November 18, 2011
Oil filter: From hazardous waste to valuable raw materials
The Piedmont region, home of the truffle and great Italian red wines, attracts gourmets from all over Europe every year. An intact nature and environment are very important for this tourism region. The new oil filter recycling installation in Predosa/Piemont therefore fits in perfectly. The recently commissioned recycling installation recycles special wastes into valuable raw material. The modern installation was sup-plied by MeWa Recycling Maschinen und Anlagenbau GmbH, Gechingen on behalf of the Riccoboni-Group in Alessandria.
Used car and HGV oil filters are considered throughout Europe as hazardous waste and must be collected separately. However, as the components are almost 60 % metal, subsequent processing is definitely worthwhile. By using the right technology, high-quality raw materials can be recovered from the contaminated vehicle accessories. Used oil filters are not a noted consumer product. With change intervals ranging between 10,000 and 30,000 kilometers (depending on the type of vehicle), one oil filter on average ends up in garage collecting containers per vehicle per year. When functioning collecting systems are used, this equates to tens of thousands of tons being collected every year in western industrial nations.
Riccoboni Holding, the leading hazardous waste processor in northern Italy, has commissioned a special MeWa recycling line for oil filters in the Piedmont region. The project was initiated and implemented by MeWa in cooperation with its Italian sales partner Camoter. Grassano S.p.a., which is part of the Holding company, stores and treats various hazardous and non-hazardous industrial wastes at its Predosa plant, not far from the provincial capital of Alessandria.
A specialist field of the family-owned company is the disposal of used oil and oil-contaminated waste. Used oil filters consist to a large extent of iron. They also include smaller amounts of aluminum. The actual filter paper, rubber sleeves and other plastic parts account for over 10 percent of the weight of the product. The residual oil makes up around 20 % of the material mixture. Separating the material cleanly by type requires a lot of experience and process know-how, as well as suitable plant technology.
Pilot character across Europe
The existing plant of the customer, however, was no longer com-pliant with state-of-the-art requirements. And the increase in input quantities could no longer be handled as required by the Predosa-based company. The Riccoboni Group decided to invest in a complete plant from MeWa, which is capable of continuously processing five tons of oil filters per hour. Thanks to this capacity and the quality of the output material, this plant is now seen as a role model throughout Europe.
In an initial stage of expansion around 2.5 tons of input is processed per hour. Employees initially sort gas cartridges, solid metal parts, textiles and other extraneous materials, such as brake discs, from the flow of material. In contrast, the metal barrels pre-granulated in the processing hall can be included in the subsequent process. A special MeWa shredder from the UG series grinds the material to a final grain size of ≤ 25 mm in a one-step process. The shredded material mix of iron, aluminum, paper, rubber and oil is transferred to a centrifuge where it is cleaned. The oil is separated and stored in tanks. The remaining material is virtually dry and can be divided into an iron (Fe) and non-Fe (NFE) line by a magnetic separator. An eddy current separator then separates the aluminum. At the end, there is less than 2% oil remaining on the individual fractions.
Oil is collected in tanks
MeWa has installed drainage channels and oil sumps for the shredding machine, as well as for all conveyors, surge bins and separators. This ensures the oil is collected in tanks and that there is no ground contamination. Grassano sells the recycled metal directly on to foundries. The oil is recycled through a refining process and the remainder is burned as calorific fraction in the cement industry or in special power plants.
The Riccoboni Group is the leading hazardous waste processor in Italy and maintains business relationships throughout Europe. Grassano procures the oil filters also from the neighbouring countries France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia. And so the Piemont will have another attraction and increases its appeal beyond the borders of Northern Italy - even though more in the recycling circles of experts than with tourists.