ABSTRACT
As illustrated in previous chapters, most aluminum scrap is melted in furnaces heated by the combustion of a fossil fuel — natural gas, oil, or perhaps coal. However, the use of fossil fuels as an energy source has disadvantages, which have also been discussed. These include the interaction of combustion products with the molten aluminum, toxic or hazardous compounds in the off-gas, poor efficiency in some furnaces, high capital equipment requirements for others, and low availability of fossil fuels in some areas.
