WO2025190820A1

WO2025190820A1 - Preparing automotive shredder residue for transport by bottom discharge container

Info

Publication number: WO2025190820A1
Application number: PCT/EP2025/056355
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefan STREGE; Bodo FREY; Timo Benjamin WITT; Dietmar Haering
Original assignee: BASF SE
Current assignee: BASF SE
Priority date: 2024-03-13
Filing date: 2025-03-07
Publication date: 2025-09-18
Anticipated expiration: 2026-09-13

Abstract

Preparing automotive shredder residue for transport by bottom discharge container The present invention relates to a method for preparing a bulk automotive shredder residue for transport by bottom discharge container comprising the steps of shredding a vehicle comprising polymeric vehicle parts to produce the automotive shredder residue comprising a plastic fragment mix; separating coarse shredder fragments from the automotive shredder residue to obtain a transport fraction containing at least 95 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm; loading the transport fraction in bulk form in the bottom discharge container; transporting the bottom discharge container containing the transport fraction from a first location to a second location; and unloading the transport fraction from the bottom discharge container by gravity. The present invention also relates to a transport fraction of an automotive shredder residue as defined in any of claims 1 to 15 containing at least 95 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm.

Description

Preparing automotive shredder residue for transport by bottom discharge container

The present invention relates to a method for preparing a bulk automotive shredder residue for transport by bottom discharge container comprising the steps of shredding a vehicle comprising polymeric vehicle parts to produce the automotive shredder residue comprising a plastic fragment mix; separating coarse shredder fragments from the automotive shredder residue to obtain a transport fraction containing at least 95 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm; loading the transport fraction in bulk form in the bottom discharge container; transporting the bottom discharge container containing the transport fraction from a first location to a second location; and unloading the transport fraction from the bottom discharge container by gravity. The present invention also relates to a transport fraction of an automotive shredder residue as defined in any of claims 1 to 15 containing at least 95 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm.

The recycling of automotive shredder residue (ASR) presents several challenges that hinder its efficient and effective recycling. ASR is usually a complex mixture of materials, including metals, plastics, rubber, glass, and various organic and inorganic compounds. The diverse composition makes it difficult to separate and recover individual components, leading to suboptimal recycling rates. Without proper separation, valuable resources remain trapped within the ASR, limiting their recycling. Addressing these problems is crucial to enhance the recycling of ASR and maximize its potential as a valuable resource. Developing effective methods and systems that can efficiently separate and recover the diverse components of ASR, while safely managing and disposing of hazardous substances, will play a vital role in promoting a sustainable and circular economy.

Transporting bulk ASR by bottom discharge containers offers several advantages, e.g. these containers are usually designed with a discharge mechanism at the bottom which are allowing for easy and controlled unloading of the material. This eliminates the need for manual handling and reduces the risk of injuries or accidents during the unloading process. Additionally, bottom discharge containers are suitable for bulk transportation, enabling large quantities of ASR to be transported in a single shipment, thus optimizing logistics and reducing transportation costs.

However, transporting bulk ASR by bottom discharge containers may cause problems: the bulk material can segregate during transportation which may affect the material's quality and consistency upon arrival; the bulk materials may have poor flowability characteristics, making it challenging to discharge them smoothly from the container, e.g. without clogging or without ratholing. It is also important to reduce transportation costs, e.g. with a reduced volume. During unloading, the dust formation may be problematic, and the formation of electrostatic charges. Objects of the present invention was to overcome said problems.

Another problem of the prior art is that it requires to separate shredder fragments with a rather small fragment size, e.g. to separate below 5 cm, or even below 1 cm. This requires to handle large amounts of the separated shredder fragments (e.g. the fragments above 5 cm or above 1 cm), for example by additional shredding or milling steps, which inceases the overall process steps and makes it more expensive. EP0692356 suggests to recycle automotive shredder residue by preparing a composite material comprising ASR and a virgin polymer.

