embodiments. Generally, one or more methods for recycling waste metals are disclosed herein.

[0007] In a first aspect, some embodiments of the present invention are directed to a method of processing aluminum alloy rims, the method comprising: (1) providing a feedstock comprising a plurality of aluminum alloy rims of different compositions, each having a serial number that distinguishes it from other aluminum alloy rims in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims; (2) storing a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories in a non-transitory computer-readable memory; (3) separating the feedstock comprising aluminum alloy rims into a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims by scanning the aluminum alloy rim to determine, for each rim in the feedstock comprising aluminum alloy rims, the serial number of the aluminum alloy rim; and (4) separating the feedstock comprising aluminum alloy rims into a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims. (4) operating a data processor to determine an aluminum alloy rim category for the aluminum alloy rim from among a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories based on the serial number of the aluminum alloy rim, wherein each batch of aluminum alloy rims in the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims corresponds to one category among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories; (5) allocating the aluminum alloy rims to the batch of aluminum alloy rims corresponding to the aluminum alloy rim category; and (6) separating the raw material comprising aluminum alloy rims into the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, and then individually processing each batch of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims.

[0008] In some embodiments, for each batch of aluminum alloy rims of the multiple batches of aluminum alloy rims, individually processing the batch comprises fragmenting the aluminum alloy rims of the batch into fragments and then cleaning the fragments, wherein cleaning comprises shot blasting the fragments, and the method further comprises, for each batch of the multiple batches of aluminum alloy rims, individually providing the fragments of the batch for recycling.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method further includes storing a plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges in the non-transitory computer-readable memory, the plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges including, for each category of a plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy composition range associated with that category, and, for each element of the plurality of elements, an aluminum alloy composition range associated with that category, an elemental range for that element.

[0010] In some embodiments, the method further includes storing in the non-transitory computer readable memory manufacturer records identifying a plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, the plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers including, for each category among the plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy rim manufacturer associated with that category, and for each batch among the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, individually supplying pieces of that batch for recycling to manufacture aluminum alloy products includes supplying the pieces of that batch to the aluminum alloy rim manufacturer associated with the category corresponding to that batch.

[0011] In some embodiments, the method further includes: (1) for a particular manufacturer among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, storing in the non-transitory computer readable memory at least two different product indicators for designating at least two different categories of aluminum alloy rims among the plurality of aluminum alloy rims, the at least two different product indicators including a first product indicator for designating a first category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer and a second product indicator for designating a second category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer, the first category of aluminum alloy rims and the second category of aluminum alloy rims being different categories among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories; and (2) for each rim in the stock of aluminum alloy rims, operating the data processor to determine an aluminum alloy rim category for the aluminum alloy rim based on its serial number includes determining an aluminum alloy rim category for at least a first type of aluminum alloy rim among the plurality of aluminum alloy rims. (3) for each rim in the first type of aluminum alloy rims, allocating the aluminum alloy rims includes allocating the aluminum alloy rims to a first batch of aluminum alloy rims; (4) for each rim in the second type of aluminum alloy rims, allocating the aluminum alloy rims to a second batch of aluminum alloy rims; (5) supplying pieces of the first batch and pieces of the second batch to a specific manufacturer includes providing the first batch to the specific manufacturer with an indication that the first batch corresponds to the first category, and separately providing the second batch to the specific manufacturer with an indication that the second batch corresponds to the second category.

[0012] In some embodiments, where, for each batch of a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, shot blasting the fragments includes at least partially removing at least one contaminant element from the fragments, then the method includes (1) determining, for each fragment of a representative sample of fragments of the batch of fragments, a contaminant concentration estimate for the fragments for the at least one contaminant element; and (2) operating a data processor to: i) determine a total contaminant concentration value for the batch of fragments for each contaminant element, and for each fragment of the representative sample of fragments. , determining whether to accept or reject the batch of fragments based on contaminant concentration estimates of the contaminant elements in the fragments; and then ii) either accepting or rejecting the batch of fragments based on the total contaminant concentration value; (3) if the batch of fragments is accepted, providing the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process for producing the target aluminum alloy; and (4) if the batch of fragments is rejected, not providing the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process for producing the target aluminum alloy without further cleaning to remove any of the at least one contaminant element.

[0013] In some embodiments, the method further includes storing a plurality of contaminant composition ranges in the non-transitory computer-readable memory, the plurality of contaminant composition ranges including, for each category among the plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims, a contaminant composition range associated with that category, and each contaminant composition range among the plurality of contaminant composition ranges identifying at least one maximum contaminant concentration for at least one type of contaminant, the maximum contaminant concentration for each contaminant, and for each batch of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, shot blasting the fragments includes at least partially removing the at least one contaminant element from the fragments.

[0014] In some embodiments, for each batch of a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, after shot blasting the batch of fragments, the method includes (1) determining, for each fragment of a representative sample of fragments of the batch, a contaminant concentration estimate for the fragments for at least one contaminant element; and (2) classifying the batch of fragments into i) at least one maximum contaminant concentration identified by an aluminum alloy composition range associated with the aluminum alloy rim category corresponding to the batch, and ii) a total contaminant concentration value for the batch of fragments for at least one contaminant element and for each contaminant element. (3) operating the data processor to either pass or fail each batch of fragments of the representative sample of fragments based on a total contaminant concentration value calculated based on the contaminant concentration estimates of the contaminant element in the fragments; (4) if the batch of fragments is rejected, providing the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process for producing the target aluminum alloy without further cleaning to remove any of the at least one contaminant element.

[0015] In some embodiments, where, for each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, after shot blasting the batch of fragments, the method further includes: (1) determining, for each fragment of a representative sample of fragments of the batch of fragments, an estimated composition of the fragment for each element of a plurality of elements, including an estimate of the concentration of the element in the fragment; (2) determining, from the plurality of estimated compositions, an estimate of the total composition of the plurality of shot blasted fragments, the estimate of the total composition including a plurality of element concentration estimates, where the estimate of the total composition of the plurality of shot blasted fragments is an elemental concentration estimate for each element for the plurality of elements; (3) operating a data processor to: i) accept the batch of fragments when the estimate of the total composition of the plurality of shot blasted fragments is within an aluminum alloy composition range associated with the category determined for the batch; and (4) reject the fragments when it is not within the range; (5) if the batch of fragments is accepted, provide the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process for producing the target aluminum alloy; and (6) if the batch of fragments is rejected, not provide the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process for producing the target aluminum alloy.

[0016] In some embodiments, the method further includes defining, for each contaminant element for at least one contaminant element and for each contaminant composition range for a plurality of contaminant composition ranges, a maximum threshold value based, at least in part, on a maximum contaminant concentration of the contaminant element in the contaminant composition range, wherein, for each batch of a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, (1) the total contaminant concentration value of the batch of fragments includes at least one total concentration estimate for the batch of fragments, the at least one total concentration estimate including, for each contaminant element, a total concentration estimate of the element in the batch of fragments; and (2) operating the data processor to either pass or reject the batch of fragments includes determining, for each contaminant element for at least one contaminant element, the data processor passing the plurality of fragments if the maximum threshold value exceeds the concentration estimate for the contaminant element, and (3) the data processor rejecting the plurality of fragments if the concentration estimate of any contaminant element of the at least one contaminant element exceeds the maximum threshold value for that contaminant element. In some embodiments, the at least one contaminant element comprises at least two contaminant elements, at least a first contaminant element and a second contaminant element, and for each fragment of the representative sample of fragments, determining contaminant concentration estimates for the fragment for each contaminant element for the at least two contaminant elements comprises determining a first contaminant concentration estimate for the first contaminant in the fragment and a second contaminant concentration estimate for the second contaminant element in the fragment.

[0017] In some embodiments, the first contaminant element and the second contaminant element are selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, chromium, silicon, lead, copper, and zinc.

[0018] In some embodiments, for each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, providing the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process further includes providing the batch of fragments along with an indication of at least two total contaminant concentration estimates for the batch of fragments.

[0019] In some embodiments, determining a contaminant concentration estimate for each fragment of a representative sample of fragments of a batch of fragments for at least one contaminant element in the fragment includes heating material of the fragment to a temperature at which the material emits characteristic radiation upon cooling, operating a sensor to detect the characteristic radiation, and operating a processor to analyze the characteristic radiation to determine a compositional measurement of the material.

[0020] In some embodiments, the total contaminant concentration value for the batch of fragments includes at least two concentration variance estimates for the batch of fragments, the at least two concentration variance estimates including, for each contaminant element in the at least two types of contaminant elements, a concentration variance estimate for that contaminant element in the plurality of fragments, and, for each contaminant element in the at least two types of contaminant elements, a maximum threshold value for that contaminant element is determined based at least in part on the concentration variance estimate for that contaminant element in the plurality of fragments.

[0021] In some embodiments, individually processing each batch of aluminum alloy rims of the multiple batches of aluminum alloy rims includes cleaning the aluminum alloy rims of the batch while keeping them undamaged, and the method further includes individually providing each batch of the multiple batches of aluminum alloy rims with the cleaned aluminum alloy rims of the batch.

[0022] In some embodiments, the method further includes storing in the non-transitory computer readable memory manufacturer records identifying a plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, the plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers including, for each category among the plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy rim manufacturer associated with that category, and wherein, for each batch of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, individually supplying the cleaned aluminum alloy rims for that batch includes supplying the cleaned aluminum alloy rims for that batch to the aluminum alloy rim manufacturer associated with the category corresponding to that batch.

[0023] In some embodiments, the method further includes, for a particular manufacturer among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, storing in the non-transitory computer readable memory at least two different product indicators for designating at least two different categories of aluminum alloy rims in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims, the at least two different product indicators including a first product indicator for designating a first category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer and a second product indicator for designating a second category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer, the first category of aluminum alloy rims and the second category of aluminum alloy rims being different categories among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories and associated with different aluminum alloy composition ranges among the plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges, and operating the data processor to determine, for each rim in the stock of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy rim category of the aluminum alloy rim based on its serial number includes storing in the non-transitory computer readable memory at least two different product indicators for designating at least two different categories of aluminum alloy rims in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims, the at least two different product indicators including a first product indicator for designating a first category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer and a second product indicator for designating a second category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer, the first category of aluminum alloy rims and the second category of aluminum alloy rims being different categories among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories and associated with different aluminum alloy composition ranges among the plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges, and for at least a second type of aluminum alloy rim among the plurality of aluminum alloy rims, determining a first category of aluminum alloy rims for the first type of aluminum alloy rims and a second category of aluminum alloy rims for the second type of aluminum alloy rims; allocating the aluminum alloy rims for each rim in the first type of aluminum alloy rims includes allocating the aluminum alloy rims to a first batch of aluminum alloy rims; allocating the aluminum alloy rims for each rim in the second type of aluminum alloy rims includes allocating the aluminum alloy rims to a second batch of aluminum alloy rims; and supplying the first batch of cleaned aluminum alloy rims and the second batch of cleaned aluminum alloy rims to a specific manufacturer includes providing the first batch to the specific manufacturer with an indication that the first batch corresponds to the first category, and separately providing the second batch to the specific manufacturer with an indication that the second batch corresponds to the second category.

[0024] In some embodiments, the method further includes, for each batch of aluminum alloy rims of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, estimating a reclaim sales price of the aluminum alloy rims of the batch, estimating a recycled sales price of the aluminum alloy rims of the batch, and then performing only one of reclaiming or recycling based on the reclaim sales price or the recycled sales price, wherein reclaiming includes individually cleaning the aluminum alloy rims of the batch while keeping them undamaged and then individually supplying the cleaned aluminum alloy rims of the batch, and recycling includes fragmenting the aluminum alloy rims of the batch into pieces and then cleaning the pieces, and cleaning includes shot blasting the pieces and then individually supplying the pieces of the batch for recycling.

