Thermal reclamation method for the recovery of metals from air bag inflators

A method of recovering aluminum alloy and stainless steel alloy metals from an air bag inflator having aluminum alloy parts, including an aluminum alloy housing, and having other non-aluminum alloy parts, including a non-aluminum gas filter in the housing, said non-aluminum parts being made of materials, including a stainless steel alloy, having a higher melting temperature than aluminum, said method comprising the steps of:

• heating the air bag inflator to a temperature in the range of about 700.degree. C. to about 1000.degree. C. to melt the aluminum alloy parts and collapse the non-aluminum parts of the inflator to form a stainless steel alloy case;
• separating the molten aluminum alloy from the stainless steel alloy case;
• collecting the molten aluminum alloy;
• adding a flux to the separated stainless steel alloy case, said flux being selected from the group consisting of limestone, silica, rock, gravel and combinations thereof;
• heating the stainless steel alloy case and the added flux to a temperature in the range from about 1,450.degree. C. to about 1,650.degree. C. to melt the stainless steel alloy and form a molten slag;
• separating the molten stainless steel alloy from the molten slag;
• and
• recovering the molten stainless steel alloy.