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About 11 million vehicles are scrapped each year in the United States. Most of these vehicles are recycled by automotive dismantlers and shredders. Presently, about 95% of the ferrous and non-ferrous metals present in vehicles (75% of the total vehicle weight) are recovered. The remainder of the scrapped vehicles (non-metal portion known as automotive shredder residue-ASR) is landfilled, generating up to 3 million tons of waste per year. In order to increase the efficiency of recovery of both ferrous and non-ferrous metals from the shredded vehicles, numerous developments have been made by the shredders in separation technology recently. This paper is an update of our previous paper and contains in-depth characterization of the various ASR streams.

A number of prototype automotive interior trim products were developed from polyurethane-cored headliner scrap by utilization of isocyanate-based binders: 1) rear-seat-to-back-window trim panels (Deville and Eldorado Chimsl covers), 2) package trays (Neon PL-tray, Buick/Oldsmobile G-trays), and 3) sun-shades (Accord/Acura sun-shades). The technology for the manufacture of these products is outlined in this paper as well as their mechanical, acoustical, and other properties relevant to the automotive interior trim applications.

A method for recycling of mixed color automotive thermoplastic scrap into appearance automotive interior parts has been developed and shown to satisfy the following three requirements: 1) material performance 2) color appearance, and 3) economically sound. The technique developed is based on minimal separation of the colors into hues (groups of similar colors) and repigmenting to the desired color. The studies included computer formulations, laboratory verifications and plant runs. Plant runs were carried out to produce automotive interior doors (base level S-truck) with polypropylene (PP) regrind and B-pillar 325 parts with acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) regrind at the Delphi - Adrian plant. Two colors, ruby red and medium gray, were selected because they are the most difficult colors to match. The results of the plant runs demonstrated that color matching can be successfully achieved.

Most studies on the properties and recycling of automotive shredder residue (ASR) have been carried out without fully understanding the composition of the input scrap. Equally important is understanding the type of shredding process, and types of processes utilized for separation of ferrous and non-ferrous metals from the shredded material. The Vehicle Recycling Partnership (VRP) has been conducting a project:“Study of Plastic Material Recovery From Automotive Shredder Residue” [1]. One of the objectives of this VRP project is to determine the relationship between the shredder input and ASR properties. A 1995 Dodge Stratus was dismantled in detail to obtain information necessary for the project, such as material usage in the vehicle [2]. Then, under tightly controlled conditions, 14 late model Chrysler Cirrus and Dodge Stratus automobiles were shredded and processed.