Preliminary separation of metals and nonmetals from urban refuse

Technical Report · Tue Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1971

OSTI ID:7309975

Dean, K C; Chindgren, C J; Peterson, L

Horizontal and vertical air classification systems were tested individually and in simulated tandem use for the recovery of ferrous and nonferrous metals and of other noncombustible and combustible products from shredded urban refuse. The horizontal air system with a larger tonnage throughput was used to obtain preliminary separations, and a smaller capacity vertical system was used as a cleaning device. Air elutriation, magnetic separation, and screening of shredded minus 6-inch municipal refuse recovered 92% of the metal in a relatively clean iron product contaminated only by adhering coatings or entrapped materials, recovered 97% of the combustibles in a 97% combustible product, and rejected 88% of the nonmetal noncombustibles. Cleaning of the preliminary combustible fraction produced a 98% paper product while rejecting other combustibles (plastics, rubber, textiles, etc.) into a 94% combustible product. Retreatment of the preliminary noncombustible fraction produced a relatively clean glass product.

• Research Organization: Bureau of Mines, Salt Lake City, UT (USA). Salt Lake City Metallurgy Research Center
• OSTI ID: 7309975
• Report Number(s): BM-TPR-34
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420900* -- Engineering-- Waste Processing Plants & Equipment-- (-1989)
BLOWERS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COMBUSTION
ELEMENTS
ELUTRIATION
GLASS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS RECOVERY
METALS
MUNICIPAL WASTES
OPERATION
OXIDATION
PAPER
PERFORMANCE
PROCESSING
RECOVERY
RECYCLING
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SOLID WASTES
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS
WASTES