Abstract:
A system and method for recovering ferrous material from the boiler grit of burnt tires used to create electricity or heat at industrial locations. The system includes a magnetic separator for attracting the ferrous material out of the boiler grit, and a series of conveyors for transporting the ferrous and non-ferrous materials away from the system.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    Embodiments of the disclosure may generally relate to the separation of usable metals from boiler grit. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    It is not uncommon for industrial factories, plants, and mills to burn combustible materials onsite to either create electricity for the factory/plant or to supply heat for water and ambient temperature regulation. Typical combustible materials burned onsite at an industrial location may include wood, coal, oil, refuse, etc., but generally will be the cheapest and most readily-available burnable material. Recently, industrial locations have been using pre-shredded automotive tires as a source of combustible materials, since tires can be obtained quite inexpensively, and burning tires serves to reduce the amount of landfill intake. 
         [0003]    Tires today, however, are manufactured to include numerous steel belts (i.e., “radials”), which are used to reinforce the area under the tread, to provide puncture resistance, and to help the read surface remain planar so that it makes the best contact with the road. The combustion process at an industrial location rarely reaches temperatures sufficient to melt or incinerate the radials. Therefore, after the burning process, charred steel radials will generally remain in the boiler grit, or burnt residue, along with a substantial amount of dirt and rock. Having no apparent value of use, the boiler grit, including the charred radials, is then typically shipped at a cost by the industrial location to a local landfill for disposal, or on site. 
         [0004]    As can be readily appreciated, however, the charred steel radials may have potential value in the scrap metal industry. If properly recovered from the boiler grit and cleaned for recycling purposes, the charred radials may be sold as valuable scrap metal. Furthermore, because of the burning process, the charred radials are generally free from any tire residue which steel mills or scrap metal yards often refuse to accept. 
         [0005]    What is needed, therefore, is an efficient system and method of removing charred steel radials from the boiler grit resulting from burning tires at industrial locations. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    Embodiments of the disclosure may provide a system for removing ferrous materials from furnace boiler grit. The system may include a hopper configured to receive the boiler grit derived from burning tires, and having a vibratory feeder coupled thereto, wherein the vibratory feeder has a conveyor configured to transport the boiler grit away from the hopper, a grating coupled to the hopper and having a plurality of slats configured to prevent the admission of large objects into the hopper, wherein the grating is disposed at an incline relative to the hopper, such that the large objects fall off the grating, and a magnetic separator having a magnet configured to attract ferrous materials in the boiler grit, thereby separating the ferrous materials from a remaining non-ferrous residue. The system may also include a residue collection module configured to collect the remaining non-ferrous residue, a non-ferrous material conveyor configured to transport the remaining non-ferrous residue away from the system, a metal collection module configured to collect the ferrous material, and a ferrous material conveyor communicably coupled to the metal collection module and configured to transport the ferrous material away from the system. 
         [0007]    Embodiments of the disclosure may further provide a method of removing ferrous materials from boiler grit. The method may include receiving the boiler grit in a hopper, wherein the boiler grit includes charred steel radials derived from burning tires, transporting the boiler grit away from the hopper toward a magnetic separator via a conveyor, and separating the charred steel radials from the boiler grit using the magnetic separator, thereby leaving a non-ferrous residue. The method may also include collecting the non-ferrous residue in a residue collection module located adjacent to the conveyor, conveying the non-ferrous residue away from the system via a non-ferrous material conveyor communicably coupled to the residue collection module, collecting the ferrous materials in a metal collection module located adjacent to the magnetic separator, and conveying the ferrous material away from the system with a ferrous material conveyor communicably coupled to the metal collection module. 
