This content is not included in
your SAE MOBILUS subscription, or you are not logged in.
Stake Digester Process for HDPE Fuel Tank Recycling
Technical Paper
2003-01-1371
ISSN: 0148-7191, e-ISSN: 2688-3627
Annotation ability available
Sector:
Language:
English
Abstract
A research project to determine the feasibility of utilizing polyethylene post-consumer automotive fuel tanks as a source of raw material was funded by Visteon, ExxonMobil, and was conducted by Brooks Associates. Brooks Associates launched this project in the last quarter of 2000 to demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing high-density polyethylene (HDPE) post-consumer automotive fuel tanks in combination with wood fiber to create a new material suitable as an automotive substrate. The concept for the project was based on proven technology that processes wood into fiber utilizing steam explosion. The steam explosion process was commercialized to form wood fiber as a raw material for ‘Masonite’. The product of the explosion process has also been made into a mat for further processing. This mat process is generally referred to as the ‘air-lay’ process. The purpose of this project was to add an equal part of post-consumer engineering-grade polyethylene from automotive fuel tanks to determine the viability of HDPE fuel tanks as a raw material source, the potential usefulness of the end products, and in the limitations or consequences of the process. A trial immediately preceding this work demonstrated that plastics taken from a general post-consumer source did process successfully into a fiber mat. That mat was formed into an automotive interior door panel. This trial was designed to determine the feasibility of using post-consumer fuel tanks as the plastics source for this process.
Recommended Content
Authors
- S. Hunter - Brooks Associates Ltd.
- W. Brooks - Brooks Associates Ltd.
- Claudia M. Duranceau - VRP/USCAR (Ford Motor Company)
- William W. Gallmeyer - VRP/USCAR (Gallmeyer Design & Development)
- Ronald L. Williams - VRP/USCAR (General Motors Corporation)
- Gerald R. Winslow - VRP/USCAR (DaimlerChrysler/KBS Engineering)
Topic
Citation
Hunter, S., Brooks, W., Duranceau, C., Gallmeyer, W. et al., "Stake Digester Process for HDPE Fuel Tank Recycling," SAE Technical Paper 2003-01-1371, 2003, https://doi.org/10.4271/2003-01-1371.Also In
References
- ‘Analysis of a Shredded ELV Fuel Tank for Regulated Volatile Organic Compounds and Study of Regulatory Restrictions in Converting the Plastic Fuel Tanks into Recycled Raw Materials.’ Sedghi Bijan University Laboratories Novi, MI January 2002
- [2] ‘Plastic Railway Ties Build a Track Record.’ Rosenzweig Mark Modern Plastics magazine 42 November 2002
- SAE 980096 Recyclability and Characterization of Co-Extruded Multilayer Fuel Tanks Ellis Laverty Lesinski General Motors Research & Development Center 1998
- SAE 982224 Comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment of Plastic & Steel Vehicle Fuel Tanks Stephans et. al General Motors Research & Development Center 1998
- SAE 2000-01-1093 Post-Consumer Plastic Fuel Tank Recycling (sp-1542) Graham Pamela et al. Solvay
- FAT/VKE project Recovery of plastic fuel tanks Schmiemann Prof. FH Braunschweig/Wolfenbüttel
- MAVEL study European Assessment of Plastics Waste from End of Life Vehicles January 1997
- Mechanical Recycling of Plastic Wastes Polyethylene Fuel Tanks from Used Cars Yernaux J. M. DeCanniere J. Solvay S.A., Recycle '95 Env. Technology May 1995
- Recycling of Polyethylene Plastic Fuel Tanks from End of Life Vehicles Rohde Wolfgang Dr. Christill Michael Dr. BASF AG. October 1997
- Disposal Practices for Post-use Automotive Plastics American Plastics Council October 1994