[0025] According to some aspects, a system for processing aluminum alloy rims includes: (1) an aluminum alloy rim transport mechanism for providing a feedstock comprising a plurality of aluminum alloy rims having different compositions and for separating the feedstock comprising aluminum alloy rims into a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, each aluminum alloy rim in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims having a serial number that distinguishes the aluminum alloy rim from other aluminum alloy rims in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims; (2) a computer readable memory having stored therein a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories; (3) a scanner, wherein, in operation, for each rim in the feedstock of aluminum alloy rims, the scanner scans the aluminum alloy rim to determine a serial number for the aluminum alloy rim; (4) a data processor connected in communication with the computer readable memory and the scanner; and (5) downstream processing equipment for receiving and individually processing each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims. During operation of the data processor, for each rim in the raw material consisting of aluminum alloy rims, the scanner transmits a serial number to the data processor, and the data processor determines an aluminum alloy rim category for the aluminum alloy rim from among a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories based on the serial number, and each batch of aluminum alloy rims in the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims corresponds to one category from the plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories.

[0026] In some embodiments, downstream processing equipment fragments the batch of aluminum alloy rims into pieces and then shot blasts the pieces.

[0027] In some embodiments, the computer readable memory stores a plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges, the plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges including, for each category of a plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy composition range associated with that category, the aluminum alloy composition range associated with that category including, for each element of the plurality of elements, an elemental range for that element.

[0028] In some embodiments, the computer readable memory stores manufacturer records identifying a plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, the plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers including, for each category among a plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy rim manufacturer associated with that category.

[0029] In some embodiments, for a particular manufacturer among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, the computer readable memory stores at least two different product identifiers for designating at least two different categories of aluminum alloy rims among the plurality of aluminum alloy rims, wherein the at least two different product identifiers include a first product identifier for designating a first category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer and a second product identifier for designating a second category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer, the first category of aluminum alloy rims and the second category of aluminum alloy rims being different categories among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories, and for each rim in the stock of aluminum alloy rims, the data processor, in operation, and for at least a second type of aluminum alloy rim among the plurality of aluminum alloy rims, determining an aluminum alloy rim category for the aluminum alloy rim by determining a first category of aluminum alloy rim for the first type of aluminum alloy rim and a second category of aluminum alloy rim for the second type of aluminum alloy rim based on the serial numbers; for each rim among the first type of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy rim transfer mechanism that allocates the aluminum alloy rim includes allocating the aluminum alloy rim to a first batch of aluminum alloy rims; and for each rim among the second type of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy rim transfer mechanism that allocates the aluminum alloy rim includes allocating the aluminum alloy rim to a second batch of aluminum alloy rims.In some embodiments, the system further includes a compositional analyzer that, in operation, for each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims and for each of the fragments of a representative sample of fragments of the batch of fragments, determines a contaminant concentration estimate for the fragments for at least one contaminant element, and is coupled for electronic communication with the data processor; and a downstream processing device that shot blasts the fragments, in operation, for each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, at least partially removes at least one contaminant element from the fragments, and is coupled for electronic communication with the data processor. In operation, the sensor is adapted to, for each batch of a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, i) determine a total contaminant concentration value for the batch of fragments for each contaminant element of at least one type of contaminant element and for each fragment of the representative sample of fragments based on a contaminant concentration estimate for that contaminant element in the fragments, and ii) either pass or fail the batch of fragments based on the total contaminant concentration value for the batch of fragments, wherein the total contaminant concentration value is calculated for each contaminant element of the at least one type of contaminant element and for each fragment of the representative sample of fragments based on a contaminant concentration estimate for that contaminant element in the fragments.

[0030] In some embodiments, each aluminum alloy composition range in the plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges identifies at least one maximum contaminant concentration for at least one type of contaminant, including a maximum contaminant concentration for each contaminant, and the data processor, in operation, for each batch of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, accepts or rejects the batch of segments based on the total contaminant concentration value and the at least one maximum contaminant concentration for that batch of segments.

[0031] In some embodiments, the compositional analysis device comprises a radiation emitter for heating the material of each rim at least one spot on the surface of the rim to a temperature at which the material emits characteristic radiation as it cools, a sensor for detecting and measuring the characteristic radiation, and a processor for determining the composition of the material from the characteristic radiation.

[0032] In some embodiments, the compositional analyzer is a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy compositional analyzer.

[0033] In some embodiments, the aluminum alloy rim transfer mechanism comprises at least one of a conveyor, a pick and place unit, and a robotic arm.

[0034] In some embodiments, the system further includes a plurality of movement paths for the feedstock consisting of a plurality of aluminum alloy rims downstream of the scanner, wherein each rim in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims is transported along a movement path selected from the plurality of movement paths based on a batch selected by the processor for that rim from a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims.

[0035] These and other advantages of the present invention will be more fully and completely understood with reference to the following drawings and in conjunction with the following detailed description of embodiments and aspects of the invention. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] The flow chart illustrates a method for processing an aluminum alloy rim.

[0037] [Figure 2] The flow chart illustrates a method for processing an aluminum alloy rim.

[0038] [Figure 3] The flow chart illustrates a method for processing an aluminum alloy rim.

[0039] [Figure 4] The flow chart illustrates a method for processing an aluminum alloy rim.

[0040] [Figure 5]The flow chart illustrates a method for processing an aluminum alloy rim.

[0041] [Figure 6] The flow chart illustrates a method for processing an aluminum alloy rim.

[0042] [Figure 7] The flow chart illustrates a method for processing an aluminum alloy rim.

[0043] [Figure 8] The flow chart illustrates a method for processing an aluminum alloy rim.

[0044] [Figure 9] In the block diagram, a processing system for aluminum alloy rims is illustrated. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0045] It will be appreciated that numerous specific details are presented to provide a thorough understanding of the example embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the embodiments described herein. Furthermore, the specification and drawings should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein in any way, but merely as describing implementations of the various embodiments described herein.

[0046] Reference is first made to Figure 1, which illustrates a method 100 for processing aluminum alloy rims. Method 100 begins in step 102 with providing a plurality of aluminum alloy rims of different compositions. While each rim comprises an aluminum alloy, the specific elemental composition of one rim may differ from the composition of other rims in the feedstock. For example, one rim may be made of A356.2 aluminum alloy while another rim may be made of a different aluminum alloy.

[0047] Even if two rims are made from the same alloy, their specific composition may differ. For example, Ecomelt 356.2 has the following elemental composition range: Si: 6.5%-7.5%, Cu: 0%-0.02%, Fe: 0%-0.014%, Mg: 0.25%-0.4%, Zn: 0%-0.018%, Mn: 0%-0.03%, Ni: 0%-0.008%, Cr: 0%-0.03%, Sn: 0%-0.01%, Ti: 0%-0.15%, Sr: 0%-0.02%, and Al: 0%-91.674%. Two products, both made from Ecomelt 356.2, may each fall within a specific composition range and have slightly different specific compositions.

[0048] The aluminum alloy rims provided in step 102 each have a serial number that distinguishes each rim from the others. The serial number may be printed or engraved on the surface of the rim.

[0049] A plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories are stored in non-transitory computer readable memory at step 104. The aluminum alloy rim categories may include rims made by the same manufacturer, rims with the same product designation, rims of the same alloy, rims from the same production batch, age, surface treatment, coating, or other attributes used to group the rims together.

[0050] In step 110, the aluminum alloy rims are separated into multiple batches of aluminum alloy rims. In step 110a, the aluminum alloy rims are scanned to determine a serial number for each aluminum alloy rim. In some examples of step 110a, the rims may be scanned by a visible light camera. The visible light camera may capture still or continuous images. From these images, a serial number associated with each rim may be determined. In some examples, the images may be reviewed by a human operator to determine the associated serial number. In other examples, a data processor may be operated to determine the serial number using a program from the still or continuous image data. In some examples, the data processor may process the captured image data in real time. In other examples, the data processor may begin processing the collected data only when image data collection is complete.

[0051] In other examples, other sensor types may be used to determine the serial number of each aluminum rim, including infrared sensors, barcode scanners, stereoscopic imaging sensors, or other sensors known in the art for capturing serial numbers engraved or printed on metal surfaces.

[0052] In some examples, the rims are scanned automatically, determining the serial numbers of every rim as it passes through an area containing aluminum alloy rim stock. In other examples, a human operator pre-processes the rims to facilitate scanning. For example, the rims may be positioned so that all serial numbers face the sensor. In other examples, a human operator operates a handheld scanning device and manipulates the scanner so that each rim is scanned in turn. The scanner is positioned so that, for each rim, the rim's serial number is within the field of view of the scanner's sensor. Once a rim is scanned, the operator moves on to the next rim.

[0053] In some examples, once scanned, the serial numbers may be stored in non-transitory computer readable memory and associated with each particular rim.

[0054] In step 110b, the data processor is operated to determine, for each aluminum rim, an aluminum alloy rim category from the categories stored in step 104 based on its serial number. The data processor may access a database stored in non-transitory computer-readable memory. The database may include the aluminum alloy rim categories stored in step 104 and the serial numbers corresponding to each category. For example, lists of serial numbers may be received from various manufacturers, and each list may be stored in association with a particular manufacturer. In the case of a manufacturer that produces various types of aluminum alloy rims made from aluminum alloys that may have different compositions, several lists of serial numbers for that manufacturer may be stored, including a separate list of serial numbers for each different type of aluminum alloy rim. The data processor may compare the value of the serial number determined in step 110b with known serial numbers corresponding to aluminum alloy rim categories. If the determined serial number is equal to a serial number stored in non-transitory computer-readable memory that corresponds to a category of aluminum alloy rim categories, the rim associated with the determined serial number may be associated with this aluminum alloy rim category. Alternatively, the database may use an algorithm to determine whether a serial number corresponds to a particular category (e.g., a portion of the serial number may be found to indicate a particular manufacturer or a particular product line made by a particular manufacturer, or the format of the serial number may uniquely identify a particular manufacturer or a particular product line made by a particular manufacturer). The data processor may perform operations, having an equation associated with them, on the serial numbers determined in step 110a for each category. The result of each operation may indicate whether the determined serial number is associated with the aluminum alloy rim category.

[0055] In step 110c, the aluminum alloy rims are allocated into batches according to the aluminum alloy rim categories determined in step 110b. In some examples, the rims may be physically separated so that each rim batch is stored in a separate area or separate container. In other embodiments, different batches may be separated from each other in other ways to prevent contamination.

[0056] The aluminum alloy rims are allocated into multiple batches of aluminum alloy rims. In some examples, the rims are allocated into physically separate batches. The aluminum alloy rims may then be processed batch by batch. Each batch has various characteristics, such as alloy type, elemental composition, manufacturer, coating, age, or other characteristics, corresponding to a previously determined aluminum alloy rim category, so that each batch can be processed in a manner appropriate for the characteristics of its associated category. In some examples, a batch may include rims with an anodized surface from a particular manufacturer. These rims may be processed using a first method. Another batch may include rims without an anodized surface. This batch may be processed using a second method.

[0057] Some examples of method 100 may further include step 114, and step 112 may further include steps 112a and 112b.

[0058] In step 112a, when each batch of the multiple batches of aluminum alloy rims is individually processed, the aluminum alloy rims are fragmented into pieces. In some examples, the pieces may be produced by passing the aluminum alloy rims through a fragmentation unit. The fragmentation unit may be a shredding device. Any suitable shredding machine known in the art may be used. For example, the aluminum alloy rims may be fed into the hopper of a conventional shredding device, such as the SSI Series 45H shredding machine available from SSI Shredding Systems Inc., 9760 SW Freeman Drive, Wilsonville, Oregon, 97070-9286, USA. The shredding device may include a cutter box containing cutters that may be mounted on parallel, counter-rotating shafts. A feedstock hopper may be disposed above the cutter box. The aluminum alloy rims placed in the feed hopper are then moved downward by gravity to a suitable location where they can be torn or cut into strips by the engagement of the cutters.

[0059] The size of the fragments produced in step 112a may vary depending on the design and configuration of the fragmentation unit, for example, the dimensions, spacing and orientation of the shredders or cutters.