         [0008]    Embodiments of the disclosure may further provide a system for removing ferrous materials from a boiler grit having ferrous and non-ferrous materials. The exemplary system may include a hopper configured to receive the boiler grit, and having a vibratory feeder coupled thereto, wherein the vibratory feeder has a conveyor capable of transporting the boiler grit away from the hopper, a magnetic separator having a magnet designed to attract the ferrous materials in the boiler grit, thereby separating the ferrous materials from the non-ferrous materials and leaving a non-ferrous residue, a first material transportation vehicle located adjacent to the conveyor and configured to collect the non-ferrous residue for transport away from the system, and a second material transportation vehicle located adjacent to the magnetic separator and configured to collect the ferrous material for transport away from the system. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]    The present disclosure is best understood from the following detailed description when read with the accompanying Figures. It is emphasized that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry, various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the various features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity of discussion. 
           [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary system for recovery of scrap metal from burnt tires, according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. 
           [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a portion of  FIG. 1  detailing an exemplary magnet separator as a crossbelt magnetic separator, according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  illustrates a portion of  FIG. 1  detailing the exemplary magnet separator as a rotary drum separator, according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4A  illustrates an exemplary system for recovery of scrap metal from burnt tires, according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4B  illustrates a perspective view of a portion of  FIG. 4A  showing the magnet separator in conjunction with the material conveyor. 
           [0015]      FIG. 5  illustrates a pre-processing procedure configured to remove a substantial amount of non-ferrous material from the boiler grit. 
           [0016]      FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary of removing and cleaning ferrous material from a boiler grit, according to one or more embodiments of the disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0017]    It is to be understood that the following disclosure describes several exemplary embodiments for implementing different features, structures, or functions of the invention. Exemplary embodiments of components, arrangements, and configurations are described below to simplify the present disclosure, however, these exemplary embodiments are provided merely as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Additionally, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various exemplary embodiments and across the Figures provided herein. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various exemplary embodiments and/or configurations discussed in the various Figures. Moreover, the formation of a first feature over or on a second feature in the description that follows may include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in which additional features may be formed interposing the first and second features, such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Finally, ° the exemplary embodiments presented below may be combined in any combination of ways, i.e., any element from one exemplary embodiment may be used in any other exemplary embodiment, without departing from the scope of the disclosure. 
         [0018]    Additionally, certain terms are used throughout the following description and claims to refer to particular components. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, various entities may refer to the same component by different names, and as such, the naming convention for the elements described herein is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, unless otherwise specifically defined herein. Further, the naming convention used herein is not intended to distinguish between components that differ in name but not function. Further, in the following discussion and in the claims, the terms “including” and “comprising” are used in an open-ended fashion, and thus should be interpreted to mean “including, but not limited to.” All numerical values in this disclosure may be exact or approximate values unless otherwise specifically stated. Accordingly, various embodiments of the disclosure may deviate from the numbers, values, and ranges disclosed herein without departing from the intended scope. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary scrap metal recovery system  100 . The system  100  may include a hopper  102  configured to receive a material, such as a boiler grit  104  for processing and cleaning. In an exemplary embodiment, boiler grit  104  may include the burnt residue acquired from a boiler or furnace of at least one industrial location (not shown), such as a factory, mill, or plant. The boiler grit  104  may include the remains of the substance that was burnt and also such impurities as dirt and rock. 
         [0020]    Combustion chambers, such as a boiler located at industrial locations, may produce the boiler grit  104  as a result of locally burning a combustible material, such as coal or wood, to produce electricity or heat for the location. In at least one embodiment, the industrial location burns worn and/or pre-shredded automotive or industrial tires having steel radials. Thus, the boiler grit  104  from the tires may include a significant amount of recyclable ferrous material, including the charred remains of the steel radials, which may be removed and cleaned via embodiments of the system  100  herein disclosed. Moreover, because of the prior burning process, the ferrous material may be substantially clean of tire residue, which steel mills and recycling centers will typically reject. 
