Process for converting aluminum scrap into useful products

Abstract

A process for converting aluminum scrap into finished articles by compaction, heating and extrusion. The process comprises the steps of compacting the aluminum scrap at ambient temperature into a billet having a density between 1.8 and 2.4 g/cm.sup.3, heating the compacted billet to a temperature between 350.degree. and 550.degree. C, compacting the heated billet into a dense mass having a density about 2.4 g/cm.sup.3 either in an extrusion container, while maintaining conditions under which the air pressure at the outer periphery of the billet is lower than that in the central portion of the billet, or externally of the extrusion container, and subsequently, after completion of the second compaction, consolidating the secondly compacted billet by extrusion through an extrusion die fitted to the container while maintaining the above mentioned conditions, whereby void-free and scab-free finished articles of good quality are efficiently produced with a small apparatus using little energy.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.