What is Twitch, and How Does it Impact the Aluminum Market?
We must start from scratch, Zorba, to understand Twitch and its current and future impact.
What is Twitch? Twitch is a metal alloy produced from secondary aluminum scrap known as Zorba. Twitch is used in producing new aluminum alloys for automotive and aerospace applications and casting processes, among the leading applications.
Twitch specifications are set by the Institute of Scrap Metal & Recycling (ISRI). Technology improvements have made Twitch an attractive option for manufacturers looking to acquire high-grade secondary aluminum while meeting their production and purity requirements. Adoption has been slow since Zorba feedstock was sought after and sold worldwide. But necessity is the mother of invention, and a few disruptive events conspired to allow Twitch to get a little evolutive push.
Where’s the disruption?
Technological advances and supply chain disruptions (think COVID, International trade disputes, inflation, and fluctuating economies) have enabled innovators to quickly take R&D to new levels. As a result, Twitch utilization, aluminum manufacturing, and downstream recycled products continued to evolve, with direct OEM purchasing procurement agents becoming more visible in inquiring and implementing high-grade Twitch into their buying strategy. For years, companies like Toyota, Delta, and Nemak have trusted NTXS as their Tier 1 aluminum provider. More companies are now sourcing from us. Why?
It’s all in the chemistry.
Not all Twitch is created equal. By specification, Twitch is produced by a method of sorting Zorba stock. This method involves sorting scrap aluminum into different grades. Once sorted, Twitch can be melted down to create new alloys for production or re-processing.
North Texas Shredding (NTXS) high-grade aluminum Twitch is an example of this innovation.
We source high automotive yield Zorba stock and refine our products intensely. R&D is our passion, and all feedstock goes through polishing and cleaning to remove dirt and contaminants and loosen particulates. Magnetized separation precedes electrostatic separation (ECS). Additional sorting and separation of cast and sheet aluminum from Twitch products result in superior chemistry and purity levels that align with existing and developing auto industry standards.
“Folks ask me, “When Twitch is above specs, what does “high grade” Twitch mean, and how it's revolutionizing manufacturing?
The impact of Twitch on the aluminum market has been considerable, and we are yet to understand the applications and opportunities fully.” -Brady Smith
A commitment to contributing to the recycling industries, helping manufacturers reduce costs and keep to environmental commitments by providing high-quality and almost 95% recyclable secondary scrap metal while meeting production requirements.
High-grade Twitch, which goes through extensive refinement, will continue to allow recycling and mineral return rates to improve. So, we are leading an essential part of a long chain to bring sustainable change to how we recycle. In this initial dive, we just skimmed the surface of the possibilities and existing use cases of the role of Twitch in the aluminum market, uncovering the benefits it provides for aluminum recycling and understanding its impact on the diversification of domestic Tier 1 aluminum providers.
Through this article, I hope I’ve been able to help build a better understanding of Twitch's impact on the aluminum market, its potential for use in the future, and an initial overview of the role of Twitch in the market.
We also refine its Copper, Brass, Zinc, e-Waste, and Stainless into high-grade non-ferrous shredded packages.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to join the conversation on LinkedIn or reach out directly. We love to talk metal.
Next time: Investigating How Low Zinc, Low Magnesium Twitch Can be Produced from Zorba>>
Thanks for reading and sharing. See this article on LinkedIn.
Brady Smith, NTXS