         [0021]    The boiler grit  104  may be introduced to the hopper  102  via a grating  106  coupled to the hopper  102  at its top. The grating  106  may include a plurality of longitudinal slats, or otherwise crisscrossed slats, that provide an area for the boiler grit  104  to fall into the hopper  102 , while preventing the admission of larger objects, such as rocks and other unwanted residue. Thus, the grating  106  may serve to filter the boiler grit  104  to remove large objects that may obstruct various moving parts used in the system  100 . In at least one exemplary embodiment, the grating  106  may be disposed at an incline relative to the hopper  102 , whereby larger objects may “roll” or otherwise fall off the grating  106  and onto either an adjacent receptacle (not shown) or the ground for subsequent removal or usage. In another exemplary embodiment, the grating  106  may be configured to be self-cleaning so as to prevent clogging. For example, the grating  106  may be an actuated grating designed to dispose of caught objects. 
         [0022]    In an exemplary embodiment, the hopper  102  may include a gravity hopper or a slant hopper, as is known in the art. In at least one embodiment, the hopper  102  may include three interior sides which are each angled at about 45 degrees and one side that is substantially vertical, thereby causing the contents of the hopper  102  to funnel towards an outlet located at the bottom via gravitational forces. In another exemplary embodiment, the hopper  102  may include four interior sides which are all angled toward an outlet located at a centralized-bottom location, and configured to funnel the contents thereto. 
         [0023]    A commercially-available vibratory feeder  108  may be coupled to the bottom of the hopper  102  at its outlet. The vibratory feeder  108  may be powered by a motor  110  and configured to vibrate the boiler grit  104  towards the bottom of the hopper  102 . As follows, the vibratory feeder  108  may also serve to vibrate the boiler grit  104  in the hopper  102  so as to break up any chunks of boiler grit  104  and pre-separating the metal from the dirt and rock. Furthermore, the vibratory feeder  108  may feed the boiler grit  104  onto an adjacent conveyor  112 . In at least one embodiment, the conveyor  112  may be an integral part of the vibratory feeder  108  and be designed to receive the boiler grit  104  and transport it aided by vibrational energy in the direction of arrow A. In one embodiment, the conveyor  112  may be slightly declined relative to ground so as to allow gravitational forces to contribute to the movement in direction A. In another embodiment, the conveyor  112  may include a belt-conveying system, as is known in the art, and the vibratory feeder  108  may be designed to feed the boiler grit  104  onto the conveyor  112  by means of an auger positioned in or near the lower portion of the hopper  102 , for example. In this exemplary embodiment, a motor may power the conveyor  112  to transport the boiler grit  104  in the direction of arrow A. 
         [0024]    The boiler grit  104  transported in direction A may be transported by the conveyor  112  toward a crossbelt magnetic separator  114 . In an exemplary embodiment, a leveling device (not illustrated) may be employed over the conveyor  112  to “rake” the boiler grit  104  to a substantially leveled height. Raking the incoming boiler grit  104  to a level height may allow the crossbelt magnetic separator  114  to continuously receive an equal amount of boiler grit  104  thereby avoiding the clogging of the system  100 . The crossbelt magnetic separator  114  may be configured to remove a substantial portion of the ferrous content from the boiler grit  104 . In particular, the crossbelt magnetic separator  114  may be designed to remove the pieces of charred steel radials that once comprised the radial belts of a tire. 
         [0025]    As best seen in  FIG. 2 , the crossbelt magnetic separator  114  may include a magnet  202  disposed between at least a portion of the length of a continuous conveyor belt  204 . In an exemplary embodiment, the magnet  202  may include a permanent magnet, but may alternatively include an electromagnet having an adjustable or non-adjustable magnetic strength. The conveyor belt  204  may be made of an elastic polymer, such as high-strength rubber, and may include a plurality of cleats  206  configured to assist in discharging any ferrous material from the conveyor belt  204 . In another exemplary embodiment, the conveyor belt  204  may be made of other materials suitable for magnetized applications. In one exemplary mode of operation, the conveyor belt  204  may be configured to continuously rotate in direction B, as illustrated, but may also rotate in the opposite direction for other applications, as will be discussed below. 
