Imco Recycling, Inc.

F Robert Hubbard

William O Stauffer

Scrap aluminum is reclaimed by a salt flux-based reclamation process using potassium chloride in place of the commonly used sodium chloride. The spent flux which remains after the recovery of the aluminum is useful as a soil fertilizer, with the potassium content of the flux serving as a source of potassium nutrient for the soil. The potassium in the spent flux is highly water soluble at all values of pH while the aluminum in the spent flux remains at a limited solubility, particularly under the conditions expected to be encountered in soil. Thus, despite the known phytotoxicity of aluminum and the presence of aluminum in the spent flux, the spent flux is discovered to be useful as a plant fertilizer with the maximum benefit from the potassium and minimal if any harm from the aluminum.

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Knoxville, TN, United States of America

F Robert Hubbard