Recycling aluminum aerospace alloys

For decades, thousands of obsolete private, civil, and military aircraft have been sitting in,graveyards,,, while the demand for recycled aluminum continues to increase. The aircraft provide an obvious source of valuable metal. However cost-effective recycling of aircraft is complex because aircraft alloys are (a) typically relatively high in alloying elements and (b) contain relatively higher levels of impurities than required of many newer aircraft alloys to optimize their toughness and other performance characteristics. This paper describes (a) potential aircraft recycling process, (b) the technical and logistic challenges, and (c) options to address those challenges in a practical and cost-effective manner. A program addressing these issues is laid out in this paper.