A dry mechanical recycling system for dismantling and separating waste capacitors into aluminum, magnetic metal and non-metal fractions. The line combines multi-knife crushing, airflow or gravity separation, magnetic separation, eddy-current separation and centralized dust control. Configured for different capacitor types and throughput requirements, with the final process determined by feed composition, capacitor size, metal content, oil/paper condition and target recovered materials. Final equipment selection and output targets are confirmed after reviewing the actual capacitor type, material composition and processing requirement.
Prepared waste capacitors — not a lithium-battery line and not a generic PCB recycling page.
Waste capacitors are composite electronic components containing metal shells, foil, terminals or internal pins together with paper, rubber, plastics and other non-metal materials. BREM configures the line to mechanically open the capacitors and separate these materials through staged dry physical processing.
The supplied process starts with multi-knife crushing to break open the capacitor structure and release the internal material. After crushing, airflow or gravity separation removes light fractions such as paper and part of the plastic/rubber content from heavier metal-bearing material.
Magnetic separation is then used to recover magnetic terminal or pin material, while eddy-current separation is used to separate non-ferrous aluminum from the remaining non-metal fraction. This staged approach allows metal and non-metal materials to be collected as independent output streams.
The line is intended for prepared waste capacitor feed. Capacitors containing unknown liquids, hazardous chemicals or unusually large components must be reviewed before processing so that suitable pretreatment, containment and environmental-control measures can be defined.
01 — Multi-Stage Material Liberation: Multi-knife crushing opens the capacitor structure and releases shell, foil, terminals and non-metal internal material for downstream separation.
02 — Magnetic Metal Separation: Magnetic terminal or iron-containing pin fractions are removed from the crushed material before non-ferrous separation.
03 — Aluminum Recovery: Eddy-current separation recovers conductive non-ferrous aluminum from rubber, plastic, paper and other non-metal fractions.
04 — Dry Physical Process: The core process uses crushing and physical separation rather than wet chemical treatment.
This page describes a waste-capacitor crushing and dry-separation route. It is not a lithium-battery recycling line and not a copper-clad laminate / PCB electrostatic-separation line.
The composition of waste capacitors varies by type, manufacturer and application. Feedstock review is important because the proportion of aluminum, terminals, paper, rubber, plastic and liquid residue directly affects process configuration.
Waste capacitors with aluminum shell and internal aluminum foil, commonly containing paper, rubber, terminal materials and other internal components. Typical forms: cylindrical capacitors; electronic capacitors; production rejects; collected end-of-life capacitors.
Mixed capacitor scrap that has been sorted from broader electronic waste and prepared for dry mechanical processing. Typical forms: loose mixed capacitors; capacitor production scrap; separated component batches.
Electronic scrap containing capacitors may require upstream dismantling or component removal before entering the dedicated capacitor recycling line.
Aluminum shell and foil material recovered after crushing and non-ferrous separation. Final purity depends on feed composition, liberation quality and separator settings.
Magnetic metal material such as iron-containing terminal or pin fractions separated through magnetic sorting.
Non-metal material separated from the metal stream through airflow, gravity and eddy-current stages.
Light paper and similar internal materials removed from heavier metal-bearing material through controlled airflow separation.
Fine particulate captured through the process-air and dust-control system and handled separately according to its composition.
Feedstock containing unknown liquids, hazardous chemicals, mercury-containing devices, batteries, pressurized parts or large unrelated electronic components must not be assumed to be direct feed. Material identification and pretreatment requirements should be confirmed before operation.
Typical Composition Reported in Source Material (not universal feedstock values): aluminum approximately 11%–26%; terminal / tin-pin fraction approximately 15%; aluminum foil approximately 8%.
The supplied process uses staged crushing and physical separation to take advantage of differences in particle density, magnetism and electrical conductivity between the recovered materials.
Multi-knife crushing liberates capacitor internals; staged air/gravity, magnetic and eddy-current separation split aluminum, magnetic metal and non-metal fractions.
Incoming capacitors are checked for type, size, visible leakage, foreign components and materials that require removal before mechanical processing.
Prepared capacitor material is fed into the crushing system at a controlled rate to stabilize the downstream sorting process and reduce overload.
A multi-knife crusher opens and breaks down the capacitor structure, releasing aluminum shell, foil, terminals, paper, rubber and plastic from the assembled component.
After crushing, differences in density and aerodynamic behavior are used to remove light fractions such as paper and part of the rubber/plastic content from heavier metal-bearing material.