[0060] In step 112b, the pieces produced in step 112a are cleaned. The cleaning step includes shot blasting the pieces. That is, the cleaning unit may include a shot blasting device. Further, each piece may be subjected to manual hand cleaning by an operator, water blasting, sand blasting, laser cleaning, a washing process, and / or wire brush grinding at the cleaning station. In some example methods, at least some of the pieces may be subjected to more than one type of cleaning during the cleaning process.

[0061] For example, when using shot blasting in cleaning process 112b, abrasive particles, i.e., multiple projectiles, can be projected at high velocity onto the piece. The projectiles impacting the surface of the piece can remove coatings, corrosion, and debris, i.e., contaminant elements, that have accumulated on the surface of the piece, resulting in a piece with a largely uncontaminated surface.

[0062] Shot blasting can be carried out in any suitable shot blasting equipment. For example, the equipment can be a centrifugal blasting equipment, such as a Model (FB-4 / 28 / E / MR) Flexbel system suitable for blast cleaning small parts, available from BCP Wheelabrator, 1219 Corporate Drive, Burlington, Ontario, L7L 5V5, Canada. The abrasive (projectile) can include steel shot, alumina, silica, and other abrasive materials.

[0063] In step 112b, the shot blasted pieces may be separated from the blast material (other similar separation steps may occur depending on the type of cleaning used). Separating the pieces from the blast material may be desirable because including the blast material in the aggregate batch may distort the composition and result in contaminant concentrations that are too high for use in producing some valuable alloys.

[0064] In step 114, the pieces of each batch are separately submitted for recycling. Each batch corresponds to a distinct aluminum alloy rim category with specific characteristics, such as rims made by the same manufacturer, rims with the same product designation, rims of the same alloy, rims from the same production batch, age, surface treatment, coating, or other attributes that may be used to group rims. These characteristics may change the recycling value of each batch. For example, rims made from a high-value alloy may be recycled into a high-value alloy and fetch a higher price. Rims made from a lower-value alloy or an alloy with an unknown composition may be recycled using a different process.

[0065] Some examples of method 100 may further include step 106, in which an aluminum alloy composition range is stored in the non-transitory computer-readable memory for each aluminum alloy rim category, the composition range including, for each of a plurality of elements, an elemental range for that element. For example, a category of aluminum alloy rim may have an associated composition range. The aluminum alloy may be A356.2 aluminum alloy. The associated composition range includes the elemental composition range for A356.2 aluminum alloy.

[0066] Some examples of method 100 may further include step 108, in which manufacturer records identifying multiple aluminum alloy rim manufacturers are stored in non-transitory computer readable memory such that a manufacturer is associated with each aluminum rim category. In methods that include step 108, when an aluminum alloy rim is assigned to a category in step 110c, the rim is associated with an aluminum alloy manufacturer.

[0067] In the example of method 100 including step 108, step 114 of individually providing each batch of fragments for recycling may include providing a batch of fragments for recycling where the batch is associated with a single aluminum alloy rim manufacturer. Grouping fragments by manufacturer may be advantageous in situations where the manufacturer has a known reputation for quality control. In some examples, a manufacturer may only produce rims of one particular alloy type with a very specific elemental composition range, resulting in recycled material with a known material composition. In other examples, when two batches of rims of the same alloy are provided, each batch may have a different composition. Further grouping rims into batches by manufacturer may result in batches with a more specific composition for a given alloy type. In some examples, additional measures may be employed to keep separate batches intended for different manufacturers separate from each other to prevent inadvertent contamination of one batch with materials from another batch. For example, without limitation, each batch may be individually sealed in one or more containers to prevent contamination with materials not belonging to that batch. In another example, separate batches may be stored in separate locations to prevent contamination.

[0068] 2, there is depicted a method 200 for treating an aluminum alloy rim. Method 200 may include any of the steps included in method 100, and further includes steps 204, 210b, 210c, and 214.

[0069] In step 204, at least two different product indicators for designating at least two different categories of aluminum alloy rims from a particular manufacturer are stored in non-transitory computer-readable memory. In some examples, the product indicators may include rims of a particular alloy, style, size, surface treatment, age, or other characteristics. The product indicators stored in step 204 correspond to the aluminum alloy rim categories stored in memory in step 104 described above. The at least two different product indicators stored in step 204 correspond to two different aluminum alloy rim categories. In some examples, more than one product indicator may be stored. Among the combinations of two or more stored product indicators, it is possible for two product indicators to correspond to the same aluminum alloy rim category. For example, product indicator A1, product indicator A2, and product indicator B1, all manufactured by manufacturer ABC, may correspond to only two aluminum alloy rim categories stored in step 104. A1 and A2 may correspond to example category 1, while B1 may correspond to example category 2.

[0070] In step 210b, the data processor is operated to determine an aluminum alloy rim category for the aluminum alloy rim based on its serial number. In step 102 of method 200, at least a first type and a second type of aluminum alloy rim are provided. Each type of aluminum alloy rim may be associated with a particular product identifier stored in memory in step 204. The serial number of the first type of rim is determined as described in step 110a. The serial number of the second type of rim is determined as described in step 110a. The data processor is then operated as described for step 110b to determine an aluminum alloy rim category associated with each type of rim. The first type of rim is associated with the first aluminum alloy rim category. The second type of rim is associated with the second aluminum alloy rim category. For example, rim type A1 from manufacturer ABC and rim type B1 from manufacturer ABC may be provided. The serial number of each rim is scanned, and then the data processor is operated to determine an aluminum alloy rim category associated with each type of aluminum alloy rim, as described above with respect to method 100. For example, rim type A1 may be associated with category 1, while rim type B1 may be associated with category 2. All rims of each type, each containing the same product designator, may be associated with the same category. For example, all type A1 rims provided to method 200 may be associated with category 1, and all type B1 rims provided to method 200 may be associated with category 2.

[0071] In step 210c, the aluminum alloy rims are allocated to a first batch or a second batch of aluminum alloy rims. Each batch corresponds to an aluminum alloy rim category described in step 110c. Furthermore, each batch corresponds to a product identifier stored in step 204. Each type of rim is allocated to a separate batch. For example, all rims of type A1, all associated with category 1, are allocated to batch 1, and all rims of type B1, all associated with category 2, are allocated to batch 2. As described in step 110c, the rims may be allocated to each batch by physically separating the rims. In some instances, a human operator may separate the rims into separate batches. In other instances, an automated device, such as a conveyor system or a robotic arm, may automatically allocate the rims to batches based on previously determined attributes.

[0072] In some examples of method 200, the aluminum alloy rims may be distributed into two or more batches in step 210c.

[0073] In step 214, pieces of each batch of aluminum alloy rims are provided to a particular manufacturer associated with each category of each batch stored in memory in step 108. A first batch is provided to the manufacturer with an indication that the first batch corresponds to a first category of aluminum alloy rims. Separately, a second batch is provided to the manufacturer with an indication that the second batch corresponds to a second category. For example, the rims of batch 1 are provided to manufacturer ABC with an indication that the rims of batch 1 correspond to aluminum alloy rim category 1, and the rims of batch 2 are provided to manufacturer ABC with an indication that the rims of batch 2 correspond to category 2. In some examples, the indication of the rim category may be a physical indication, such as a printed adhesive label, a painted indication, or other physical indication, attached to each rim in the batch. In other examples, the indication provided with each batch in step 214 may be an electronic record, such as a value stored in a non-transitory computer-readable memory, or other means of electronic indication. In some examples, batch 1 and batch 2 may be kept separate from one another, and additional measures may be taken to prevent contamination of either batch with materials from the other batch. For example, but not by way of limitation, one or both batches may be individually sealed in one or more containers to prevent contamination of one batch with materials not belonging to that batch. In another example, but also without limitation, different batches may be shipped separately to a manufacturer to reduce the risk of cross-contamination or contamination.

[0074] Referring now to Figure 3, there is depicted a method 300 for treating an aluminum alloy rim. Method 300 may include any of the steps of method 100 of Figure 1, and further includes steps 312b, 316, 318, 320, 322, and 324. Step 312b corresponds to step 112b, and all descriptions above relating to step 112b apply to step 312b of method 300.

[0075] In step 312b, the pieces are cleaned. The cleaning step includes shot blasting the pieces to remove at least one contaminant element from the pieces. It may be desirable to at least partially remove contaminant elements from the pieces to at least reduce the concentration of these contaminant elements in the batch composition, without completely removing these contaminant elements. Because material properties may be sensitive to elemental composition, the inclusion of contaminant elements in the batch may distort the composition, resulting in a contaminant concentration that is too high for the batch to be used to produce some valuable alloys. In other words, the raw material consisting of rim pieces may have a batch composition that includes contaminant elements, making it less desirable. On the other hand, the cleaned pieces may have a batch composition that includes relatively fewer contaminant elements, thus increasing its desirability. Thus, it may be desirable to remove all contaminant elements, leaving a contaminant-free metal surface.

[0076] Examples of contaminant elements include, but are not limited to, coatings such as paint, metal electroplating, ceramic coatings, or plastic coatings. Similarly, the exterior surface of the scrap metal pieces may be characterized by environmental contamination such as corrosion or rust. Additionally, contaminants may be nuts, bolts, screws, steel bushings, etc. (i.e., foreign objects) that may be attached to the aluminum alloy rims.

[0077] In step 316, a contaminant concentration estimate is determined for each fragment of the representative sample of fragments for each batch of fragments. The contaminant concentration estimate is an estimate of the amount (by mass) of a contaminant element relative to the mass of the fragment containing that contaminant element (e.g., on the surface of the fragment and / or affixed to the fragment). It should be understood that an element not commonly found in the base alloy is not necessarily considered a contaminant element. Furthermore, what is considered a contaminant element may vary between recycling processes depending, for example, on the desired properties for the batch. That is, for example, in one recycling process for an aluminum alloy, copper may be considered a contaminant element, while in a second recycling process, copper may not be considered a contaminant element.

[0078] Any method known in the art can be used to measure the concentration of a contaminant on a piece where the contaminant is immobilized and / or on the surface. In some examples, a laser scanner can be used to measure the concentration of the contaminant in a representative sample of the piece. This may involve using a laser to heat a material at a point on the surface of the representative piece to a temperature where the material will emit characteristic radiation as it cools. A sensor can then be operated to detect the characteristic radiation to provide a spectrum of signal magnitudes at various frequencies. This spectrum of signal magnitudes at various frequencies can then be analyzed by a computer processor to infer the relative concentrations of various elements in the alloy, as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 10,220,418, incorporated herein by reference. If the type of base alloy is known (i.e., which elements are predicted to be detected by the sensor), the computer processor can infer which elements are "contaminant elements" and which are "alloying elements." Thus, the concentration of the contaminant elements can be estimated.

[0079] One concentration measurement may be taken per segment of a representative sample of segments. The location of this measurement may affect the contaminant concentration estimate. For example, if a measurement is taken directly at a rust spot, the contaminant concentration estimate may be different than if a measurement were taken adjacent to the rust spot on the same segment. Thus, in some instances, several concentration measurements may be taken per segment of a representative sample of segments. Therefore, the concentration measurements should be understood as estimates. It should be understood that if enough measurements are taken on enough segments, an accurate estimate of the contaminant concentration can be obtained based on statistical analysis.

[0080] In one example, a "Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy" (LIBS) composition analyzer manufactured by Laser Distance Spectrometry can be employed as the laser scanner and sensor. The LIBS composition analyzer may include a radiation emitter, such as a Nd:YAG laser. The laser emits light at a frequency ranging from 1 to 20 hertz, thereby raising the temperature of the fragment at the interface between the fragment and the laser to above 30,000 degrees Celsius and generating a plasma. The plasma rapidly cools, and the highly energized ions return to a low-energy state. As they return to their low-energy state, the ions emit characteristic radiation. The LIBS composition analyzer may include one or more sensors that detect the characteristic radiation. A processor may then analyze readings obtained from the sensors and determine from them the concentrations of components contained in the material undergoing the temperature change. The processor may be located in the composition analyzer. Alternatively, the processor may be a remote processor.