Vijayan, S.K.; Kibria, M.A.; Uddin, M.H.; Bhattacharya, S. " Pretreatment of Automotive Shredder Residues, Their Chemical Characterisation, and Pyrolysis Kinetics." Sustainability 2021, 13, 10549 suggests to recycle automotive shredder residue by pyrolysis.

Ezzat El Halabi, Mike Third, and Matthew Doolan “Machine-based dismantling of end of life vehicles: A life cycle perspective" Procedia, 29 (2015) 651-655 suggest to recycle automotive shredder residue by machine based dismantling.

Juliana Argente Gaetano, Valdir Schalch, Javier Mazariegos Pablos “Characterization and recycling of the fine fraction of automotive shredder residue (ASR) for concrete paving blocks production" Clean T echnologies and Environmental Policy (2020) 22:835-847 suggest to recycle ASR by solidification with cement, gravel and sand for paving blocks production.

Won-Seok Yang et al. “Utilization of automobile shredder residue (ASR) as a reducing agent for the recovery of black copped Korean J. Chem. Eng., 33(4), 1267-1277 (2016) suggests to recycle ASR by using it instead of lump coal as a reducing agent in the copper production.

The objects were achieved by a method for preparing a bulk automotive shredder residue for transport by bottom discharge container comprising the steps of a) shredding a vehicle comprising polymeric vehicle parts to produce the automotive shredder residue comprising a plastic fragment mix; b) separating coarse shredder fragments from the automotive shredder residue to obtain a transport fraction containing at least 95 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm; c) loading the transport fraction in bulk form in the bottom discharge container; d) transporting the bottom discharge container containing the transport fraction from a first location to a second location; and e) unloading the transport fraction from the bottom discharge container by gravity.

The object was also achieved by the transport fraction of the automotive shredder residue containing at least 95 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm. The automotive shredder residue may be obtainable, preferably is obtained, by shredding vehicles. Preferably, the automotive shredder residue is obtainable by depollution of the vehicles, dismantling the vehicles, shredding the vehicles, and separating metal particles from the shredded vehicles.

The vehicles are typically end-of-life vehicles (also called “ELV”), which are typically at least 15 years old. The vehicles can be passenger cars, light-duty or heavy-duty trucks, motorbikes, a utility vehicle, an agricultural vehicle, or recreational vehicles. The vehicle can be an electric vehicle, such as a fully electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle.

In depollution of vehicles hazardous liquids such as fuel, lubricating oil, coolants, brake fluids and batteries can be removed from the vehicles prior to shredding.

The dismantling of vehicles may comprise selective removal of parts, such as engines, gearboxes, tires, glass, and plastics, for being reused as spare parts for the second-hand market. The dismantling may also comprise the removal of larger plastic components, such as bumpers, dashboard, fluid containers for recycling the plastics separately.

The ASR may comprise further waste from other sources. For examples, garbage from the last owners may remain in the trunk or interior of the vehicles. The advantage of the present process is that it can handle broadly varying compositions of the ASR.

The shredding can be made with a vehicle shredder machine. Vehicle shredder machines are manufactured in different sizes. Typically, a vehicle shredder machine comprises a heavy fast-turning rotor, which may revolve in a vertical or a horizontal plane and is often equipped with swinging hammers. The vehicle shredder machine tears and shreds the car hulk until its parts are reduced to fragments. Then the fragments may pass through grids and leave the rotor housing.

The metal fragments such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal fragments can be separated from the shredded vehicles. The ferrous metal fragments can be removed by magnetic separators. The non-ferrous metal fragments can be separated from the shredded vehicles by eddy current separators, by heavy media sink/float units which separate on the basis of density, or by manual sorting. Typically, 60 - 90 wt% of the vehicle weight is metal, which can be separated from the shredded vehicle.

The automotive shredder residue may represent about 10 - 40 wt%, preferably from 15 - 35, and in particular from 20 - 30 wt% of the original vehicle weight.

