Recycling the junk car
A systems approach to recycling junk cars as a major renewable resource is proposed, although this will require some legislative, technological, and economic changes. The volume of materials contained in automobiles makes them the major source of scrap steel, but recycling can also yield secondary supplies of zinc, copper, aluminum, rubber, and plastics. Economic considerations have historically singled out scrap iron and steel, which comprise 75 percent of an automobile's weight, for collection and recycling. New processing equipment, such as the auto-shredder, have yielded a higher quality of scrap and allowed materials to be separated economically into three fractions: magnetic, air- (low density, non-metallic), and non-magnetic. Decreasing landfill space is prompting automobile companies to reprocess the plastics, polyurethane foams, and fibrous materials from the air fraction, which has always been discarded. The denser non-ferrous materials have also been ignored, but new technology and the scarcity of some resources make recycling more attractive. Comparisons of energy requirements for producing components of an automobile show that most energy (75 percent) is used to produce basic materials of aluminum, zinc, and sheet metal. Light-weight plastic materials require substantially less energy, and recycled materials have a potential 30 percent savings in total energy used. (DCK)
- Research Organization:
- Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, MI
- OSTI ID:
- 7116737
- Journal Information:
- Technol. Rev.; (United States), Journal Name: Technol. Rev.; (United States) Vol. 79:4; ISSN TEREA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
290400* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Energy Resources
291000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Conservation
298000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Consumption & Utilization
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320604 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Municipalities & Community Systems-- Municipal Waste Management-- (1980-)
AUTOMOBILES
ECONOMICS
ENERGY CONSERVATION
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
LEGAL ASPECTS
MANAGEMENT
MANUFACTURING
MATERIALS RECOVERY
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
RECYCLING
RESOURCE CONSERVATION
RESOURCES
SANITARY LANDFILLS
SOCIO-ECONOMIC FACTORS
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
VEHICLES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING