Dry Separation Plant for Ferrous Scrap Residue Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies for processing automotive shredder residues are complex, inefficient, and generate significant waste, with limitations in recovering ferrous and non-ferrous metals and plastic materials for reuse in steel production due to oxidation, contamination, and water-based separation methods that pose safety risks and increase costs.
Innovation Solution
A compact plant with dry separation and processing systems that crush and disintegrate residues into granular form, using magnetic, density, and induced current separation methods to isolate ferrous and non-ferrous metals and plastics, which are then treated to produce additive materials suitable for use as fuel or reducing agents in steel production, eliminating the need for water-based separation and minimizing waste.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If gasification or pyrolysis processes are used to treat automotive shredder residues, then energy recovery and fuel production are achieved, but the plant complexity increases significantly and heavy metal contaminated residues must be disposed of in landfills
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the plastic fraction from the automotive shredder residue through a specific separation process, isolating it for separate treatment. This extraction allows the remaining metal-rich fraction to be processed more simply without the complications of treating mixed materials through complex gasification or pyrolysis plants.
Solution Approach 2:
The treatment process is segmented into distinct stages: first separating the plastic fraction through density-based separation, then treating the metal fraction separately. This segmentation allows each material type to be processed through appropriately simplified pathways, avoiding the need for a single complex plant that must handle all materials.
2Productivity
If water-based separation methods are used to separate metals and plastics, then separation efficiency improves, but safety risks increase and operational costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces water-based separation mechanisms with an air-based separation system. Air is used as the separating medium instead of water, eliminating the safety risks and operational costs associated with water handling while maintaining separation efficiency through aerodynamic classification of particles based on density and size.
3Loss of substance
If ASR material is fed into electric arc furnaces or blast furnaces, then carbon substitution is achieved, but metal oxidation occurs and refractory damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The plastic fraction is extracted and removed from the ASR material before it enters the furnace. By taking out the plastic component separately, the remaining material fed to the furnace has reduced carbon content that would otherwise cause oxidation, and the plastic can be processed through a separate pathway that avoids direct contact with the high-temperature metallurgical environment.
4Quantity of substance
If mechanical separation processes are used to recover metals from ASR material, then metal recovery is achieved, but more than 80% of the residue must be disposed of in landfills or incinerators
Solution Approach 1:
Air is used as an intermediary medium to separate and classify the residue particles based on their physical properties. This aerodynamic separation acts as an intermediate step that efficiently divides the material into different fractions (metal-rich, plastic-rich, etc.) without the need for complex mechanical separation equipment, enabling better recovery while reducing waste.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables efficient separation and reuse of over 95% of automotive shredder residues, reducing waste disposal and energy losses, while ensuring safe and effective use of plastic materials in steel production, with improved operational simplicity and cost-effectiveness compared to existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
separation means comprising a magnetic separation means
Implementation Method 2
separation means comprising a density-based separation means
Implementation Method 3
separation means comprising an induced current separation means
Implementation Method 4
granulator system configured to reduce, in dry mode and without pre-screening stages, the residues from crushing into a stream of granular material
Data Source
AI summary
A plant for recovering and treating residues from crushing scrap is provided. The plant includes a first plant part and a second plant part. The first plant part is provided with crushing and separation means configured to extract ferrous materials, non-ferrous metals and plastic materials from the residues from crushing. The separation means are provided with a granulator system configured to reduce, in dry mode and without pre-screening stages, the residues from crushing into a stream of granular material. The second plant part is provided with means to treat and size the plastic materials configured to transform the plastic materials into additive material to be used, in particular, in iron and steel plants such as blast furnaces, electric arc furnaces or suchlike. The means to treat and size the plastic materials includes a dry system for cutting and/or grinding the plastic materials.