The topic of recycling found a place in the image advertising of automakers. So calls for the disposal of Skoda cars
The topic of recycling found a place in the image advertising of automakers. So calls for the disposal of Skoda cars. The topic of recycling found a place in the image advertising of automakers. So calls for the disposal of Skoda cars.
SECOND TIME IN THE FIRST CLASS
The manufacturer takes care of the disposal of the machine even before its birth - at the design stage, the selection of materials and the development of technologies. The company "Opel", for example, uses more than 130 types of plastics that are recyclable. Moreover, already at this stage, original engineering solutions are being developed to simplify subsequent disposal. Thus, the rejection of bolts and self-tapping screws when connecting plastic parts in favor of welding or latches will save time during processing. Such parts can not be disassembled into small components, fishing out metal impregnations, but sent to the whole processing.
It is curious that the metals, tires and plastics that found a second life in new cars, quite possibly, used to work in cars sent to rest. But in a different form. The scope of the same polymers, of which in a modern machine about 10% of the total mass, is extremely wide. Recycled plastic bottles become a decorative engine cover, an air filter housing or a radiator grill, and crushed rubber becomes a sealant. But what is there, some facial details of the interior of the prestigious BMW and Mercedes also had a previous life.
Some recycled materials migrate inside the car. This is due to the fact that they may not meet the stringent requirements for strength or safety, but are still quite viable in the secondary elements. As a result, the upholstery textile degrades to noise insulation of the floor, glass - to the reinforcing material used to increase the stiffness of plastic elements. Another example is a thermoplastic resin developed by Toyota over ten years ago. She begins her life in the role of a bumper, and then easily degenerates into salon plafonds, seat cushions or interior decoration elements.
The time has passed when the products of recycling were hiding in the invisible depths of the car. Current technologies make it possible to recycle even the exterior details of the interior of luxury models
The time has passed when the products of recycling were hiding in the invisible depths of the car. Current technologies make it possible to recycle even the exterior details of the interior of luxury models. The time has passed when the products of recycling were hiding in the invisible depths of the car. Current technologies make it possible to recycle even the exterior details of the interior of luxury models.
According to estimates by the German independent organization TÜV, which controls German car manufacturers and their products, the modern Volkswagen Golf consists of approximately 40% recycled materials. In other words, more than half a ton of components of this model is made with minimal harm to the environment. And without exception, manufacturers (by the way, not only automotive) are aimed at further improving this indicator.
DISASSEMBLE IN COMPOSITION
Having served its age, the car falls into a streamlined recycling system. In the Old World, it is almost omnivorous: up to 85% of live weight goes into processing, the rest is burnt or buried. By 2015, even stricter standards will come into force in the European Union: 95 and 5%, respectively.
Volkswagen Concern has developed a proprietary recycling technology in conjunction with SiCon:
Volkswagen has developed proprietary recycling technology in conjunction with SiCon
Schemes open in full size with a click of the mouse.
It is impossible to begin the total disassembly of the car while it has working airbags and squibs. A command to the control unit - and all the inflatable bags shoot out from under the upholstery. Then the machine is subjected to a drainage procedure: all operating fluids, including oil from shock absorbers and acid from accumulators, are pumped out of the units - they are either used as fuel or used in the production of similar fluids. For example, a used oil, having gone through a multi-stage process, becomes the basis for a fresh product.
Then the car begins to "undress."
Tires are burned entirely using a special technology or crushed into crumbs. The latter usually continues to serve in the industry - rubber products or pavement are made from it. Glasses are sent to specialized enterprises or allowed to manufacture building materials (tiles, mixtures).
After this comes the turn of carefully sorting the remaining components by materials and options for further use. Each plastic part has a marking on the composition, without which recycling is difficult. The main part will go for remelting, except, perhaps, practically unsuitable for recycling plastic with reinforcing inserts or consisting of several layers. Elements that are not subject to wear (for example, taillights or decor elements) are washed and sold at a reasonable price as used. This is legal even in Western Europe. A decent part of the plastic parts of a modern machine (by some estimates, more than 40%) is made of polypropylene. It is easy to recycle, and the scope extends far beyond the borders of the automotive industry. Previously used polyvinyl chloride, however, is difficult to reuse. When burned, it releases a lot of toxins, so it has only one way - to a landfill.
Alas, cars are sent to Russian shredders in approximately this form. The minimum observed is the removal of the gas tank, and that is only for the safety of the workers
Alas, cars are sent to Russian shredders in approximately this form. The minimum observed is the removal of the gas tank, and that is only for the safety of the workers. Alas, cars are sent to Russian shredders in approximately this form. The minimum observed is the removal of the gas tank, and that is only for the safety of the workers.
The remaining iron skeleton is sent to the shredder. In less than a minute, a hammer mill turns a car body into a bunch of small pieces of metal. Using electromagnetic, weight and air separation, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, as well as residues of other materials not caught in the previous stages, are separated from it. Valuable waste will be sent to metallurgists, the rest will be burnt or buried at landfills. All useful juices from the former car are squeezed.
General Motors has contributed to the cleanup of the Gulf of Mexico. From the used sorbent - plastic balls collecting an oily film - the concern produced aerodynamic elements for the engine compartment of the Chevrolet-Volt hybrid:
General Motors has contributed to the cleanup of the Gulf of Mexico. From the used sorbent - plastic balls collecting an oily film - the concern produced aerodynamic elements for the engine compartment of the Chevrolet-Volt hybrid
WHOSE ACCOUNT OF THE BANQUET?
Most often at the expense of the owner. In Europe (in particular, in Holland, which is considered the leader in auto recycling), manufacturers and importers of vehicles pay round amounts to a special fund. However, everyone understands that these expenses are included in the price tag of a new car. And in Japan, utilization fees are generally openly charged when buying a new car or undergoing periodic inspections.
The cost of disposal is also different everywhere. In Holland, it is about 88 euros per car. At the same time, the state charges manufacturers only 45 euros per car, the rest is purchased by the operator companies themselves. In Japan, processing will cost 100-180 euros in terms of European currency, in the UK - 250-350 euros, in France - 300-330 euros. Selling used spare parts from disassembled machines, recycling companies easily reimburse all processing costs and even make a profit - note, in addition to the additional compensation that they receive from the state.
In our country, such a system is only being created. The process is going on, but slowly. Perhaps this is not bad: the idea that you will have to pay for disposal should be taught gradually. You really have to pay - global industrialization and the human desire for comfort have made a clean environment a scarce commodity. And therefore, recycling came out of the number of free benefits.