         [0026]    Still referring to  FIG. 2 , in exemplary operation, as the boiler grit  104  moves in direction A on the conveyor  112 , the magnetic field produced by the magnet  202  of the crossbelt magnetic separator  114  may attract the ferrous material  208  onto the surface of the conveyor belt  204 , thereby separating it from the rock, dirt, and other non-ferrous residue  210  remaining in the boiler grit  104 . At the discharge end  212  of the conveyor  112 , the non-ferrous residue  210  may fall off into a residue collection module  214 . The ferrous material  208 , however, may be magnetically-transported in direction C and remain magnetically attracted to the surface of the conveyor belt  204  until passing outside the range of the magnetic field of the magnet  202 . At the discharge end  216  of the conveyor belt  204 , the ferrous material  208  may fall into a metal collection module  218 , or a module for collecting metallic materials. 
         [0027]    Thus, in at least one embodiment, the crossbelt magnetic separator  114  may be disposed co-linearly with the conveyor  112 , as illustrated in  FIG. 2 . However, the disclosure also contemplates other configurations wherein the crossbelt magnetic separator  114  is disposed perpendicular to, or at least at an angled configuration with respect to, the conveyor  112 . In this exemplary embodiment, the ferrous material  208  may be discharged either to the left or right of the conveyor  112 , depending on the rotation direction of the conveyor belt  204 . As can be appreciated, multiple configurations may be implemented without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and yet satisfy an equal number of applications. 
         [0028]    In another exemplary embodiment, the conveyor belt  204  does not include cleats  206 . Instead, the crossbelt magnetic separator  114  may include a scraper  220  designed to scrape the surface of the conveyor belt  204 , and thereby remove any remaining ferrous materials  208  that remained attached thereto after moving out of the range of the magnetic field. 
         [0029]    In yet another exemplary embodiment, the magnet  202  may be disposed across a substantial portion of the crossbelt magnetic separator  114  and the conveyor belt  204  may be configured to rotate in a direction opposite the direction B. Thus, the magnetic field produced by the magnet  202  may attract the ferrous material  208  onto the surface of the conveyor belt  204  and transport the ferrous material  208  on the underside of the crossbelt magnetic separator  114  in direction C. Underneath the crossbelt magnetic separator  114 , the ferrous material  208  may remain magnetically attracted to the surface of the conveyor belt  204  until passing outside the range of the magnetic field of the magnet  202 , at which point the ferrous material  208  may fall into the metal collection module  218 , as described above. While not necessary, a scraper  220 , as also described above, may be employed in this embodiment to assist in the removal of any ferrous material  208  stuck or otherwise attached to the conveyor belt  204  outside of the range of the magnetic field. 
         [0030]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , another exemplary embodiment of the system  100  is illustrated. The embodiment of  FIG. 3  may be substantially similar to the embodiment disclosed with reference to  FIG. 2 , except that the crossbelt magnetic separator  114  as described in  FIG. 2  may be omitted and replaced with a rotating drum magnet  302 . As is known in the art, a rotating drum magnet  302  may include a stationary, 180 degree arc, internal magnet  304 , with an outer drum surface  306  that rotates independently of the internal magnet  304  in direction D. The internal magnet  304  may include a permanent magnet, but may alternatively include an electromagnet. 
         [0031]    Although the angular disposition of the stationary internal magnet  304  is illustrated to a specific angle, it can be appreciated that any number of angular configurations may be employed. Indeed, depending on the concentration of the ferrous material in the boiler grit  104 , and its overall weight, the angular configuration of the internal magnet  304  may be altered or adjusted to suit the specific application to attract the greatest amount of material  208 . 