[0081] Other suitable composition analyzers may include composition analyzers that use laser spectroscopy or other systems that rely on other methods of inducing characteristic radiation to be emitted by the material of each piece at the surface of the piece and detecting and analyzing the characteristic radiation to determine the composition of the material. The composition analyzer may detect the characteristic radiation by using any suitable sensor; for example, suitable sensors may include complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), high-density short-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (HMOS), charge-coupled device (CCD), and other types of sensors.

[0082] A suitable compositional analyzer may employ, for example, a radiation emitter such as a plasma, an electron beam, or any other radiation emitter suitable for heating the material of each fragment at at least one spot on the surface of the fragment to a temperature that, as the material cools, emits a characteristic radiation of sufficient quantity and quality to enable a sensor to detect the characteristic radiation and a processor to determine the composition of the material from the characteristic radiation. The compositional analyzer may be adapted to withstand continuous use as well as typical conditions that may be present in a particular metal waste recycling operation. Such conditions may include vibrations resulting from the operation of the moving mechanism and dust and other particles generated in the recycling process.

[0083] Alternatively, other means of inferring composition may be used that do not involve measuring characteristic emissions.

[0084] Because a single fragment may contain several contaminant elements, in some instances, contaminant concentration estimates for several contaminant elements may be determined for the fragment. For example, a fragment may contain two contaminant elements, i.e., a first contaminant element and a second contaminant element. Thus, in step 316, a first contaminant concentration estimate may be made for the first contaminant element and a second contaminant concentration estimate may be made for the second contaminant element. Furthermore, it should be understood that not all fragments contain the same contaminant elements. For example, some fragments in a plurality of fragments may be contaminated with paint, some may be contaminated with rust, and some may be contaminated with both paint and rust.

[0085] Furthermore, while desirable, determining a contaminant concentration estimate for each contaminant element for each fragment of the plurality of fragments may be impractical. For example, testing each fragment of the plurality of fragments may be impractical due to the amount of time required to generate a contaminant concentration estimate. Thus, in some instances, a subset of the plurality of fragments may be used as a representative sample of the plurality of fragments, and contaminant concentration estimates for each contaminant element may be determined for only the fragments of the representative sample of fragments.

[0086] In step 318, the data processor is operated to determine a total contaminant concentration value for the batch of fragments based on a representative sample of fragments from the batch of fragments. For example, the total contaminant concentration value may be based on the highest contaminant concentration estimate measured in the representative sample of fragments, or the percentage of fragments having a contaminant concentration estimate above a particular threshold. This threshold may be specific to a particular contaminant element. For example, the total contaminant concentration value may be based on the percentage of fragments having an iron concentration estimate above a particular threshold. Alternatively, many contaminant elements may be assigned their own specific thresholds. For example, the total contaminant concentration value may be based on the percentage of fragments having an iron concentration estimate above an iron-specific threshold and / or a lead concentration estimate above a lead-specific threshold.

[0087] In some embodiments, determining the total contaminant concentration value may include determining the standard deviation or variance of the concentration of a particular contaminant in the representative sample of fragments from the individual contaminant concentration estimates for the individual fragments. If the standard deviation or variance is too high, the batch may be rejected because the total contaminant concentration estimate for that contaminant cannot be determined with sufficient certainty. A specific threshold value for a particular contaminant may then be determined based, at least in part, on the variance or standard deviation in the contaminant concentration estimates for that contaminant in the representative sample of fragments. The higher the standard deviation, the lower the specific threshold value for that contaminant should be set relative to the maximum allowable concentration of that contaminant in the alloy to be recycled, to reduce the probability that the actual concentration of that contaminant in the alloy to be recycled will exceed the maximum allowable concentration.

[0088] When a sufficient percentage of fragments in a representative sample of fragments have excessively high contaminant concentration estimates, e.g., estimates above a certain threshold for those contaminant elements, this may indicate an upstream problem, e.g., improper cleaning of the fragments, or may indicate that some waste metal pieces were included in the batch when they should not have been. That is, it may be desirable to reject multiple fragments when the total contaminant concentration estimate cannot be estimated with a sufficiently high degree of certainty, and when the presence of highly contaminated fragments is an indication that the total contaminant concentration estimate cannot be estimated with a sufficiently high degree of certainty.

[0089] For example, consider a representative sample of fragments containing n fragments, where n is a positive integer. n should be chosen to be large enough so that the representative sample of fragments is adequately representative of the plurality of fragments. Next, suppose that experience (i.e., from empirical data collected from prior recycling process cases) indicates that if a sufficiently high proportion of fragments in the representative sample of fragments have iron concentrations above a threshold percentage, e.g., 5%, this suggests (increases the probability) that there is a problem with the upstream supply or purification of the plurality of fragments. The number of fragments with excessively high iron concentrations, and those excessively high iron concentrations, may or may not be significant enough to raise the predicted total concentration of iron across the plurality of fragments above an acceptable limit. However, even if the number of fragments with excessively high iron concentrations and those excessively high iron concentrations are insufficient to raise the predicted total concentration of iron within the entire plurality of fragments above an acceptable limit, it may be desirable to reject the plurality of fragments because the number of fragments with excessively high iron concentrations in the representative sample of fragments may reduce confidence in the accuracy of the total iron concentration estimate that can be determined for the entire plurality of fragments based solely on the fragment iron concentration estimates of the representative sample of fragments.

[0090] In another example, the total contaminant concentration value may be based on an average of all contaminant concentration estimates measured for each fragment in the representative sample of fragments, i.e., based on the total contaminant concentration estimate. That is, a decision to pass or reject a plurality of fragments may be made by comparing the average of the contaminant concentration estimates measured for each fragment in the representative sample of fragments to a threshold value for each contaminant element. Provided the representative sample of fragments is sufficiently large relative to the plurality of fragments as a whole, the average of all contaminant concentration estimates measured for each fragment in the representative sample of fragments is likely to provide a statistically accurate approximation of the total contaminant concentration across the plurality of fragments.

[0091] Any statistical method known in the art may be used to determine the minimum size of the smaller sample population necessary to be statistically representative of the larger population so that attributes of the larger population can be inferred from attributes measured on the smaller sample population. Statistical methods may also be used to provide uncertainty values ​​for the total contaminant concentration values.

[0092] If the representative sample of a fragment contains only one contaminant element, the total contaminant concentration value may be based only on the total contaminant concentration estimate for that contaminant element. If the representative sample of a fragment contains, for example, three contaminant elements, the total contaminant concentration value may be based on the total contaminant concentration estimates for each of the three contaminant elements. That is, the total contaminant concentration value for multiple fragments may be based on each of the total contaminant concentration estimates for each contaminant in the representative sample of the fragment from the multiple fragments.

[0093] For example, consider a representative sample of fragments that includes 10 equally sized fragments, three of which have a contaminant concentration estimate of 5% iron by weight and a contaminant concentration estimate of 3% lead by weight, three of which have a contaminant concentration estimate of 3% iron by weight and a contaminant concentration estimate of 1% lead by weight, two of which have a contaminant concentration estimate of 7% copper by weight, and two of which have a contaminant concentration estimate of 1% iron by weight, a contaminant concentration estimate of 3% copper by weight, and a contaminant concentration estimate of 2% silicon by weight.

[0094] In this example, the total contaminant concentration value may be based on the average of each of the contaminant concentration estimates per piece, i.e., the total contaminant concentration estimate in this example is 2.6% iron by mass, 1.2% lead by mass, 2% copper by mass, and 0.4% silicon by mass.

[0095] Thus, the total contaminant concentration value can be based on the total contaminant concentration estimate in various ways, for example, i) by determining the mean of the contaminant concentration estimates for the individual fragments for each contaminant and / or the variance or standard deviation in these contaminant concentration estimates for the individual fragments, or ii) by determining that the total contaminant concentration estimate cannot be estimated with a sufficiently high degree of certainty due to the presence of highly contaminated fragments in the representative sample of fragments (and perhaps concerns about possible lapses in upstream cleaning or other process steps).

[0096] In step 320, the batch of fragments is passed or rejected based on the total contaminant concentration value. In some examples, the total contaminant concentration value may be the result of a series of calculations used to pass or reject a plurality of fragments. For example, the total contaminant concentration value may include the following calculation: (a) Can each of the total contaminant concentration estimates be estimated with a sufficiently high degree of certainty? If yes, then (b) is each total contaminant concentration estimate below the threshold value for that contaminant element? If yes to (a) and (b), then pass the plurality of fragments. If no to either (a) or (b), then reject the plurality of fragments.

[0097] The batch of acceptable fractions is fed to a downstream recycling process to produce the target aluminum alloy, step 322. Any method known in the art for recycling aluminum alloy waste metal into aluminum alloy products may be utilized by the downstream recycling process.

[0098] In step 324, the rejected batch of fragments is not provided to a downstream recycling process to produce the target aluminum alloy. The rejected batch of fragments is deemed unsuitable for the downstream recycling process based on the high level of contaminant concentration determined in step 318. The rejected batch of fragments may be further processed before being provided to the downstream recycling process. Further, inferences can be made based on the nature of the contamination. For example, rather than insufficient purification of the fragments, different batches may have been inadvertently mixed, contaminating at least one of the batches. This feedback information can be used in the future to better segregate the processing of different batches to prevent cross-contamination.

[0099] Referring now to Figure 4, an alternative method 400 for treating an aluminum alloy rim is depicted. Method 400 may include any of the steps of method 100, and further includes steps 402 and 412b. Some examples of method 400 may further include steps 416, 418, 420, 422, and 424. Step 412b corresponds to step 112b. All statements above related to step 112b apply to step 412b of method 400.

[0100] In step 402, a contaminant composition range, including a maximum contaminant concentration for each contaminant, is stored in non-transitory computer-readable memory. As described above with respect to steps 312b and 316, the contaminants present in the batch of fragments may include several contaminants. These contaminants may be present in the batch of fragments at a range of concentrations. A particular concentration of a contaminant in the batch of fragments may be present at a level above that which can reasonably be processed by a typical downstream recycling process without undue effort and cost. This may be defined as a maximum contaminant concentration. The range of contaminant concentrations considered acceptable for provision to a downstream recycling process may be defined as a contaminant composition range. For each contaminant, the upper limit of the contaminant composition range may correspond to the maximum contaminant concentration. These values ​​are stored in non-transitory computer-readable memory.

[0101] In step 412b, the pieces are cleaned. This cleaning step includes shot blasting to remove at least one contaminant element from the pieces. Step 412b of shot blasting to remove at least one contaminant element may be as described above with respect to steps 312b and 112b of methods 300 and 100.

[0102] Some examples of method 400 may further include steps 416, 418, 420, 422, and 424. In step 416, a contaminant concentration estimate for the fragment is determined. Methods similar to those used to determine the contaminant concentration in step 316 may be used to determine the contaminant concentration. The description of step 316 above applies to step 416 as well.

[0103] In step 418, the data processor is operated to determine a total contaminant concentration value based on a representative sample of fragments from the batch of fragments. Similar methods may be used to determine the total contaminant concentration as used to determine the total contaminant concentration in step 318. The description of step 318 above applies to step 418 as well.

[0104] In step 420, the batch of fragments is passed or rejected based on the total contaminant concentration value. In some examples, the batch may be passed or rejected by operating a data processor. In some examples, the total contaminant concentration value may be the result of a series of calculations used to pass or reject a plurality of fragments. For example, the total contaminant concentration value may include the following calculation: (a) Can each of the total contaminant concentration estimates be estimated with a sufficiently high degree of certainty? If Yes, then (b) Is each total contaminant concentration estimate below a threshold value for that contaminant element? If Yes to (a) and (b), then pass the plurality of fragments. If No to either (a) or (b), then reject the plurality of fragments. In other embodiments, these two steps may be combined. That is, if the total contaminant concentration estimate is sufficiently below the threshold value for that contaminant element, then even if the variance of this estimate is relatively high, increasing the uncertainty, the likelihood that the actual contaminant concentration is above the acceptable composition range is low enough that multiple pieces can be passed.

[0105] The batch of acceptable fractions is provided to a downstream recycling process to produce the target aluminum alloy, step 422. Any method known in the art for recycling aluminum alloy waste metal into aluminum alloy products may be utilized by the downstream recycling process.