The automotive shredder residue may comprise fragments of various polymeric vehicle parts, such as fragments of bumpers, interior panels, dashboard, cable insulation, fuel tank, electrical insulation, flexible foam seating, foam insulation panels, automotive suspension bushings, electrical potting compounds, car body parts, pillar coverings, spoilers polymer parts coated with automotive paint, wheel covers, gears, bushes, cams, bearings, weatherproof coatings, interior and exterior trims, fuel systems, gear housings, headlamp retainer, engine cover, connector housings, door handles, carburetor components, exterior mirror components, windscreen wiper components, windscreen wiper protective housings, decorative grilles, cover strips, roof rails, window frames, sliding roof frames, antenna cladding covers, front and rear lights, radiator grill and body exterior parts, engine covers, cylinder head covers, intake pipes, cylinder head covers, engine covers, housings for charge air coolers, charge air cooler valves.

The automotive shredder residue may comprise fragments of various polymeric vehicle parts, such as fragments of

- bumpers, interior panels, dashboard, cable insulation, where these fragments are often made of polypropylene;

- fuel tank, electrical insulation, where these fragments are often made of polyethylene;

- flexible foam seating, foam insulation panels, automotive suspension bushings, electrical potting compounds, hard plastic parts, transmission mounts, motor mounts, seals, impact foam parts, where these fragments are often made of polyurethane;

- body parts, dashboards, wheel covers, where these fragments are often made of acrylonitrile-butadiene-sty rene;

- gears, bushes, cams, bearings, charge air coolers, cylinder head covers, oil pans, engine cooling systems, thermostat and heater housings, exhaust systems including mufflers and housings for catalytic converters, air intake manifolds, timing chain belt front covers, where these fragments are often made of nylon 6 or nylon 6.6.;

- interior and exterior trims, fuel systems, small gears, where these fragments are often made of polyoxymethylene;

- wiper arm and gear housings, headlamp retainer, connector housings, where these fragments are often made of polyethylene terephthalate; and

- door handles, bumpers, carburetor components, where these fragments are often made of polybutylene terephthalate.

The automotive shredder residue may comprise at least 30 wt%, preferably at least 40 wt%, and in particular at least 50 wt% of the fragments of the polymeric vehicle parts.

The automotive shredder residue may comprise at least 20 wt%, preferably at least 30 wt%, and in particular at least 40 wt% of the fragments of the polymeric vehicle parts, which are black polymeric vehicle parts. The black polymeric vehicle parts usually comprise carbon black pigments.

The automotive shredder residue may comprise up to 15 wt%, preferably up to 10 wt%, and in particular up to 5 wt% of metal fragments, such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal particles.

The automotive shredder residue may comprise up to 15 wt%, preferably up to 10 wt%, and in particular up to 5 wt% of wood and cardboard. The automotive shredder residue may comprise up to 15 wt%, preferably up to 10 wt%, and in particular up to 5 wt% of glass fragments, e.g. broken window glass fragments.

The automotive shredder residue can be separated into a shredder light fraction (also called SLF) and a shredder heavy fraction (also called SHF). The separation of the SLF and the SHF can be achieved by air classification. Another air classification can be made by the rotary movement of the vehicle shredder machine may create a fanning action that can blow out the shredder light fraction, and the shredder heavy fraction may leave the vehicle shredder machine through a grid.

The SLF can be present in an amount of 55 - 90 wt%, preferably 65 - 85 wt%, and in particular at 70 - 80 wt% of the automotive shredder residue. The SHF may represent the remaining amount to 100 wt%.

The SHF can be present in an amount of 10 - 45 wt%, preferably 15 - 35 wt%, and in particular at 20 - 30 wt% of the automotive shredder residue. The SLF may represent the remaining amount to 100 wt%.

The SLF usually contains a lower weight percentage of rubber particles than the SHF.

The SLF usually contains a lower weight percentage of glass particles than the SHF.

The SLF usually contains a lower weight percentage of metal particles than the SHF.

