When aluminum or its alloys are melted, considerable amounts of dross are produced. The alloy type and the method used in the production of aluminum products play an important role in the amount of dross that will result as a byproduct. The current needs of the Al industry as well as economic and environmental factors demand the recovery of the pure material that is lost during dross removal by simple and efficient methods that can be applied within the foundry. Most cases of Al recovery employ methods of dross compression at high temperatures. This investigation attempts to develop a mathematical model to characterize the efficiency of the recovery process that can be implemented for any dross collection method or even compression device, facilitating the direct comparison of recovery methods.