[0106] In step 424, the rejected batch of fragments is not provided to a downstream recycling process without further cleaning to remove any contaminants. The rejected batch of fragments is not provided to a downstream recycling process to produce the target aluminum alloy. The rejected batch of fragments is deemed not in a suitable condition for the downstream recycling process based on the high level of contaminant concentration determined in step 318. The rejected batch of fragments must be further processed before being provided to a downstream recycling process.

[0107] 5, there is depicted an alternative method 500 for treating an aluminum alloy rim. Method 500 may include any of the steps of method 100, and further includes steps 526, 528, 530, 532, and 534.

[0108] In step 526, an estimated elemental composition is determined for each fragment of a representative sample of fragments in the batch of fragments. While each batch of fragments is associated with an aluminum alloy rim category, the exact composition of rims in the aluminum alloy rim category may be unknown. A category may correspond to a particular style of rim, but the exact composition of the rim may be unknown. Alternatively, a category may correspond to rims made of a particular aluminum alloy, but the exact composition may vary within a particular alloy. For example, Ecomelt 356.2 aluminum alloy has a specified composition range of 6.5%-7.5% Si, 0%-0.02% Cu, 0%-0.014% Fe, 0.25%-0.4% Mg, 0%-0.018% Zn, 0%-0.03% Mn, 0%-0.008% Ni, 0%-0.03% Cr, 0%-0.01% Sn, 0%-0.15% Ti, 0%-0.02% Sr, and 0%-91.674% Al. When recycling aluminum alloy rims, it is advantageous to determine a good estimate of the composition of the recycled raw material, since slight variations in composition can result in large variations in physical and chemical properties and, consequently, industrial and market value. Similarly, the rims from which the fragment batches originated may have been exposed to environmental conditions that resulted in increased corrosion and, therefore, compositional changes. Similarly, every rim may be corroded to a different extent, resulting in rims with different compositions.

[0109] Any method known in the art for estimating the composition of a metal sample may be used in step 526 to determine the estimated composition of each element in each fragment of the representative sample of fragments. In some instances, a single composition measurement may be made for each fragment of the representative sample of fragments. The location of this measurement may affect the composition estimate. For example, if a measurement is made directly at a rust spot, the composition estimate may be different than if a measurement were made adjacent to the rust spot on the same fragment. Thus, in some instances, several composition measurements may be made for each fragment of the representative sample of fragments. Therefore, the composition measurements should be understood as estimates. It should be understood that if enough measurements are made on enough fragments based on statistical analysis, an accurate estimate of the composition can be obtained.

[0110] In one example, a "laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy" ("LIBS") composition analyzer manufactured by laser distance spectrometry can be employed as the laser scanner and sensor. The LIBS composition analyzer may include a radiation emitter, such as a Nd:YAG laser. The laser emits light at a frequency ranging from 1 to 20 hertz, which can raise the temperature of the fragment to above 30,000 degrees Celsius at the point of contact between the fragment and the laser, generating a plasma. The plasma rapidly cools, and the high-energy ions return to a low-energy state. During this return, the ions emit characteristic radiation. The LIBS composition analyzer may include one or more sensors that detect the characteristic radiation. A processor may then analyze the readings obtained from the sensors and determine the concentrations of constituents contained in the material undergoing the temperature change. The processor may be located within the composition analyzer. Alternatively, the processor may be a remote processor.

[0111] Other suitable composition analyzers may include composition analyzers that use laser spectroscopy or other systems that stimulate characteristic radiation to be emitted by the material of each piece at the surface of the piece and rely on other methods of detecting and analyzing the characteristic radiation to determine the composition of the material. The composition analyzer may detect the characteristic radiation by using any suitable sensor; for example, suitable sensors may include complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), high-density short-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (HMOS), charge-coupled device (CCD), and other types of sensors.

[0112] A suitable compositional analyzer may use, for example, a radiation emitter such as a plasma, electron beam, or any other radiation emitter suitable for heating the material of each fragment at at least one spot on the surface of the fragment to a temperature at which the material, upon cooling, emits a characteristic radiation of sufficient quantity and quality to allow a sensor to detect the characteristic radiation and a processor to determine the composition of the material from the characteristic radiation. The compositional analyzer may be configured to withstand typical conditions that may be present in continuous use and in particular waste metal recycling operations. Such conditions may include vibrations resulting from operation of the transport mechanism and dust and other particles generated in the recycling process.

[0113] Alternatively, other means of detecting composition may be used that do not involve measuring characteristic emissions.

[0114] An aggregate composition estimate for the batch of fragments is determined in step 528. For example, the aggregate composition estimate may be based on the composition estimate measured in a representative sample of fragments in step 526.

[0115] In some embodiments, determining the total contaminant concentration value may include determining the standard deviation or variance of the concentration of that composition in a representative sample of the fragments from the composition estimates of the individual fragments. If the standard deviation or variance is too high, the batch may be rejected because the total contaminant concentration estimate may not be determinable with sufficient certainty.

[0116] Consider a representative sample of fragments containing n fragments, where n is a positive integer. n should be chosen to be large enough so that the representative sample of fragments is adequately representative of the plurality of fragments. Next, suppose that from experience (i.e., from empirical data collected from prior recycling process cases), if a sufficiently high proportion of fragments in the representative sample of fragments have iron concentrations above a threshold percentage, e.g., 5%, this suggests (increases the probability) that there is a problem with the upstream supply or purification of the plurality of fragments. The number of fragments with excessively high iron concentrations, and those excessively high iron concentrations, may or may not be significant enough to raise the predicted total concentration of iron across the plurality of segments above an acceptable limit. However, even if the number of fragments with excessively high iron concentrations and those excessively high iron concentrations are insufficient to raise the predicted total iron concentration within the entire plurality of fragments above an acceptable limit, it may be desirable to reject the plurality of fragments because the number of fragments with excessively high iron concentrations in the representative sample of fragments may reduce confidence in the accuracy of the total iron concentration estimate that can be determined for the entire plurality of fragments based solely on the fragment iron concentration estimates of the representative sample of fragments.

[0117] In another example, the total composition estimate may be based on an average of all composition estimates measured for each fragment of a representative sample of fragments. Provided that the representative sample of fragments is sufficiently large relative to the plurality of fragments, the average of all composition estimates measured for each fragment of a representative sample of fragments is likely to provide a statistically accurate approximation of the total composition across the plurality of fragments.

[0118] Any statistical method known in the art may be used to determine the minimum size of the smaller sample population necessary to be statistically representative of the larger population so that attributes of the larger population can be inferred from attributes measured on the smaller sample population. Statistical methods may also be used to provide uncertainty values ​​for the total contaminant concentration values.

[0119] In other examples, any other statistical method known in the art may be used to determine an estimate of the total composition of a batch of fragments based on a representative sample of fragments of the batch of fragments.

[0120] In step 530, the data processor is operated to accept the batch of pieces if the total elemental composition estimate is within the aluminum alloy composition range associated with the batch's category determined in step 106, and to reject them if not. The data processor compares the elemental composition estimate determined in step 528 with the acceptable composition range for the aluminum alloy rim category stored in step 106. The batch is accepted if the elemental concentration estimate is within the acceptable composition range for the aluminum alloy rim category. The batch is rejected if the concentration of one element is outside the acceptable composition range for the aluminum alloy rim category.

[0121] The batch of acceptable fractions is provided to a downstream recycling process to produce the target aluminum alloy, step 532. Any method known in the art for recycling aluminum alloy waste metal into aluminum alloy products may be utilized by the downstream recycling process.

[0122] In step 534, the rejected batch of fraction is not provided for downstream recycling to produce the target aluminum alloy. The rejected fraction is deemed not to be in a suitable condition for the downstream recycling process based on the inadequate composition estimate determined in step 528. The rejected batch of fraction may be further processed before being provided for the downstream recycling process.

[0123] 6, there is depicted a flowchart of an alternative method 600 for treating an aluminum alloy rim. Some examples of method 600 may include any of the steps of method 300, and may further include steps 602, 618, and 620, and in some examples, steps 616 and 622. Other examples of method 600 may include any of the steps of method 400, and may further include steps 602 and 618, and in some examples, steps 616, 620, and 622.

[0124] In step 602, a maximum threshold is determined for each contaminant element based at least in part on the maximum contaminant concentration. In some examples, the contaminant elements may include any or all of the following elements: Fe, Ni, Cr, Si, Pb, Cu, and Zn. The maximum threshold is based at least in part on the maximum contaminant concentration, for example, as determined in step 402. In some examples, the maximum threshold may be equivalent to exceeding the maximum contaminant concentration of any contaminant element. For example, in step 402, the maximum contaminant concentrations may be determined as follows: Fe: 1.2%, Ni: 0.5%, Pb: 0.1%. In step 602, the maximum threshold is set to be exceeded if the estimated concentration of any one of the three elements exceeds the maximum contaminant concentration. For example, the maximum threshold is exceeded if the estimated contaminant concentrations for a sample are as follows: Fe: 0.1%, Ni: 0.1%, Pb: 0.2%. In another example, the maximum threshold may be set to be exceeded if only one particular element is of concern and the maximum contaminant concentration for that element is exceeded (this embodiment may be useful, for example, when a manufacturer is concerned with only one type of contaminant or some subset of possible contaminants that exceed an applicable maximum concentration). In another example, the maximum threshold may be set to be exceeded if the maximum contaminant concentration for all contaminant elements exceeds a certain percentage. For example, the maximum threshold is exceeded if the maximum contaminant concentration for all contaminant elements exceeds at least 70%. In other examples, other methods of determining the maximum threshold may be used, using any mathematical or statistical method known in the art. For example, if the determined standard deviation or variance for the total contaminant concentration estimate is relatively low, the 70% percentage threshold may be increased because this reduces the probability that the actual contaminant concentration will be significantly higher than the total contaminant concentration estimate. Conversely, if the determined standard deviation or variance for the total contaminant concentration estimate is relatively high, the 70% percentage threshold may be lowered.This increases the probability that the actual contaminant concentration will be significantly higher than the total contaminant concentration estimate.

[0125] In step 618, the data processor is operated to either pass the batch of fragments if the total contaminant concentration estimate for each contaminant does not exceed a maximum threshold value for that contaminant element, or to reject the batch of fragments if the total contaminant concentration estimate for at least one of the plurality of contaminant elements exceeds a maximum threshold value for that contaminant element. In other examples, various indicators may be used to pass the batch of fragments.

[0126] A batch may be rejected if the associated total contaminant concentration estimate exceeds the maximum threshold for any one element of the plurality of elements. In other embodiments (e.g., when only a few contaminants are of concern to the intended recipient of the batch), a batch may be rejected if the associated total contaminant concentration estimate exceeds the maximum threshold for some subset of elements in the plurality of contaminant elements.

[0127] Some examples of method 600 may further include step 616. In step 616, a contaminant concentration estimate for the fragment is determined by heating the material of the fragment to a temperature at which the material emits characteristic radiation upon cooling, operating a sensor to detect the characteristic radiation, and operating a processor to analyze the characteristic radiation to determine a composition measurement. In one example, a "laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy" ("LIBS") composition analyzer manufactured by laser distance spectrometry may be used to perform step 616. The LIBS composition analyzer may include a radiation emitter, such as an Nd:YAG laser. The laser may emit light at a frequency in the range of 1 to 20 hertz, thereby raising the temperature of the fragment at the point of contact between the fragment and the laser to above 30,000 degrees Celsius and generating a plasma. The plasma rapidly cools, and the high-energy ions return to a low-energy state. During the return to the low-energy state, the ions emit characteristic radiation. The LIBS composition analyzer may include one or more sensors to detect the characteristic radiation. A processor may then analyze the readings obtained from the sensors and determine therefrom the concentrations of constituents contained in the material undergoing the temperature change. The processor may be located in the composition analyzer. Alternatively, the processor may be a remote processor.

[0128] Other suitable composition analyzers may include composition analyzers that use laser spectroscopy or other systems that rely on other methods of inducing characteristic radiation to be emitted by the material of each fragment at the surface of the fragment and detecting and analyzing the characteristic radiation to determine the composition of the material. The composition analyzer may detect the characteristic radiation by using any suitable sensor; for example, suitable sensors may include complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS), high-density short-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor (HMOS), charge-coupled device (CCD), and other types of sensors.

