Shredder knife for scrap metal

Metal is one of the most recyclable materials in our daily life.

There are four common types of scrap metal you will typically find around the house: iron, steel, aluminum and copper.

Iron is an element that can be mined and turned into metal. Wrought iron and cast iron are two common alloys found in homes (an alloy is a metal with other substances mixed in to add beneficial characteristics). Sinks, old pipes and old decorative gates are likely to be made of iron.

Steel is another alloy of iron. Steel contains 2% copper, 1% manganese and trace amounts of things like sulfur and silicone. It is extremely strong, resists fire and will not warp over time. The World Steel Association calls steel “the world’s most important engineering and construction material.” Rebar and many beams are made with steel, which is cheap to produce and has largely displaced other iron alloys in construction.

Aluminum is an extremely common metal found in everything from roofing material to window frames. Aluminum itself is a mined substance, but it is combined with copper and magnesium before it is turned into consumer products. Aluminum is lightweight but strong, does not rust and conducts heat and electricity well.

Copper is another mined substance that we put to work in our homes. It is excellent at conducting electricity and is quite beautiful, especially as it takes on a patina as it oxidizes over time. Copper may be used as a roofing material or decorative accent. It is also found in cords and other conductive wires.

Metal is a finite resource. Recycling metal will help put off the time when we have extracted all these precious materials from the earth.

For the recycled metals, we need use shredder to crush them, and what's the main part of the shredder? It's the shredder knife. With a good quality shredder knife, you can shredder the waste metal more efficiently.