The SLF usually contains a higher weight percentage of polyurethane foam particles than the SHF.

The SLF usually contains a lower weight percentage of solid and sand than the SHF.

The shredding of the vehicle comprising the polymeric vehicle parts produces the automotive shredder residue comprising the plastic fragment mix. The plastic fragment mix usually comprises the fragments of various polymeric vehicle parts.

The plastic fragment mix may comprise the target plastic fragments and further fragments. The further fragments may be the fragments of various polymeric vehicle parts, the metal fragments, such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal particles, the wood and cardboard, or the glass fragments. The plastic fragment mix may comprise at least 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 or 90 wt% of the target plastic fragments. The plastic fragment mix may comprise up to 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 or 90 wt% of the further fragments.

After the step a) of shredding the vehicles to produce the automotive shredder residue further steps can made, such as

- the metal fragments (such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal fragments) can be separated;

- the automotive shredder residue can be separated into a shredder light fraction and a shredder heavy fraction; and/or

- the automotive shredder residue, preferably the shredder light fraction and/or the shredder heavy fraction, can be subjected to an aqueous pretreatment selected from washing and from aqueous density separation. In case the automotive shredder residue is separated into the shredder light fraction and the shredder heavy fraction, then any subsequent steps can be made instead of the automotive shredder residue with either the shredder light fraction, or the shredder heavy fraction or both the SLF and the SHF.

Preferably, after the step a) and before the step b) at least one further step is made selected from

- separating metal fragments (such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal fragments) from the ASR, the SLF, and/or the SHF; and/or

- separating the automotive shredder residue into a shredder light fraction (SLF) and a shredder heavy fraction (SHF).

- subjecting the automotive shredder residue, preferably the shredder light fraction and/or the shredder heavy fraction, to an aqueous pretreatment selected from washing and from aqueous density separation.

- separating metal fragments (such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal fragments) from the ASR, the SLF, and/or the SHF;

- separating the automotive shredder residue into a shredder light fraction (SLF) and a shredder heavy fraction (SHF); and/or

In a preferred form the method for recycling automotive shredder residue further comprises after step a) and before step b) the step of aa) separating the metal fragments from the automotive shredder residue.

In another preferred form the method for recycling automotive shredder residue further comprises after step a) and before step b) the steps of ab) separating the automotive shredder residue into a shredder light fraction and a shredder heavy fraction.

In another preferred form the method for recycling automotive shredder residue further comprises after step a) and before step b) the steps of aa) separating the metal fragments from the automotive shredder residue, and ab) separating the automotive shredder residue into a shredder light fraction and a shredder heavy fraction.

The steps aa) and ab) can be made in any order, or in parallel, or repeatedly. In another preferred form the method for recycling automotive shredder residue comprises a) shredding the vehicle comprising plastic parts to produce the automotive shredder residue comprising the plastic fragment mix; aa) separating the metal fragments (such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal fragments) from the ASR; ab) separating the automotive shredder residue into a shredder light fraction and a shredder heavy fraction; and b) separating coarse shredder fragments from the automotive shredder residue to obtain a transport fraction containing at least 99 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm.

In a preferred form the method for recycling automotive shredder residue further comprises after step a) and before step b) the step of ac) subjecting the automotive shredder residue, preferably the shredder light fraction and/or the shredder heavy fraction, to an aqueous pretreatment selected from washing and from aqueous density separation.

In another preferred form the method for recycling automotive shredder residue comprises a) shredding the vehicle comprising plastic parts to produce the automotive shredder residue comprising the plastic fragment mix; aa) separating the metal fragments (such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal fragments) from the ASR; ab) separating the automotive shredder residue into a shredder light fraction and a shredder heavy fraction; and ac) subjecting the automotive shredder residue, preferably the shredder light fraction and/or the shredder heavy fraction, to an aqueous pretreatment selected from washing and from aqueous density separation; and c) separating coarse shredder fragments from the automotive shredder residue to obtain a transport fraction containing at least 99 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm.