[0129] Suitable compositional analyzers may employ, for example, a radiation emitter such as a plasma, electron beam, or any other radiation emitter suitable for heating the material of each piece to a temperature at least one spot on the surface of the piece such that the material emits a characteristic radiation of sufficient quantity and quality during cooling to allow a sensor to detect the characteristic radiation and a processor to determine the composition of the material from the characteristic radiation. The compositional analyzer may be configured to withstand continuous use as well as typical conditions that may be present in a particular waste metal processing operation. Such conditions may include vibration resulting from operation of the transport mechanism and dust and other particles generated in the recycling process.

[0130] Some examples of method 600 may further include steps 620 and 622. In step 620, the accepted batch of fragments is provided to a downstream recycling process along with an indication of a total contaminant concentration estimate for the batch of fragments. In some examples, a total contaminant concentration estimate for at least two contaminant elements or some subset of contaminant elements is provided.

[0131] The downstream recycling process may be any process known in the art that is suitable for recycling waste metals, and more particularly, waste aluminum alloy flakes. An indication of the batch's contaminant concentration estimate may be used to determine the batch's suitability for recycling into a particular alloy. For example, the presence of a particular contaminant element, such as lead, at a high level may make the batch unsuitable for recycling into a particular alloy where high lead levels are not permitted. A process that produces high-value alloys may be provided with a batch with an indication of a low contaminant level. Similarly, certain downstream recycling processes may be retrofitted to process batches of aluminum alloy flakes that have high levels of contaminants. These processes may otherwise be undesirable for reasons such as the quality or cost of the delivered product. Providing the batch with an indication of the total contaminant concentration estimate for the flake batch may allow for the selection of a more suitable application for the batch of aluminum alloy flakes.

[0132] The contaminant concentration indication may be in the form of a physical, printed, or written inscription associated with the batch, an electronic value stored in non-transitory computer-readable memory, or any other form known in the art for associating data with a physical product.

[0133] In step 622, the batch of rejected fragments is not provided to a downstream recycling process.

[0134] 7, there is depicted a flowchart of an alternative method 700 for treating an aluminum alloy rim. Method 700 may include any of the steps of method 100, and further includes steps 712b, 714, and in some examples, 736 and 738.

[0135] In step 712b, the aluminum alloy rim is processed by cleaning it while preserving its integrity. The aluminum alloy rim may be cleaned by any method known in the art for cleaning aluminum alloy objects. The aluminum alloy rim may be cleaned by shot blasting. The description of step 112b above for cleaning aluminum alloy pieces by shot blasting may apply to step 712b for directly cleaning the aluminum alloy rim. Other mechanical processes may be used to directly clean the aluminum alloy rim. These may include brushing, wiping, scraping, or other processes that mechanically remove debris from the surface of the metal object. In other examples, a liquid solvent may be used to remove debris from the aluminum alloy rim without damaging it. The liquid solvent may include water, alcohol, mineral spirits, a degreasing solution, or any other solvent known in the art for cleaning aluminum alloy products. In other examples, any other method known in the art for cleaning aluminum alloy rims may be used.

[0136] In step 714, for each batch of aluminum alloy rims, the cleaned aluminum alloy rims of each batch are individually provided for processing. Each batch may be physically separated from the other batches and subjected to separate processing. In some examples, each batch of cleaned as-is aluminum alloy rims may be provided to a regeneration process. In other examples, each batch of cleaned as-is aluminum alloy rims may be provided to a recycling process. In some examples, each batch of cleaned as-is aluminum alloy rims may be provided to a different process.

[0137] Some examples of method 700 may further include step 736. In step 736, manufacturer records identifying multiple aluminum alloy rim manufacturers are stored in non-transitory computer-readable memory. These records may include, for each category, an aluminum alloy rim manufacturer associated with that category. Each category stored in memory in step 104 is associated with a manufacturer for that category. For example, a category may include rim type A1. Manufacturer ABC of rims of type A1 may be associated with that category.

[0138] In methods that include step 736, providing the batch of aluminum alloy rims for processing in step 714 includes providing each batch of cleaned, intact aluminum alloy rims to the aluminum alloy rim manufacturer associated with that batch. For example, the batch of cleaned, undamaged aluminum alloy rims of type A1 referenced above may be provided to manufacturer ABC for processing. In other examples, the associated manufacturer stored in step 736 may not necessarily be the original manufacturer of the aluminum alloy rims. For example, a batch of rims of type A1 originally manufactured by ABC may be associated with manufacturer DEF and provided to manufacturer DEF for processing in step 714.

[0139] Some examples of method 700 may further include step 738 of storing, in non-transitory computer-readable memory, at least two different product designations that designate at least two different aluminum alloy rim categories for a particular manufacturer. The description above regarding step 204 may apply to step 738.

[0140] In some examples, the product indicator may include rims of a particular alloy, style, size, surface treatment, age, or other characteristic. The product indicator stored in step 738 corresponds to the aluminum alloy rim category stored in memory in step 104 described above. The at least two different product indicators stored in step 738 correspond to two different aluminum alloy rim categories. In some examples, more than two product indicators may be stored. Among the more than two product indicators stored, two product indicators may correspond to the same aluminum alloy rim category. For example, product indicator A1, product indicator A2, and product indicator B1, all manufactured by manufacturer ABC, may correspond to only two aluminum alloy rim categories stored in step 104. A1 and A2 may correspond to example category 1, while B1 may correspond to example category 2.

[0141] In some examples of method 700, a data processor is operated to determine an aluminum alloy rim category for the aluminum alloy rim based on its serial number. At least a first type and a second type of aluminum alloy rim are provided. Each type of aluminum alloy rim may be associated with a product identifier, which is stored in memory in step 738. The serial number of the first type of rim is determined as described in step 110a. The serial number of the second type of rim is determined as described in step 110a. The data processor is then operated as described for step 110b to determine an aluminum alloy rim category associated with each type of rim. The first type of rim is associated with a first aluminum alloy rim category. The second type of rim is associated with a second aluminum alloy rim category. For example, rim type A1 from manufacturer ABC and rim type B1 from manufacturer ABC may be provided. The serial number of each rim is scanned, and the data processor is then operated to determine an aluminum alloy rim category associated with each type of aluminum alloy rim, as described above with respect to method 100. For example, rim type A1 may be associated with category 1 while rim type B1 may be associated with category 2. All rims of each type, each containing the same product designator, are associated with the same category. For example, all type A1 rims supplied to method 700 may be associated with category 1 and all type B1 rims supplied to method 700 may be associated with category 2.

[0142] The aluminum alloy rims are allocated into a first batch or a second batch of aluminum alloy rims. Each batch corresponds to an aluminum alloy rim category described in step 110c. Furthermore, each batch corresponds to a product designator stored in step 738. Each type of rim is allocated to a separate batch. For example, all rims of type A1, all associated with category 1, are allocated to batch 1, and all rims of type B1, all associated with category 2, are allocated to batch 2. As described in step 110c, the rims may be allocated to each batch by physically separating the rims. In some instances, a human operator may separate the rims into separate batches. In other instances, an automated device, such as a conveyor system or a robotic arm, may automatically allocate the rims into batches based on previously determined attributes.

[0143] In some examples of method 700, the aluminum alloy rims may be distributed into more than two batches. For example, the aluminum alloy rims may be divided into 10 or 20 batches, with each batch containing intact, undamaged rims.

[0144] Each batch of aluminum alloy rims may be supplied to a particular manufacturer associated with each batch's category, as stored in memory in step 108. A first batch may be supplied to the manufacturer with an indication that the first batch corresponds to a first aluminum alloy rim category. Separately, a second batch may be supplied to the manufacturer with an indication that the second batch corresponds to a second category. For example, the rims of batch 1 may be supplied to manufacturer ABC with an indication that the rims of batch 1 correspond to aluminum alloy rim category 1, and the rims of batch 2 may be supplied to manufacturer ABC with an indication that the rims of batch 2 correspond to category 2. In some examples, the rim category indication may be a physical indication, such as a printed adhesive label, painted indication, or other physical indication, attached to each rim in the batch. In other examples, the indication provided with each may be an electronic record, such as a value stored in a non-transitory computer-readable memory, or other electronic indication.

[0145] 8, there is depicted a flowchart of an alternative method 800 for treating an aluminum alloy rim. Method 800 may include any of the steps of method 100, and further includes steps 838, 840, 842, 844, and 846.

[0146] In step 838, aluminum alloy rims previously divided into batches in step 110 are provided. A remanufacturing price for each batch of aluminum alloy rims is estimated. The remanufacturing price for the aluminum alloy rims could be the market price for the batch of aluminum alloy rims if the rims are in good used condition. The remanufacturing price may be determined in several ways. The aluminum alloy rim category associated with each aluminum alloy rim may be used to identify similar products available in the market. For example, if the aluminum alloy rim category associated with the batch is rim type A1 from manufacturer ABC, the market may be researched to determine the secondhand market value of A1 type rims from manufacturer ABC. This secondhand market value may be determined to be the remanufacturing price. Alternatively, in some instances, a third-party bulk purchaser of aluminum rims may be consulted to determine the secondhand market value of type A1 rims from manufacturer ABC. The bulk rim purchaser may provide a quote lower than the secondhand market price for A1 type rims. However, this price may be closer to the correct remanufacturing price because selling individual rims on the secondhand market may be inefficient.

[0147] In another example, if the aluminum alloy rim category associated with the batch is 17 inch diameter aluminum alloy rims, the market may be surveyed to determine the average second-hand market value of 17 inch diameter aluminum alloy rims. Alternatively, in some examples, third-party bulk purchasers of aluminum rims may be consulted to determine the second-hand market value of 17 inch diameter aluminum alloy rims.

[0148] In another example, if the aluminum alloy rim category associated with the batch is A356 aluminum alloy rims, the market may be surveyed to determine the average second-hand market value of A356 aluminum alloy rims. Alternatively, in some examples, third-party bulk purchasers of aluminum rims may be consulted to determine the second-hand market value of A356 aluminum alloy rims.

[0149] Once the estimated refurbished sales price has been determined, it may be stored for future reference. The estimated refurbished sales price may be revised to take into account the costs of the refurbishment process, such as wholesale, storage, cleaning and detail repairs, or any other operating costs required during the refurbishment and sale process.

[0150] In step 840, a recycling sales price of aluminum alloy rims for each rim batch is estimated. The recycling sales price of aluminum alloy rims is the market-reasonable price for the raw material containing the aluminum alloy rim batch, minus processing and handling costs. In some examples, the aluminum alloy rim category associated with the batch of rims may be used to determine the recycling sales price. For example, if the associated aluminum alloy rim category is A356 aluminum alloy rims, the unit wholesale price per mass of scrap A356 aluminum may be used to determine the recycling sales price. The batch of rims may be weighed and counted to determine the total mass of the rims and the mass of the batch of rims. The total mass of the batch of rims may be divided by the number of rims in the batch, resulting in an average mass per rim in the batch. The previously determined unit price per A356 mass may be multiplied by the average mass per rim to determine the total recycling sales price per rim in the batch of aluminum alloy rims. The total recycling sales price may be further adjusted to take into account processing and handling costs. These costs may include the cost of shredding the rims, the cost of storing the rims, the cost of cleaning the rims, including shot blasting costs, wholesale costs, and other costs. The total recycled sales price per rim minus the sum of the processing and handling costs may give the estimated recycled sales price per rim.

[0151] In some instances, the average mass per rim may be further adjusted to account for expected material loss during processing steps. For example, shot blasting the rim or rim fragments may remove a small amount of rim material, resulting in a mass loss. A mass adjustment may take this loss into account in the final estimated recycled sales price.

