Eriez Copper Reduction Circuit Improves Steel Scrap Quality
The system lowers copper content to 0.20 percent, enabling higher use of recycled material in industrial steel production.
Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Materials Science
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Eriez has developed a new Copper Reduction Circuit to lower copper concentrations in recycled steel. The system processes shredded scrap to achieve copper levels below 0.20 percent, addressing a significant challenge in steel production.
Why it matters
Steelmakers struggle to remove copper during the melting process, which can negatively affect the final steel product. This system provides a mechanical solution to upgrade the quality of scrap metal, potentially increasing the utility of recycled material in high-end steel manufacturing.
The system achieves a refined output of less than 0.20 percent copper, compared to conventional scrap which often contains over 0.33 percent. It separates material into a premium No. 1 fraction comprising approximately 75 percent of the incoming feed.
The players
Eriez
An Erie, Pennsylvania-based company that engineers magnetic, vibratory, and metal detection equipment for manufacturing and processing industries.
The details
The Copper Reduction Circuit employs the Shred1 Ballistic Separator and a Magnetic Scrap Drum to classify material. The separator utilizes magnetic attraction and ballistic forces to split incoming shred into two distinct streams. Before reaching the picking station, a polishing drum removes 1 to 3 percent of nonferrous materials and residual debris, leaving only about 15 percent of the original infeed for manual inspection.
Timeline
- 2026-10-16
Article publication date.
The Tech Race
This development addresses the persistent challenge of copper contamination in secondary steel production. It aligns with broader industrial efforts to increase the scrap-to-virgin-ore ratio in steelmaking by improving the purity of the raw material input.
This technology is designed for integration into commercial steel mill operations to improve the grade of their metal input. It provides plant operators a method to mechanically upgrade scrap quality rather than relying on dilution with expensive virgin steel.
The takeaway
Steel mills facing metallurgical copper limits can now utilize this circuit to shift their raw material sourcing toward recycled scrap. Monitor regional scrap processing facility adoption rates to see if this shift leads to measurable reductions in high-copper contamination in the regional steel market.
Further reading
Learn more about the latest innovations in Materials Science.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Recycling Today.
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