Separated paper, light non-metal material and process fines are collected through dedicated material-handling and airflow systems.
The remaining material passes through magnetic separation to remove magnetic terminal, iron-pin or other ferrous-containing fractions.
Recovered magnetic material is discharged separately for downstream metal recycling or further refinement.
The non-magnetic stream enters an eddy-current separator, which separates conductive non-ferrous aluminum from rubber, plastic and other non-conductive material.
Recovered aluminum is collected as a dedicated metal fraction, while rubber/plastic-rich non-metal material is discharged separately.
Induced-draft airflow, material collectors and dust / air-purification equipment capture fine particulate and help maintain controlled process-air conditions.
The source flow indicates the sequence: waste capacitor → multi-knife crusher → airflow/gravity separation → magnetic separation → eddy-current separation → aluminum recovery, with separate collection of paper/light material, magnetic terminal material and rubber/non-metal fractions. The final layout must follow the current engineering configuration used by BREM.
The line combines crushing, density / airflow classification, magnetic sorting, eddy-current non-ferrous separation and centralized material collection. Only published BREM Product posts are linked below.
Line-engineering components without a matching published Product CPT (not auto-created): multi-knife crusher / dedicated capacitor crusher (primary liberation); magnetic separator (remove magnetic terminal, iron pin and other ferrous-containing material); eddy-current separator (separate non-ferrous conductive aluminum from non-conductive rubber/plastic); induced-draft fan; material collector; air purifier; conveyors and automatic transfer equipment. These remain process-line descriptions until corresponding Product posts are published.
The supplied source provides three reference model configurations. Values below are Reference Source Data and must be confirmed by BREM engineering before quotation or contract commitment.
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Processing Capacity | Reference models: 400–500 / 700–800 / 900–1000 kg/h — project capacity confirmed after material review |
| Applicable Feedstock | Prepared waste capacitors (aluminum electrolytic and reviewed mixed capacitor scrap) |
| Applicable Battery Chemistry | Aluminum shell/foil + magnetic terminal/pin fractions + paper/rubber/plastic and other non-metals |
| Processing Method | Crushing → air/gravity separation → magnetic separation → eddy-current separation |
| Recovered Fractions | Aluminum-rich fraction + magnetic terminal/pin fraction + rubber/plastic + paper/light + collected fines |
| Automation Level | Coordinated line control; final design project-dependent |
| Installed Power | Reference: 45 kW (Model 500) / 75 kW (Model 800) / 95 kW (Model 1000) — not a universal project total |
| Typical Floor Space | Configured by project |
| Operating Mode | Continuous dry mechanical physical separation |
| Dust Control | Material collection + induced draft + dust / air treatment |
| Exhaust Treatment | Project-specific; expand when oil mist, VOCs or local requirements indicate additional purification |
| Utilities | Power supply, compressed air (as required) and plant utilities confirmed before final design |
REFERENCE SOURCE DATA FROM SUPPLIED MATERIAL (not universal guaranteed performance):
Reference models:
• Model 500 — 45 kW — capacity 400–500 kg/h — source-reported purity 96%–99% — utilization/recovery ≥99%
• Model 800 — 75 kW — capacity 700–800 kg/h — source-reported purity 96%–99% — utilization/recovery ≥99%
• Model 1000 — 95 kW — capacity 900–1000 kg/h — source-reported purity 96%–99% — utilization/recovery ≥99%
The purity range of 96%–99%, utilization / recovery figure of ≥99%, model capacities and power values above are taken from the supplied equipment material. Actual project performance depends on capacitor type, material composition, contamination, crushing condition, separator settings and line configuration. Contractual performance must be confirmed by current material testing and final technical agreement. Absolute marketing claims from legacy source copy are not used on this page.
The line is designed to produce independent material streams for downstream metal recycling and non-metal handling. Final quality depends on feedstock composition and separation settings.
Aluminum shell and foil material separated from the crushed capacitor stream through staged physical sorting and eddy-current separation.
Iron-containing and magnetic terminal or pin material removed by magnetic separation before the aluminum / non-metal separation stage.
Non-conductive rubber and plastic-rich material separated from the recovered aluminum stream.
Paper and other lightweight internal material removed from the crushed capacitor stream through airflow-based separation.
The source reports 96%–99% purity and ≥99% utilization / recovery for its referenced configurations. These values are displayed as source-reported Reference Source Data, not a guaranteed result for every incoming capacitor batch.