[0152] In some instances of step 840, the associated aluminum alloy rim category may not correspond to the material. The material properties of the rims may be unknown. A composition analyzer may be utilized, as described above with respect to steps 526 and 528, to determine an overall composition estimate for a batch of aluminum alloy rims. This composition estimate may be used to determine the wholesale price per unit mass of scrap metal of similar composition. In some instances, the rims may be recycled in a manner such that the composition of the batch of rims is adjusted to that of a known alloy of higher value by supplementing the batch with alloying elements. In such instances, the wholesale price per unit mass of scrap metal of the high-value alloy may be used, and the cost of supplementing the alloy may be deducted from the recycled sales price.

[0153] In step 842, either a recycling process or a remanufacturing process is performed based on the remanufacturing price determined in step 838 and the recycled sales price determined in step 840. In both steps 838 and 840, the price may be normalized to a price per rim or some other measure that allows for similar comparisons. If the recycled sales price is higher than the recycled sales price, step 844 is performed. If the recycled sales price is higher than the recycled sales price, step 846 is performed.

[0154] In step 844, the rims are reclaimed by cleaning the aluminum alloy rims while preserving the rims from damage and then supplying the cleaned batch of aluminum alloy rims separately for sale. The rims may be cleaned while preserving the rims from damage as described above with respect to step 712b. The rims may be supplied as is as described above with respect to step 714.

[0155] In step 846, the batch of aluminum alloy rims are recycled by fragmenting them into pieces and cleaning the pieces. The cleaning process includes shot blasting and then providing the pieces for recycling. This process may be performed as described above with respect to steps 112, 112a, 112b, and 114.

[0156] Referring now to Figure 9, there is depicted a block diagram of a system 900 for processing aluminum alloy rims. The descriptions above regarding methods 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 may apply to system 900. As shown in Figure 9, system 900 for processing aluminum alloy rims may include a transfer mechanism 902, a scanner 904, a downstream processing device 906, a memory 908, and a data processor 910. Some examples of system 900 may further include a compositional analyzer 912.

[0157] In some examples of the system 900, a transfer mechanism 902 is supplied with raw material consisting of aluminum alloy rims. The transfer mechanism 902 may include a conveyor, a pick-and-place unit, a robotic arm, or any other method known in the art for transporting physical objects. The aluminum alloy rims may be loaded onto the transfer mechanism 902 by any means, such as a truck depositing the aluminum alloy rims into a hopper connected to one end of the conveyor 902, or the aluminum alloy rims may be manually placed onto the conveyor by a worker. As discussed above with respect to Figures 1-8, each aluminum alloy rim has a serial number.

[0158] In some examples of the system 900, multiple aluminum alloy rim categories may be stored in the memory 908. In some examples, the memory 908 may be a non-transitory computer-readable memory.

[0159] In some examples, a plurality of aluminum alloy rim composition ranges may be stored in memory 908. Each aluminum alloy rim composition range may be associated with a stored aluminum alloy rim category. Each composition range may include, for each element in the plurality of elements, an elemental range for that element. In some examples, each aluminum alloy composition range may specify at least one maximum contaminant concentration for each of at least one type of contaminant.

[0160] In some examples, a manufacturer record may be stored in memory 908. The manufacturer record may include information about multiple aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, which may include aluminum alloy rim manufacturers associated with each aluminum alloy rim category.

[0161] In some examples, at least two different product designations for aluminum alloy rims from a particular manufacturer may be stored in memory 908. These product designations may designate at least two different aluminum alloy rim categories.

[0162] The transfer mechanism 902 may provide feedstock comprised of aluminum alloy rims to the scanner 904. The scanner 904 may scan the serial number of each aluminum alloy rim in the feedstock provided by the transfer mechanism 902. As described above with respect to step 110a, the scanner may be of any type that scans serial numbers printed or engraved on the aluminum alloy surface of the aluminum alloy rims. In some examples, once the serial number of each aluminum alloy rim is scanned, it may be stored in memory 908.

[0163] Some examples of system 900 may further include a composition analyzer 912. The composition analyzer 912 may include any system known in the art for determining the composition of a metal sample. In some examples, the composition analyzer 912 may include a radiation emitter for heating the material of each rim at at least one spot on the surface of the rim to a temperature at which the material emits characteristic radiation upon cooling, a sensor for detecting and measuring the characteristic radiation, and a processor for determining the composition of the material from the characteristic radiation. In some examples, the composition analyzer 912 is a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy composition analyzer. The above description of step 526 may apply to the composition analyzer of system 900. In some examples, the composition analyzer 912 may be connected for electronic communication with the data processor 910.

[0164] Scanner 904 transmits each scanned serial number to data processor 910. Data processor 910 determines, based on the scanned serial number, an aluminum alloy rim category to be associated with each aluminum alloy rim from among the categories of aluminum alloy rims stored in memory 908. The description above regarding step 110b may apply to this aspect of system 900.

[0165] In some examples of the system 900, at least two types of rims and / or product indicia are provided, and the data processor 910 determines an aluminum alloy rim category from among the categories of aluminum alloy rims stored in the memory 908 to be associated with each type of aluminum alloy rim and / or each product indicia.

[0166] Once each aluminum alloy rim is associated with an aluminum alloy rim category, aluminum alloy rims associated with similar categories are sorted into batches. In an example of system 900 where at least two types and / or product designations of rims are provided and then associated with categories, the rims of each type or product designation are sorted into batches according to the type or product designation. Each batch corresponds to a category of aluminum alloy rims. Each rim may be allocated to its respective batch by a transfer mechanism 902.

[0167] In some examples, the system 900 may include multiple travel paths for the feedstock of aluminum alloy rims downstream from the scanner 904. Each batch of aluminum alloy rims identified by the data processor 910 may be transported along a path selected based on the batch of aluminum alloy rims. For example, example batch 1 may be transported along path A. Example batch 2 may be transported along path B. Example batch 3 may be transported along path A.

[0168] Each batch of aluminum alloy rims is individually fed to a downstream processing device 906. Each batch of aluminum alloy rims is individually processed by the downstream processing device. In an example of a system 900 that includes several paths downstream of the scanner 904, each batch may be provided to a different downstream processing device 906.

[0169] In some examples, the downstream processing equipment 906 may fragment each batch of aluminum alloy rims into pieces and then shot blast the pieces. In such examples, the downstream processing equipment may include a fragmentation unit, such as an industrial shredder, and a shot blasting device. In some examples, the fragmentation and cleaning may be performed as described above with respect to steps 112a and 112b. In some examples, the shot blasting may remove at least one contaminant element from the fragmented aluminum alloy rims.

[0170] In some examples of system 900, composition analyzer 912 may be operated to determine a contaminant concentration estimate based on a representative sample for each batch of aluminum alloy rims and / or pieces. In cooperation with data processor 910, a total contaminant concentration estimate may be determined. The above description regarding steps 316 and 318 may apply to this aspect of system 900.

[0171] In an example of system 900 that includes a composition analyzer 912, data processor 910 may pass or reject each batch of pieces based on the total contaminant concentration value for each contaminant element. The description above regarding step 320 may apply to this aspect of system 900.

[0172] In some examples, data processor 910 may pass or fail each batch of fragments based on the total contaminant concentration value and maximum contaminant concentration for each contaminant element stored in memory 908. The description above regarding steps 618 and 620 may apply to this aspect of system 900.

[0173] The present invention has been described herein by way of example only. Various modifications and changes may be made to these example embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, which is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. 1. A method for treating an aluminum alloy rim, comprising: supplying a raw material comprising a plurality of aluminum alloy rims having different compositions, each aluminum alloy rim having a serial number that distinguishes it from other aluminum alloy rims in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims; storing a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories in a non-transitory computer readable memory; For each rim in the feedstock consisting of an aluminum alloy rim, scanning the aluminum alloy rim to determine a serial number of the aluminum alloy rim; operating a data processor to determine an aluminum alloy rim category for the aluminum alloy rim from among a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories based on the serial number, where each batch of aluminum alloy rims in the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims corresponds to one category among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories; and and allocating the aluminum alloy rims to a batch of aluminum alloy rims corresponding to the aluminum alloy rim category, thereby dividing the feedstock of aluminum alloy rims into a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims; dividing the raw material of aluminum alloy rims into a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, and then separately processing each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims; Including, For each batch of aluminum alloy rims of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, individually processing the batch includes fragmenting the aluminum alloy rims of the batch into pieces and then cleaning the pieces, wherein the cleaning includes shot blasting the pieces; The method further includes, for each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, separately providing a fraction of the batch for recycling; and For each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, shot blasting the pieces includes at least partially removing at least one contaminant element from the pieces, and further comprising: determining, for each fraction of the representative sample of fractions of the batch of fractions, a contaminant concentration estimate for the fraction for each contaminant element of the at least one contaminant element; operating a data processor to i) determine a total contaminant concentration value for the batch of fragments for at least one contaminant element, for each contaminant element, and for each fragment of the representative sample of fragments, based on the contaminant concentration estimates for that contaminant element in the fragment, and then ii) either pass or fail the batch of fragments based on the total contaminant concentration value; If the batch of fragments is acceptable, providing the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process to produce a target aluminum alloy; and and if the batch of fragments is rejected, not providing the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process for producing the target aluminum alloy without further cleaning to remove any of the at least one contaminant element. method.

2. further comprising storing a plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges in the non-transitory computer readable memory, the plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges including, for each category of a plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy composition range associated with that category, the aluminum alloy composition range associated with that category including, for each element of the plurality of elements, an elemental range for that element; The method of claim 1.

3. further comprising storing in the non-transitory computer readable memory manufacturer records identifying a plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, the plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers including, for each category among the plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy rim manufacturer associated with the category, and wherein, for each batch among the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, individually supplying pieces of the batch for recycling to manufacture aluminum alloy products includes supplying the pieces of the batch to the aluminum alloy rim manufacturer associated with the category corresponding to the batch; The method of claim 1.

4. further comprising, for a particular manufacturer among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, storing in the non-transitory computer readable memory at least two different product indicia for designating at least two different categories of aluminum alloy rims among the plurality of aluminum alloy rims; the at least two different product identifiers include a first product identifier for designating a first category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer and a second product identifier for designating a second category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer, the first category of aluminum alloy rims and the second category of aluminum alloy rims being different categories among a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories; operating the data processor to determine, for each rim in the source of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy rim category for the aluminum alloy rim based on its serial number includes determining, for at least a first type of aluminum alloy rim in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims and for at least a second type of aluminum alloy rim in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims, a first category of aluminum alloy rim for the first type of aluminum alloy rim and a second category of aluminum alloy rim for the second type of aluminum alloy rim; for each rim in the first type of aluminum alloy rims, allocating the aluminum alloy rims includes allocating the aluminum alloy rims to a first batch of aluminum alloy rims; for each rim in the second type of aluminum alloy rims, allocating the aluminum alloy rims includes allocating the aluminum alloy rims to a second batch of aluminum alloy rims; Supplying the first batch of fragments and the second batch of fragments to the specific manufacturer includes providing the first batch to the specific manufacturer with an indication that the first batch corresponds to a first category, and separately providing the second batch to the specific manufacturer with an indication that the second batch corresponds to a second category; The method of claim 3.

5. further comprising storing the plurality of contaminant composition ranges in a non-transitory computer readable memory; The plurality of contaminant composition ranges includes, for each category among the plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims, a contaminant composition range associated with that category; each contaminant composition range in the plurality of contaminant composition ranges identifies at least one maximum contaminant concentration for at least one type of contaminant, including a maximum contaminant concentration for each contaminant; For each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, shot blasting the fragments includes at least partially removing at least one contaminant element from the fragments. The method of claim 1.

6. For each batch of the aluminum alloy rims, after shot blasting the batch of pieces, further determining, for each representative sample of fractions of the batch, a contaminant concentration estimate for each contaminant element for at least one contaminant element in the fraction; operating a data processor to either pass or fail the batch of segments based on i) at least one maximum contaminant concentration identified by an aluminum alloy composition range associated with an aluminum alloy rim category corresponding to the batch, and ii) a total contaminant concentration value for the batch of segments, the total contaminant concentration value being calculated for at least one contaminant element, for each contaminant element, and for each segment of a representative sample of segments, based on a contaminant concentration estimate of that contaminant element in the segment; If the batch of fragments is acceptable, providing the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process to produce a target aluminum alloy; and and if the batch of fragments is rejected, not providing the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process for producing the target aluminum alloy without further cleaning to remove any of the at least one contaminant element. The method of claim 5.

