Separation of automobile shredder residues from end-of-life vehicles and preparation of RDF by hot molding

Abstract

Separation of automobile shredder residues from shredder product of end-of-life vehicles has been performed through a commercial shredder line equipped with cyclones, screens, magnetic separators and eddy current separators, etc. Constituent materials of ASR were also classified and analyzed from the viewpoint of thermal energy source. For this aim, three end-of-life vehicles(ELV) made by domestic automobile manufacturers, i.e. Sonata II, Sephia and Prince were chosen and delivered in pressed form without engine, tires and doors, etc. Light fluff, about 90% of ASR materials, was predominantly composed of plastic, fiber and sponge, etc. and the fraction of 50mm undersize in light fluff reached about 70.5%. Among the constituent materials of fluff, plastic showed the highest calorific value, more than 10,000kcal/kg and leather and rubber showed relatively high chlorine content, 10.3 and 2.55wt%, respectively. An attempt to prepare RDF using ASR materials has also been made by hot molding method. As a result, it was found that heating temperature and heating time as well as the mixing ratio of materials play an important role in the RDF forming process.