Waste capacitors may contain residual liquid, paper, polymers, metal shells and internal conductive components. Safe processing requires feed inspection, controlled mechanical loading, dust containment and electrical / mechanical protection.
Identify leaking, swollen, damaged or unusual capacitors and remove incompatible components before crushing.
Metered feeding prevents overload of the multi-knife crusher and stabilizes downstream separation equipment.
Current monitoring, jam protection and coordinated shutdown reduce equipment damage during abnormal loading.
Crushing and sorting points should operate under controlled collection to reduce uncontrolled release of paper, polymer and metal fines.
Capacitors containing significant residual liquid or unidentified chemical material require specific pretreatment and environmental review before entering the standard dry processing line.
Startup/shutdown sequencing, alarms, overload protection and emergency-stop circuits coordinate the complete line and reduce unsafe operation during faults.
Do not describe all waste capacitors as chemically identical. Feedstock composition varies by capacitor type and age, and project safety controls must be selected accordingly.
The supplied process uses induced-draft airflow, material collection and air-purification equipment to handle light material and fine particulate generated during crushing and separation.
Pickup points around the crusher and separation equipment capture fine paper, polymer and metal particulate before uncontrolled release into the workshop.
Fans maintain controlled airflow through the separation and material-collection stages and support removal of light fractions.
Light paper, fines and other entrained material are collected through dedicated collection equipment before final discharge and handling.
If the actual capacitor feed generates oil mist, VOCs or other gaseous contaminants, additional filtration, adsorption or purification equipment should be selected after material review and according to local environmental requirements.
Unsupported absolute dust or emission claims from legacy marketing copy are not used on this page. Emission and dust-control performance is project-specific and must follow local environmental requirements.
Reference Configuration / Process Equipment Material — not a named customer case.
In the reference flow, waste capacitors are first crushed to release the internal materials. Airflow or gravity separation removes light paper and non-metal material, magnetic separation recovers magnetic terminal or pin fractions, and eddy-current separation separates aluminum from rubber and other non-conductive material. The source provides three reference model ranges: 400–500 kg/h, 700–800 kg/h and 900–1000 kg/h, with corresponding listed power values of 45 kW, 75 kW and 95 kW. The source also reports purity of 96%–99% and utilization / recovery of ≥99% for the referenced equipment. These figures remain clearly identified as source-reported performance and are not presented as universal guarantees.
No customer name, country, commissioning year, annual output, operating cost or ROI is invented. Project photos are published only where ownership and publication rights are confirmed.
Resolve feedstock, separation-route and reference-model questions before requesting a proposal.
The line is intended for prepared waste capacitors, particularly aluminum-containing electronic capacitors. Because construction and internal materials vary by capacitor type, representative samples or material photos should be reviewed before final equipment selection.
Typical output streams include aluminum-rich material, magnetic terminal or pin material, rubber/plastic fractions, paper/light material and collected fines. Exact outputs depend on capacitor construction.
After crushing and upstream classification, magnetic material is removed first. The remaining stream enters eddy-current separation, where conductive non-ferrous aluminum responds differently from rubber, plastic and other non-conductive material.
Removing magnetic terminal or iron-containing pin material first improves the stability of the downstream non-ferrous aluminum separation stage and reduces magnetic interference in the eddy-current separator.
The supplied technical material reports a 96%–99% purity range for the referenced models. Actual purity depends on capacitor type, metal composition, liberation quality, contamination and separator settings, so final project performance should be confirmed through current material testing.
The supplied source lists utilization / recovery of ≥99% for its reference equipment. It should be treated as source-reported performance rather than a universal contractual guarantee. BREM should confirm the exact performance definition and target through current engineering review.
Not automatically. Capacitors with significant residual liquid, unknown chemicals or leakage require material identification and may need pretreatment or enhanced environmental controls before entering the standard dry mechanical line.
Please provide capacitor type, photos or video, approximate composition if known, size range, presence of residual liquid or oil, hourly or daily capacity target, required aluminum quality, magnetic-metal recovery needs, project location, available plant area, electrical standard and local environmental requirements.
Provide BREM with your waste-capacitor material information and required processing capacity. Our engineering team will review the feedstock and recommend the crushing, air/gravity, magnetic, eddy-current and dust-control configuration for your project. Include capacitor type, photos or video, size range, residual liquid condition, capacity target, plant area, electrical standard and local environmental requirements.
You can also upload material photos, equipment images, plant layouts or technical documents.
You don't need to know all the technical details. Tell us what you're working with and what you want to achieve, and our team will help you determine the next step.