7. For each batch of the aluminum alloy rims, after shot blasting the batch of pieces, further determining, for each fragment of a representative sample of fragments of the batch of fragments, a plurality of estimated compositions by determining, for each element of a plurality of elements, an estimated composition of the fragment including a concentration estimate of the element in the fragment; determining an aggregate composition estimate for the plurality of shot blasted pieces from the plurality of estimated compositions, the aggregate composition estimate including a plurality of elemental concentration estimates that are elemental concentration estimates for a plurality of elements; operating a data processor to: i) accept the batch of pieces when the aggregate composition estimate of the plurality of shot blasted pieces is within the aluminum alloy composition range associated with the category determined for the batch; and ii) reject the pieces when it is not within the range; If the batch of fragments is acceptable, providing the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process to produce a target aluminum alloy; and and if the batch of fragments is rejected, not providing the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process for producing the target aluminum alloy. The method of claim 2.

8. further comprising defining a maximum threshold value for each contaminant element for the at least one contaminant element and for each contaminant composition range for the plurality of contaminant composition ranges based at least in part on a maximum contaminant concentration of the contaminant element in the contaminant composition range; For each batch of multiple batches of aluminum alloy rims, the total contaminant concentration values ​​for the batch of fragments include at least one total concentration estimate for the batch of fragments, the at least one total concentration estimate including, for each contaminant element in the at least one contaminant element, a total concentration estimate for that element in the batch of fragments; operating the data processor to either pass or fail the batch of fragments; a data processor passing the plurality of fragments for each contaminant element for at least one contaminant element if the maximum threshold value exceeds the concentration estimate for that contaminant element; the data processor rejecting the plurality of fractions when the concentration estimate of any of the at least one contaminant element exceeds a maximum threshold value for that contaminant element; determining whether to The method of claim 1 or 6.

9. the at least one contaminant element includes at least two contaminant elements, at least a first contaminant element and a second contaminant element; Determining, for each fraction of the representative sample of fractions, contaminant concentration estimates for the fraction for at least two contaminant elements includes determining a first contaminant concentration estimate for a first contaminant in the fraction and a second contaminant concentration estimate for a second contaminant element in the fraction; The method of claim 8.

10. the first contaminant element and the second contaminant element are selected from the group consisting of iron, nickel, chromium, silicon, lead, copper, and zinc; 10. The method of claim 9.

11. For each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, providing the batch of fragments to a downstream recycling process further includes providing the batch of fragments along with an indication of at least two total contaminant concentration estimates for the batch of fragments.

10. The method of claim 9.

12. determining, for each fragment of the representative sample of fragments of the batch of fragments, a contaminant concentration estimate for the fragment for each contaminant element for at least one contaminant element; heating the material of the piece to a temperature at which the material emits characteristic radiation during cooling; operating the sensor to detect the characteristic radiation; and operating a processor to analyze the characteristic radiation to determine a composition measurement of the material. The method of claim 8.

13. the total contaminant concentration value for the batch of fragments includes at least two concentration variance estimates for the batch of fragments, the at least two concentration variance estimates including, for each contaminant element in the at least two types of contaminant elements, a concentration variance estimate for that contaminant element among the plurality of fragments, and, for each contaminant element in the at least two types of contaminant elements, a maximum threshold value for that contaminant element is determined based at least in part on the concentration variance estimate for that contaminant element among the plurality of fragments; 10. The method of claim 9.

14. Individually processing each batch of aluminum alloy rims of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims includes cleaning the aluminum alloy rims of the batch while keeping them undamaged; The method further includes individually providing, for each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, a batch of cleaned aluminum alloy rims. The method of claim 1.

15. further comprising storing in the non-transitory computer readable memory manufacturer records identifying a plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, the plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers including, for each category among the plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy rim manufacturer associated with that category, and wherein, for each batch of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, individually supplying the cleaned aluminum alloy rims for that batch includes supplying the cleaned aluminum alloy rims for that batch to the aluminum alloy rim manufacturer associated with the category corresponding to that batch.

15. The method of claim 14.

16. further comprising, for a particular manufacturer among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, storing in the non-transitory computer readable memory at least two different product indicia for designating at least two different categories of aluminum alloy rims among the plurality of aluminum alloy rims; the at least two different product identifiers include a first product identifier for designating a first category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer and a second product identifier for designating a second category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer, the first category of aluminum alloy rims and the second category of aluminum alloy rims being different categories among a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories and associated with different aluminum alloy composition ranges among a plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges; operating the data processor to determine, for each rim in the source of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy rim category for the aluminum alloy rim based on its serial number includes determining, for at least a first type of aluminum alloy rim in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims and for at least a second type of aluminum alloy rim in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims, a first category of aluminum alloy rim for the first type of aluminum alloy rim and a second category of aluminum alloy rim for the second type of aluminum alloy rim; allocating the aluminum alloy rims to each rim in the first type of aluminum alloy rims includes allocating the aluminum alloy rims to a first batch of aluminum alloy rims; allocating the aluminum alloy rims to each rim in the second type of aluminum alloy rims includes allocating the aluminum alloy rims to a second batch of aluminum alloy rims; Supplying the first batch of cleaned aluminum alloy rims and the second batch of cleaned aluminum alloy rims to the specific manufacturer includes providing the first batch to the specific manufacturer with an indication that the first batch corresponds to a first category, and separately providing the second batch to the specific manufacturer with an indication that the second batch corresponds to a second category.

16. The method of claim 15.

17. A method for treating an aluminum alloy rim, comprising the steps of: supplying a raw material comprising a plurality of aluminum alloy rims having different compositions, each aluminum alloy rim having a serial number that distinguishes it from other aluminum alloy rims in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims; storing a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories in a non-transitory computer readable memory; For each rim in the feedstock consisting of an aluminum alloy rim, scanning the aluminum alloy rim to determine a serial number of the aluminum alloy rim; operating a data processor to determine an aluminum alloy rim category for the aluminum alloy rim from among a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories based on the serial number, where each batch of aluminum alloy rims in the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims corresponds to one category among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories; and and allocating the aluminum alloy rims to a batch of aluminum alloy rims corresponding to the aluminum alloy rim category, thereby dividing the feedstock of aluminum alloy rims into a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims; dividing the raw material of aluminum alloy rims into a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, and then separately processing each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims; Including, For each batch of aluminum alloy rims, To estimate the resale price of the aluminum alloy rims in that batch; To estimate the recycling sales price of the aluminum alloy rims in that batch, and then and performing only one of reclaiming and recycling based on the reclaimed sales price or the recycled product sales price; The regeneration includes individually cleaning the aluminum alloy rims of the batch while keeping them intact, and then individually supplying the cleaned aluminum alloy rims of the batch; Recycling includes fragmenting the batch of aluminum alloy rims into pieces and then cleaning the pieces, which includes shot blasting the pieces and then individually providing the batch of pieces for recycling. method.

18. 1. A system for treating an aluminum alloy rim, comprising: an aluminum alloy rim transfer mechanism for providing a feedstock comprising a plurality of aluminum alloy rims having different compositions and for separating the feedstock comprising aluminum alloy rims into a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, wherein each aluminum alloy rim in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims has a serial number that distinguishes the aluminum alloy rim from other aluminum alloy rims in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims; a computer readable memory having stored thereon a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories; a scanner, which in operation, for each rim in said feedstock that is made of aluminum alloy rims, scans the aluminum alloy rim to determine a serial number for the aluminum alloy rim; a data processor communicatively connected to the computer readable memory and the scanner; and downstream processing equipment for receiving and individually processing each batch of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims; During operation of the data processor, for each rim in the stock of aluminum alloy rims, the scanner transmits a serial number to the data processor, and the data processor determines an aluminum alloy rim category of the aluminum alloy rim from among a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories based on the serial number, and each batch of aluminum alloy rims in the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims corresponds to one category among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories; The downstream processing equipment, in operation, fragments the batch of aluminum alloy rims into pieces and then shot blasts the pieces; and further comprising a compositional analyzer, which in operation is for determining, for each of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims and for each of the fragments of the representative sample of fragments of the batch of fragments, a contaminant concentration estimate for the fragment for at least one contaminant element, and is connected for electronic communication with the data processor; the downstream processing equipment for shot blasting the fragments includes, during operation thereof, at least partially removing at least one contaminant element from the fragments for each of a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims; In operation, the data processor is adapted to, for each batch of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, i) determine a total contaminant concentration value for the batch of fragments, for each contaminant element of the at least one contaminant element, and for each fragment of the representative sample of fragments, based on the contaminant concentration estimates of that contaminant element in the fragments, and ii) either pass or fail the batch of fragments based on the total contaminant concentration value for the batch of fragments, wherein the total contaminant concentration value is calculated for each contaminant element of the at least one contaminant element, and for each fragment of the representative sample of fragments, based on the contaminant concentration estimates of that contaminant element in the fragments. system.

19. The computer readable memory stores a plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges, the plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges including, for each category of a plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy composition range associated with that category, the aluminum alloy composition range associated with that category including, for each element of a plurality of elements, an elemental range for that element; 20. The system of claim 18.

20. The computer readable memory stores manufacturer records identifying a plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, the plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers including, for each category among a plurality of categories of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy rim manufacturer associated with that category; 20. The system of claim 18.

21. For a particular manufacturer among the plurality of aluminum alloy rim manufacturers, the computer readable memory stores at least two different product designations for designating at least two different categories of aluminum alloy rims among the plurality of aluminum alloy rims, wherein: the at least two different product identifiers include a first product identifier for designating a first category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer and a second product identifier for designating a second category of aluminum alloy rims produced by the particular manufacturer, the first category of aluminum alloy rims and the second category of aluminum alloy rims being different categories among a plurality of aluminum alloy rim categories; and for each rim in said stock of aluminum alloy rims, the data processor in operation determines an aluminum alloy rim category for the aluminum alloy rim by determining, for at least a first type of aluminum alloy rim in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims and for at least a second type of aluminum alloy rim in the plurality of aluminum alloy rims, a first category of aluminum alloy rim for the first type of aluminum alloy rim and a second category of aluminum alloy rim for the second type of aluminum alloy rim based on the serial number; For each rim in the first type of aluminum alloy rims, an aluminum alloy rim transfer mechanism that distributes the aluminum alloy rims includes distributing the aluminum alloy rims into a first batch of aluminum alloy rims; For each rim in the second type of aluminum alloy rims, the aluminum alloy rim transfer mechanism distributing the aluminum alloy rims includes distributing the aluminum alloy rims to a second batch of aluminum alloy rims.

21. The system of claim 20.

22. each aluminum alloy composition range in the plurality of aluminum alloy composition ranges identifies at least one maximum contaminant concentration for at least one type of contaminant, including a maximum contaminant concentration for each contaminant; the data processor, in operation, for each batch of the plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims, accepts or rejects the batch of segments based on the total contaminant concentration value and the at least one maximum contaminant concentration for that batch of segments; 20. The system of claim 18.

23. the compositional analyzer including a radiation emitter for heating the material of each rim at least one spot on the surface of the rim to a temperature at which the material emits characteristic radiation as it cools, a sensor for detecting and measuring the characteristic radiation, and a processor for determining the composition of the material from the characteristic radiation; 20. The system of claim 18.

24. The composition analyzer is a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy composition analyzer; 24. The system of claim 23.

25. The aluminum alloy rim transfer mechanism includes at least one of a conveyor, a pick and place unit, and a robot arm; 20. The system of claim 18.

26. further comprising a plurality of travel paths for said feedstock material downstream of the scanner, said feedstock material comprising a plurality of aluminum alloy rims; each rim of the plurality of aluminum alloy rims is transported along a path of travel selected from a plurality of paths of travel based on a batch selected by the processor for that rim from a plurality of batches of aluminum alloy rims; 20. The system of claim 18.

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