Method for cleaning an extrusion die

A method of cleaning an extrusion die from residual metal remaining therein as result of one or more extrusion processes at a temperature below 600° C. and of recovering the residual metal, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing the extrusion die formed by at least two parts separable from each other;
• providing a thrust member in correspondence of the extrusion die, said thrust member comprising at least one portion directly faced to said extrusion die and made of a polymeric material;
• after extruding a metal through said extrusion die, reciprocally moving said thrust member and said extrusion die so as to cause a thrusting action of the thrust member on the residual metal and at least a partial flowing out of the residual metal from the extrusion die;
• after reciprocally moving said thrust member and said extrusion die, recovering the residual metal flowed out from the extrusion die;
• removing the polymeric material not flowed out of the extrusion die during the step of reciprocally moving;
• mechanically and/or chemically removing the residual metal not flowed out from the extrusion die during said step of reciprocally moving;
• and
• opening the extrusion die;
• wherein said polymeric material upon said reciprocally moving of said thrust member and said extrusion die has a water content lower than 7% by weight with respect to a total weight of the polymeric material;
• and
• wherein, during said step of reciprocally moving, said at least one portion is at least partially in a plastic deformation condition or melted so as the at least one portion occupies a volume of the residual metal flowed out of the extrusion die.