         [0032]    In an exemplary embodiment, a leveling device (not illustrated) may be employed over the conveyor  112  to “rake” the boiler grit  104  to a substantially leveled height. Raking the incoming boiler grit  104  to a level height may allow the crossbelt magnetic separator  114  to continuously receive an equal amount of boiler grit  104  thereby avoiding the clogging of the system  100 . In exemplary operation, as the boiler grit  104  moves in direction A on the conveyor  112 , the boiler grit  104  eventually encounters the magnetic field generated by the internal magnet  304 , whereby the ferrous material  208  is attracted to the outer drum surface  306 , separating it from the remaining rock, dirt, and other non-ferrous residue  210 . At the discharge end  212  of the conveyor  112 , the non-ferrous residue  210  may fall off into a residue collection module  214 . The ferrous material  208 , however, may be magnetically attracted to the outer drum surface  306  until the ferrous material  208  passes through the magnetic field, at which point it is discharged to the rear of the outer drum surface  306  and allowed to fall into a metal collection module  218 . 
         [0033]    Referring once more to  FIG. 1 , with continuing reference to  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the system  100  may also include a non-ferrous material conveyor  116  and a ferrous material conveyor  118 . In an exemplary embodiment, the non-ferrous material conveyor  116  may be communicably coupled to the residue collection module  214  and configured to transport the non-ferrous residue  210  away from the system  100  in direction E for further processing or disposal. As illustrated, the non-ferrous material conveyor  116  may include ribs  120  designed to more easily transfer the non-ferrous material  210  up an incline and into an adjacent receptacle (not shown). As can be appreciated, however, it is not necessary that the non-ferrous material conveyor  116  be arranged at an incline of any specific angular configuration. In fact, the non-ferrous material conveyor  116  may be disposed parallel to the ground, or even at a decline, depending on the location of the adjacent receptacle. 
         [0034]    Moreover, the non-ferrous material conveyor  116  may also be replaced with any type of receptacle or module to fit the particular application. For example, the combination of the residue collection module  214  and non-ferrous material conveyor  116  may be replaced with a material transportation vehicle, like a dump truck, for collecting the non-ferrous material  210  for shipping to another location. In at least one embodiment, once collected, the non-ferrous material  210  may be re-processed by running it through the system  100  multiple times in order to remove all traces of ferrous material  108 . Also, the non-ferrous material  210  may be further processed by removing larger rocks and eventually sold as road base material. 
         [0035]    The ferrous material conveyor  118  may be communicably coupled to the metal collection module  218 . As illustrated, the ferrous material conveyor  118  may be configured to transport the ferrous material  208  up an incline and away from the system  100  in direction F. At the discharge end  122  of the ferrous material conveyor  118 , the ferrous material  208  may fall into a metal collection bin  124 . Similar to the non-ferrous material conveyor  116 , however, it is not necessary that the ferrous material conveyor  118  be arranged at an incline of any specific angular configuration. Instead, the conveyor  118  may be disposed parallel to the ground, or even at a decline with respect to the ground, depending on the location of the collection bin  124 . 
         [0036]    Moreover, the combination of the metal collection module  218  and ferrous material conveyor  118  may be replaced with a material transportation vehicle, such as a dump truck for directly collecting the ferrous material  208  for ease of shipping to another location. In another exemplary embodiment, the metal collection bin  124  may include the bucket of a dump truck designed to receive the ferrous material  208  and facilitate easy transportation for recycling purposes. However, in each exemplary embodiment, the ferrous material  208  in the metal collection bin  124  may instead be repeatedly processed to assure a cleaner product for scrap metal yards, therefore, the material transport vehicle may include a conveying system configured to return the processed material back to the hopper  102 . 
         [0037]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , illustrated is an another exemplary embodiment of a system  400  according to the present disclosure. The system  400  may include substantially similar elements as the system  100  disclosed in  FIG. 1 . For example, the system  400  may include a hopper  402  configured to receive boiler grit  104 , as described herein, for processing and cleaning. The boiler grit  104  may be introduced to the hopper  402  via a grating  106 , as described above. However, in other exemplary embodiments, the system  400  may omit the grating  106 . 
         [0038]    The hopper  402 , in at least one embodiment, may include a feeder, or conveyor  112 , as an integral part of the hopper  402 . While not illustrated herein, the hopper  402  may also include a vibratory feeder coupled to the bottom of the hopper  402  to facilitate improved transport of the boiler grit  104  via vibrational forces through the conveyor  112 . In another embodiment, the conveyor  112  may include a belt-conveying system designed to feed the boiler grit  104  in the direction A. 
