The Cars can have an average life of about 12 years if we look at the European average, being in Spain a little more, about 14 years before refurbishing the vehicle and replacing it with a new one. However, cars are designed to have a longer lifespan, we have all seen very old cars that still work. Therefore, these cars can have a second chance in the second-hand market. However, scrapping seems to be the end of it.
Despite that Once they arrive at the scrapyard They will not be led again, remain productive, as they can serve as a source of parts for repairs of other identical models. There is even a life beyond the scrapyard. And, now that the topic of sustainability, recycling and the circular economy is so topical, you will surely be interested...
Life after scrapping: The reincarnation of your car
Cars are made up of a multitude of parts and very diverse materials. Those that have been scrapped begin to be processed so that they have a new utility, a useful lifeThese cars will end up becoming other parts for new cars, everyday objects that we all have at home or in the office, and some elements will even end up being used for road asphalt. A life cycle in which, unfortunately, not everything is useful, and some other parts end up in landfills or must be treated in a special way to prevent them from ending up polluting.
Well, let's see what that process is like by which the car starts to be something more useful, how a vehicle stops being one and becomes raw material in potential...
Disassembly process
El cutting process The disposal of a vehicle in a scrapyard is meticulous and is carried out following a series of steps carefully for maximum recovery of materials. The steps followed are as follows:
Reception and classification
Each vehicle that is destined for recycling will go to a particular area where they are piled up and A hydraulic machine will be able to process themIf there are more types of vehicles, such as aircraft, agricultural machinery, etc., they could be processed separately, since they could contain different materials.
Decontamination
Before starting with the breakdown, it is important that all fluids are removed from the vehicle, such as engine oil, brake fluid, coolant, antifreeze and fuel. These fluids are stored in special containers for treatment.
On the other hand, the withdrawal will also be carried out. Battery, thus avoiding possible leaks or other problems. In addition, batteries, whether conventional lead-acid or lithium, among others, must also be treated in a special way to extract electrolytes and other substances for recycling if possible.
Some systems could also be manually removed such as the electric ones, such as internal wiring, sensors, printed circuits, etc., for specific treatment.
De-constructability
Now The larger components of the vehicle are dismantled, such as the engine, transmission, rear axle and body panels. The machine, operated by a worker, will also separate the window and glass panes to be treated separately from the chassis and body metal.
The seats, dashboard, steering wheel and other interior elements will also be removed.
Material separation
Now, the materials are crushed in large machines so that get smaller, more manageable pieces. In this way, the different materials can be separated in subsequent processes. For example, steel or iron will be separated on one hand, copper, aluminium, etc. on the other, as well as plastics according to their composition, glass, textiles, etc.
La separation of materials On a large scale, when mixed, it can be done in several ways:
- Physical separation: In this case, physical methods are used for separation, such as magnetic separation, through which a powerful magnetic field can be used to obtain ferrous metals such as steel and iron, since they will adhere to the magnet. Another form of physical separation can be based on eddy currents, using electric currents to generate forces on conductive metals, thus separating the densest from the less dense. It is also possible to remove some materials by flotation, that is, based on their density, making them float in a fluid to remove the light ones such as plastic, which will float, while the metals sink. Vaporization processes of the volatiles could even be used, or pneumatic processes to blow air into them and thus make the lower density ones be dragged by the air and separated from the heavier ones. There are also methods by electrolysis and more…
- Chemical separation: It is used when physics is not sufficient or as a complement. In these cases, solutions or acids can be used that can dissolve some materials and not others.
- Other processes: Sometimes, methods such as near-infrared (NIR), lasers, or X-rays can also be used to quickly analyze the composition of materials so that machines can separate them from each other in a more automated way. Machine vision can now also be used for this.
These materials will be stored temporarily and then sent to the appropriate processing plants, depending on each type.
What can be recycled in a car?
To finish, and give an idea of the importance of recycling cars, we will see What materials can be used? to create other products:
- metals:
- Maple: is the predominant material in the body and chassis, i.e. a mixture of iron and carbon. It is recycled in blast furnaces to produce new steel, which can be used to manufacture new cars, construction structures, tools, and much more.
- Aluminum: It is found in rims, radiators and other components, even in the bodywork of sports cars. It is recycled and used in the manufacture of new beverage cans, bodies and other aluminium products such as doors, windows, etc.
- Copper: It is found in electrical wiring and other electronic components. It is recycled and used in the manufacture of new electrical wires, pipes and other copper products.
- Other metals:There could also be other pure metals and alloys, such as brass, bronze, zinc and lead, which can also be reused for various industries.
- Plastics: Unfortunately, not all plastics used in cars are recyclable. Some, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate, can be easily recycled. These plastics are found in bumpers, some door elements, headlights, panels, carpets, and other car elements. On the other hand, plastics such as polyurethane and PVC are difficult to recycle, as are those used in seats, insulation, and electrical wiring. In these cases, recycling can be even more harmful, as it could generate toxins. Among those that can be recycled, they can be used again to make all kinds of elements, from some details for new cars, to bottles or containers, to toys, and much more.
- Electronics:So-called e-waste is another important source of valuable substances. Printed circuit boards in vehicles can be recycled to recover substances such as platinum, rhodium, palladium, as well as copper, aluminium, tin, gold, etc.
- Other materials:
- Glass: This element is recycled and used to make new glass products, such as bottles, new window glass, and thermal insulation.
- Tires: They are recycled to make new tires, shoe soles, flooring for athletic tracks, playgrounds, and other rubber products. They can even be used to mix with aggregates for asphalt roads, thus preventing them from being stored in large tire dumps and a fire that could cause significant air pollution.
- Batteries: Conventional batteries are recycled to recover the lead and other metals present. As for lithium batteries, their recycling is much more complex, and ways of recycling them safely and efficiently are still being developed.
- Oils and liquids: Engine oil can be mixed with certain substances to ensure proper disposal without contaminating waterways. Other chemicals, such as coolants and antifreeze, are toxic, but can be treated correctly to prevent them from being disposed of unsafely or being dumped into the environment.
- Carbon fiber: This type of fibre, which is found in some sports cars, is difficult to recycle due to the bonding of the fibres and the resin. Separating the fibres is complex and expensive, and often not worth the effort. However, there are pyrolysis, mechanical and chemical processes that can be used. In addition, it must be said that even if the fibre can be recovered, the quality is inferior to new fibres, which is why it is not very attractive.
- Titanium: Some other cars also have titanium parts, a very strong and light metal. Of course, this metal can be recycled for new uses in sports cars, or for the aerospace or medical industries, for implants.
- composites: These materials are also becoming more and more common, as they have very interesting properties. Recycling these materials presents significant challenges, as is the case with carbon fibre, which I mentioned, and which is a composite of this type. There are some possible procedures, as I said, but generally the results, given their poorer quality, are usually used for cases of "downcycling", that is, products with less demand.
Ultimately, when your car has served its purpose, when it has been dismantled in the scrapyard for spare parts, it can still give a lot of life. It is not junk! Perhaps in this way it will not become a possible classic car in a few decades, but it will fulfill an important function: it can be in another car, in a future home, in a satellite, or even in a patient who has broken a hip…
Images | canva