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Between 10- and 11-million scrap vehicles are being recycled each year in the United States by the automotive shredder industry. Presently, they are able to recover 95%of the ferrous and non-ferrous metals in an automobile, which translates to roughly 75% of the total car weight. However, up to 3-million tons of waste, commonly known as fluff or automotive shredder residue (ASR), are generated and landfilled by automotive shredders every year. In order to increase the efficiency of recovery of both ferrous and non-ferrous metals from the shredded vehicles, many new developments have been made in separation technology in the last few years. This paper describes recent developments in shredder downstream separation processes and recycling options for automotive shredder residue.

Process temperature profiles of a two-component rigid poly(urethane-isocyanurate) foam system were studied and compared with the predictions of a one-dimensional numerical simulation. This model is based on experimentally determined thermophysical properties including thermal diffusivity, enthalpy of reaction, and rate of reaction. Temperature profiles were measured at three positions within the foam and at the foam surface for mold temperatures of 25°C and 55°C. High rate of reaction and heat of reaction, along with low thermal diffusivity, cause temperatures near the foam center to be insensitive to mold temperatures for thick samples. Thermal analysis and spectroscopic methods were used for determination of thermophysical properties. Temperature dependent heat capacity was evaluated using dynamic DSC. Reaction kinetics were studied using FTIR and isothermal DSC measurements.