         [0039]    The boiler grit  104  transported in direction A may eventually fall off the conveyor  112  and into a material collection module  404  communicably coupled to a material conveyor  406 . The material conveyor  406  may include a belt-conveying system having a belt  408  configured to convey the boiler grit  104  in direction G for processing. In at least one embodiment, the belt  408  may include ribs (not shown) designed to more easily transfer the boiler grit  104  up an incline. 
         [0040]    As the boiler grit  104  travels in direction G, it eventually passes under a crossbelt magnetic separator  410  suspended or otherwise disposed above the material conveyor  406 . In at least one embodiment, as illustrated, the crossbelt magnetic separator  410  may be suspended by cables  411  attached to a support structure  413 . 
         [0041]    As best seen in  FIG. 4B , the crossbelt magnetic separator  410  may be perpendicularly-disposed relative to the direction of the material conveyor  406 , and configured to remove a substantial portion of the ferrous content from the boiler grit  104 . In particular, the crossbelt magnetic separator  410  may include an internal magnet  412  disposed between at least a portion of the length of a continuous conveyor belt  414  and the belt  408  of the material conveyor  406 . The conveyor belt  414  may be configured to continuously rotate in direction B, as illustrated, but may reverse direction for alternative applications. 
         [0042]    In exemplary operation, as the boiler grit  104  moves in direction G on the material conveyor  406 , the magnetic forces emanating from the magnet  412  of the crossbelt magnetic separator  410  may attract the ferrous material  208  onto the surface of the conveyor belt  414 , thereby separating it from the rock, dirt, and other non-ferrous residue  210  remaining in the boiler grit  104 . At the discharge end  416  of the material conveyor  406 , the non-ferrous residue  210  may fall off into a residue collection module  418 . 
         [0043]    The ferrous material  208 , however, may be magnetically-transported in direction H ( FIG. 4B ) and remain magnetically attracted to the surface of the conveyor belt  414  until passing outside the range of the magnetic field of the magnet  412  below. At the discharge end  420  of the conveyor belt  414 , the ferrous material  208  may fall into a metal collection module  422  communicably coupled to a ferrous material conveyor  424 . The ferrous material conveyor  424  may be configured to transport the ferrous material  208  up an incline and away from the system  100  in direction I. At the discharge end  426  of the ferrous material conveyor  424 , the ferrous material  208  may fall into a metal collection bin  428 . 
         [0044]    As can be appreciated, it is not necessary that the material conveyor  406  or the ferrous material conveyor  424  be arranged at an incline of any specific angular configuration. Instead, both the conveyor  406  and the ferrous material conveyor  424  may be disposed at any inclined angle, parallel to the ground, or even at a decline, depending on the location of the adjacent receptacles  418 , 428 , respectively. 
         [0045]    Moreover, as with prior embodiments disclosed herein, the combination material conveyor  406  and residue collection module  418  may be replaced with a dump truck for collecting the non-ferrous material  210  for shipping to another location. In at least one embodiment, for example, the non-ferrous material  210  may be further processed to remove larger rocks and eventually sold as road base material. 
         [0046]    Likewise, the combination of the ferrous material conveyor  424  and the metal collection bin  428  may be replaced with a dump truck for directly collecting the ferrous material  208  from the crossbelt magnetic separator  410  for ease of shipping to another location. In another exemplary embodiment, the metal collection bin  428  may include the bucket of a dump truck designed to receive the ferrous material  208  and facilitate easy transportation for recycling. However, in each exemplary embodiment, the ferrous material  208  in the metal collection bin  124  may instead be repeatedly processed to ensure a cleaner product for scrap metal yards. 
