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Recovery of recyclable materials from shredder residue

Conference ·
OSTI ID:140442
Each year, about 11 million tons of metals (ferrous and nonferrous) are recovered in the US from about 10 million discarded automobiles. The recovered metals account for about 75% of the total weight of the discarded vehicles. The balance of the material or shredder residue, which amounts to about 3 million tons annually, is currently landfilled. The residue contains a diversity of potentially recyclable materials, including polyurethane foams, iron oxides, and certain thermoplastics. This paper discusses a process under development at Argonne National Laboratory to separate and recover the recyclable materials from this waste stream. The process consists essentially of two-stages. First, a physical separation is used to recover the foams and the metal oxides, followed by a chemical process to extract certain thermoplastics. Status of the technology is discussed and process economics reviewed.
Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
140442
Report Number(s):
ANL/ES/CP--81101; CONF-940204--12; ON: DE94005390
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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