Metal recycling system for in-space manufacturing

A method of recycling a scrap material, comprising:

• providing a sample in a housing defining a chamber configured to receive a sample containing at least a first component and a second component therein, the housing having a guide to allow flow out from the chamber, the guide defined between a protruding lip of a microwave permeable dome and a plate supporting the sample thereon, each of the first and second components having a corresponding melting temperature;
• heating the sample using a microwave plasma source heated by microwaves provided by an external magnetron source through the microwave permeable dome to a first melting point corresponding to the first component to form a first molten component;
• and
• separating the first molten component from the sample via centrifugal force;
• and
• collecting the first molten component in a first collector corresponding to the first component of the sample, the first collector being positioned external to the chamber such that the first collector is vertically movable to horizontally align an opening of the first collector with the guide to collect the first molten component.

A method of recycling a scrap material, comprising:

• providing a sample in a housing defining a chamber configured to receive the sample, the sample containing at least a first component and a second component therein, the housing having a guide to allow flow out from the chamber, the guide defined between a protruding lip of a microwave permeable dome and a plate supporting the sample thereon;
• heating the sample via a microwave plasma source configured to generate microwave plasma within the chamber to heat the sample to a first melting point corresponding to the first component to form a first molten component;
• collecting the first molten component in a first collector corresponding to the first component, the first collector positioned on a support arm structure such that the first collector is vertically movable to horizontally align an opening of the first collector with the guide to collect the first molten component;
• heating the sample via a microwave plasma source configured to generate microwave plasma within the chamber to heat the sample to a second melting point corresponding to the second component to form a second molten component;
• and
• collecting the second molten component in a second collector corresponding to the second component, the second collector being positioned on the support arm structure spaced apart along a vertical axis from the first collector such that the first collector and the second collector are rotatable and moveable in the vertical direction relative to the chamber to position one of the first collector and the second collector in alignment with the guide to collect the respective component.