RECYCLING THE PLASTIC COMPONENTS IN TODAYS LEAD-ACID-BATTERY

With production facilities first established in 1988 at Villefranche in the Rhone valley, the author's company aims to produce 40 tonnes of polypropylene granules from 50 000 scrap battery cases every day. Following a doubling of capacity in 1991, the company now has an annual sales turnover of 40 million FF and an output of 10 000 tonnes which makes the operation one of the largest in Europe for the production of recycled polypropylene. The technology developed and used by the Company enables the process to separate, reclaim and produce high-quality constituent materials that are suitable for use by the automotive industry at a price competitive with virgin materials. The new line, installed in 1991, has enabled the Company to add glass-fibre, rubber and other materials into the recycled product to prepare special types of high-quality material with added value. The overall process is carefully controlled and should soon be certified to ISO standard 9002.