Smelter intermediates

Smelter intermediates include production waste and residues that accumulate along the value chain in the metal recovery process. At Aurubis, we make sure that these industrial residues make their way back to the material cycle in a meaningful way.

For example, we process complex secondary raw materials (smelter intermediates, recycling materials, and reusable waste containing copper, precious metals, and lead) that we source worldwide or that accumulate in our plants. Internal residues that we aren’t able to process ourselves go to partner companies that can return them to the material cycle again. This allows us to manage waste in a sustainable, optimized manner while significantly reducing emissions.

Smelter intermediates appear in the form of dust-bearing and heavy metal-bearing emissions when casting molten materials in or out of the production processes, for example. The accumulated dust is suctioned off, separated in a baghouse filter, and then cleaned, resulting in a usable intermediate for further metal recovery.

Aurubis closes the material cycle for copper and other metals. With our “closing-the-loop” approach, we turn customers into suppliers.