Patent ID: 8641801

Claim:
A method of cooling unpressed aluminum dross, comprising: placing the unpressed dross into a receptacle of a material container; and placing a cooling head on top of the unpressed dross so that a downwardly projecting portion of the cooling head engages the unpressed dross and locally deforms the unpressed dross under the weight of the cooling head, the dross undergoing cooling while the cooling head is on the dross; wherein: the cooling and the local deformation of the dross is caused by a weight of the cooling head and not from a dross press assembly separate from the cooling head exerting mechanical force to the dross prior to or while the cooling head is on the dross; and the cooling head seals against the material container to at least partially encapsulate the dross and extinguish oxidation of the dross, and the seal is formed by engagement of an upper rim of the material container into a channel of the cooling head.