THE ADVANCEMENTS OF PLASTIC AND PLASTIC RECYCLING IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY

Plastics are a major component to a car’s structural design and operational systems. Use of plastics has contributed to innovations in safety, performance, and fuel efficiency. Various types of plastics are used in the auto industry based on their properties. While much of it can be recycled, there is a growing opportunity to recycle even more to reduce waste.

Nylon 6-6 is an artificially made polyamide. It is highly resistant to abrasion, has low friction characteristics, and acceptable chemical resistance. This type of nylon is known for its high water absorbency.

Nylon 6-6 is found in weather proof coatings, electrical components, seating, and under-bonnet components.

Polypropylene is a plastic that is highly chemical-resistant and almost completely impervious to water. Polypropylene that is black has the highest UV resistance and thus is used most frequently.

Polypropylene is found in bumpers, dashboards, seating, interior trim, upholstery, and body panels.

Acrylic is a plastic that has reasonable tensile strength and can be measured in shatter grades. It is both UV and weather resistant. It also is more transparent than glass, with a high optical quality, and a surface finish with a vast color range.

Acrylic is found in lighting, windows, and displays.

Polybutylene Terephthalate is a durable plastic that is water absorbent, resistant to dynamic stress, and has thermal and dimension stability. It also has electrical properties and is easy to manufacture.

Polybutylene Terephthalate is found in sunroof parts, electrical components, door handles, bumpers, and carburetor components.

• Each year, nearly 27 million vehicles around the world are recovered for recycling, according to the EPA.

• Automotive recyclers can recover almost 80% of the total materials by weight from a vehicle. The remaining 20% that cannot be recycled is called auto shredder residue (ASR).

• ASR includes some plastics and other materials. Five million tons of ASR is disposed of in landfills each year.

Before recycling, plastics are sorted according to resin type. This is done by automatic sort systems that utilize technologies that identify resin type.

Once sorted, the plastics are shredded and the shredded fragments are processed to remove impurities. The remaining material is melted and formed into pellets for use in manufacturing other products.

The non-recyclable ASR is transferred to landfills.

New processes are being developed to target a higher recovery of usable plastics from auto shredder residue (ASR).

The goal is to recycle more parts to further reduce plastic waste.

Polychem USA is a leader in recycling plastic waste materials, with 70 years of service

to the plastics recycling industry. We proudly turn plastic scrap and plastic film into

useful material that can be used to make a variety of products.

For more information, please visit www.ploychem-usa.com.

Sources

• http://www.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/materials/auto.htm

• http://www.polychem-usa.com/evolution-of-plastic/