         [0047]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , before processing the boiler grit  104  as described herein, it may be pre-processed using a crane  502  with an extendable high-powered magnet  504  attached thereto. As illustrated, the boiler grit  104  may be amassed into a pile, or otherwise collected into a single location, as illustrated. The pile may be located, for example, on-site at an industrial location. So as to eliminate larger non-ferrous materials  210 , such as large rocks or other charred non-ferrous materials, the crane  502  may be configured to suspend the magnet  504  over the pile of boiler grit  104  and magnetically-attract the ferrous material  208  found therein. Once attracted to the magnet, the ferrous material  208  may then be deposited in an adjacent transport vehicle (not shown) for transport to a location having a system  100 , 400 , as described herein, for further processing. The transport vehicle does not necessarily have to be a motorized vehicle, such as a truck, but may also include any means of transporting the pre-processed material to the hopper  102 ,  402 . For example, a separate conveying system may be used to convey the material, or it could be shipped via a water vessel. As can be appreciated, pre-processing the burnt material  104  may prove advantageous in saving on transport costs and on-site processing costs, since less material is required to be transported and processed. 
         [0048]    Referring now to  FIG. 6 , with continuing reference to  FIGS. 1-5 , a method  600  of removing ferrous material  208  from a boiler grit  104  having ferrous and non-ferrous materials is described. The method  600  may first include receiving the boiler grit  104  in a hopper  102 , 402 , as at step  602 . As described above, the hopper  102 , 402  may be a gravity or slant-style hopper, as is known in the art. The boiler grit  104  may be the result of burning pre-shredded tires for energy production in an industrial location. As a result of the burning process, the remaining ferrous material may be substantially cleaned of any rubber residue, which is generally rejected by steel mills or recycling centers. 
         [0049]    Preceding the receipt of the boiler grit  104  by the hopper  102 , 402 , the boiler grit  104  may optionally be pre-processed either onsite at the industrial location (not shown), or adjacent to the hopper  102 , 402 . Part of the pre-processing may include amassing the boiler grit  104  into a localized pile, as at step  604 . Instead of being in a pile, the boiler grit  104  may be simply spread out so as to more-easily locate the ferrous material  208  therein. Once in a pile or spread out, the boiler grit  104  may have a magnet suspended overhead to attract the ferrous material  208  and roughly separate it from the non-ferrous material  210 , as at step  606 . The ferrous material  208  may then be deposited in either an adjacent transport vehicle or other transport device, as at step  608 . Once collected in a transport vehicle, the ferrous material  208  may then be transported to the hopper  102 , 402  for processing, as at step  610 . The remaining boiler grit  104  from the pile may also be transported to the hopper  102 , 402  for processing. 
         [0050]    Once received into the hopper  102 , 402  (step  602 ), the boiler grit  104 , including the ferrous material  208  separated out by the magnet (step  606 ), may be transported away from the hopper toward a magnet separator  114 , 410  via a conveyor  112 , as at step  612 . The magnet separator  114 , 410  may be configured to separate the ferrous materials  208  in the boiler grit  104  from the non-ferrous materials  210 , as at step  614 . 
         [0051]    The non-ferrous residue  210  may then be collected into a residue collection module  214  located adjacent to the conveyor  112 , as at step  616 . Once collected into the residue collection module  214 , the non-ferrous materials  210  may be conveyed away from the system  100 , 400  via a non-ferrous material conveyor  116 , as at step  618 . The ferrous materials  208  are also collected in a metal collection module  124 , as at step  620 . The collected ferrous materials  208  may then be conveyed away from the system with a ferrous material conveyor  118 , as at step  622 . 
         [0052]    Optionally, the method may include re-processing the collected ferrous material  208  or the non-ferrous material  210  by passing the material through the system  100 , 400  once again, as at step  624 . As can be appreciated, processing the materials  208 , 210  multiple times may result in a substantially clean material  208 , 210  that may be subsequently sold or used. 
         [0053]    The foregoing has outlined features of several embodiments so that those skilled in the art may better understand the detailed description that follows. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifying other processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/or achieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent constructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions and alterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.