Characterization of automotive shredder residues from two shredding facilities with different refining processes in Sweden

Abstract

Strict legislation imposing producer responsibility on car manufacturers, introduced in 1998 in Sweden, has prompted a search for new alternatives for recycling organic materials in end‐of‐life vehicles (ELVs), i.e. the automotive shredder residue (ASR). The recovery of materials from ELVs must increase from the present 70 to 75%, to 95% by 2015. The aim of this study was to characterize material other than ferrous components, i.e. the (automotive) shredder residue [(A)SR] and the non‐ferrous (NF), material in order to investigate its suitability for energy recovery. The results show that the good heat value of the material gives it potential, but high levels of metals and chlorinated compounds may cause problems. Levels of elements, metals and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins/furans (PCDD/F), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and polychlorinated benzenes (PCBz) in the ASR were also analysed, and the results are described and discussed.

Automotive shredder residue (ASR): Reviewing its production from end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) and its recycling, energy or chemicals’ valorisation

“…the residue after shredding and removal of metals. It should moreover be remembered that shredders often not only process ELVs, but ELVs together with other consumer products such as white goods and other metallic manufacturing and construction waste [18,24,28]. In such cases the more general term "shredder residue (SR)" is used to describe the product of the shredding process.…”

“…The chlorine content of ASR ranges from 0.5 to 4 wt% [17,28,30] and is mainly due to the presence of chlorinated plastic components such as PVC or halobutyl rubber [32]. Also brominated flame retardants are present.…”

“…Other sources report PCB concentration ranging from 0.5 to 7 mg/kg; PCBs are in general more concentrated in the coarse fraction than in the fines [17,28]. Van Caneghem et al [40], reported a PCDD/F-fingerprint of ASR dominated by higher chlorinated PCDD congeners: approximately 90% of the total PCDD/F content of the ASR was accounted for by hepta-and octa-CDD while the PCDFs represented only ca.…”

“…The exact calorific value of ASR largely depends on its organic fraction, typically about 50 wt% [17,28,46,60,62]. Whereas the small particle size of the fine ASR fraction often hinders further mechanical recovery (Section 3.3), this fraction can largelly be handled by thermal treatment.…”

Recycling of auto shredder residue

“…In Sweden, the annual flow mass of these materials is about 100,000 tonnes. This material is most often landfilled, but it is also incinerated or used as fuel in rotary kilns in cement works [9].…”