Development of a Processing System of Automobile Shredder Residues for Solid Fuel Using a Vertical Zig-zag Air Separator and a Rotary Drier.

Abstract

In Japan, the automobile production is increasing from year to year, proportionally to the economic growth. The increase in the number of newly automobiles put into circulation is followed by a larger amount of discarded automobiles. The huge amount of residues generating through this processing is usually dumped on land filling sites. The accumulation of these residues and the shortage of valuable disposal sites may cause some social and environmental problems (soil pollution). To deal with this nuisance, the authors have initiated and developed a processing system for shredded automobile residues on the basis that more than 90% of these residues are combustible materials that could be used as solid fuel: cotton and sponges (40.1%), plastics (30.2%) and rubbers (21.2%). The developed processing system is applied to residues in the range of -80+5 mm. Light materials, mainly cotton and sponges and light plastics in the shredded residues are recovered as float products from the ascending airflow passing through a vertical zig-zag air separator. Then moisture content of light materials is reduced to less than 15% at 450-550 ℃ . Afterward, they are processed into solid fuel through agglomeration. The calorie, ignition loss and weight percentage of chlorine are 5,000 kcal/kg, 36.0%, and 2.0%, respectively.

Mechanical treatment of automobile shredder residue for its application as a fuel

“…Several techniques, such as gasification at high temperature, gasification by carbonization, production of refuse-derived fuel (RDF), and others, have been studied. [4][5][6][7] However, the removal of the fine electrical cables from their polyvinylchloride (PVC) cover and copper wire from ASR is quite difficult, and the presence of copper and chlorine prevents ASR from being used as an industrial fuel.…”

Reducing Copper in ASR by Dry Towermilling and Electrostatic Separation

“…The authors also have been studying the recycling of ASR to a solid fuel. In a previous study, a manufacturing system of the refuse derived fuel (RDF) from the light materials in ASR has been developed using a vertical zig-zag air separator and a rotary drier 3) . Although the obtained RDF had the calorific value of about 5000 kcal/kg, it contained a few amount of copper that could be catalysis of dioxins when it was incinerated with chlorine.…”