The aqueous pretreatment can be selected from washing, such as washing the automotive shredder residue, preferably the shredder light fraction and/or the shredder heavy fraction, with water, which optionally comprises washing additives, such as surfactants or bases. Suitable surfactants are anionic, neutral or cationic surfactants. Suitable bases are inorganic bases (e.g. sodium hydroxide) or organic bases. The washing can be achieved by spraying the water on the automotive shredder residue, preferably the shredder light fraction and/or the shredder heavy fraction.

The aqueous pretreatment can be selected from aqueous density separation, such as in a hydrocyclone or via heavy media separation.

The method may comprise a drying step, e.g. the aqueous pretreatment may be followed by a drying step, such as drying the wet automotive shredder residue, the wet shredder light fraction and/or the wet shredder heavy fraction. Suitable drying steps are blowing air, which may have ambient or elevated temperature. The method usually comprises a drying step to obtain a transport fraction with a water content of less than 10 wt%, preferably less than 6 wt% and in particular less than 3 wt%.

The drying step can be drying the automotive shredder residue, drying the transport fraction, or both.

Step b) comprises separating coarse shredder fragments from the automotive shredder residue to obtain a transport fraction containing at least 95 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm. The fragment size usually refers to the longest dimension of the shredder fragments.

The transport fraction contains at least 95 wt%, preferably at least 97 wt% and in particular at least 99 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm.

In another form the transport fraction contains at least 95 wt%, preferably at least 97 wt% and in particular at least 99 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 10 cm.

In another form the transport fraction contains at least 95 wt%, preferably at least 97 wt% and in particular at least 99 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 8 cm.

The shredder fragments contained in the transport fraction are usually obtainable from a shredding step. Typically, a shredding step produces shredder fragments which are irregular in their shape. Typically, as shredding step produces only minor amounts (e.g. less than 10 wt%, preferably less than 5 wt%, and in particular less than 3 wt%) of regular shapes, such as granular shapes.

Figure 5 shows a picture of suitable shredded fragments which are irregular in their shape. The shown shredded fragments usually have a low flowability.

The shredder fragments contained in the transport fraction have usually a low flowability, e.g. as determined by their angle of repose. The angle of repose may be understood as the steepest angle of descent relative to the horizontal plane on which the material can be piled without slumping. At this angle, the material on the slope face is usually on the verge of sliding. The shredder fragments may have an angle of repose of at above 35 °, preferably above 40 °, more preferably above 45 °, and in particular above 50 °.

The coarse shredder fragments have usually a maximum size of at least 25 cm, preferably at least 18 cm, and in particular at least 12 cm. The maximum size can be measured at the longest dimension of the coarse shredder fragment. The coarse shredder fragments are usually obtained when shredding the vehicle.

The separated coarse shredder fragments can be shredded again, e.g. with when shredding the vehicle, or in a separate shredder. The separating of the coarse shredder fragments from the automotive shredder residue can be made by sieving or optical sorting.

The sieving can be made with flat screens or trommel screens, where the coarse shredder fragments exit the trommel screen. The sieving conditions can be adapted to the desired purity, e.g. by the screen aperture or the trommel velocity, or the trommel gradient.

In a preferred form a two stage trommel screen is used, where in the first trommel (e.g. with aperture of 0.5 - 2 cm) the shredder dust is separated, and in a second trommel (e.g with aperture of 10 - 20 cm) the coarse shredder fragments are separated.

The optical sorting can be made with an optical sorter which uses visible light to detect the coarse shredder fragments. The term "visible light” usually refers to the light which a typical human eye can see, such as a wavelength of 380 to 750 nm.

The optical sorters may recognize the maximum size of an object. Various optical sorters which use visible light to detect objects are commercially available.

In general, the optical sorter comprises a feed system, an optical system, an image processing software, and a separation system.

The feed system is usually adapted to spread products (e.g. the mixture of black and orange plastic fragments) into a uniform monolayer of products are presented to the optical system evenly, without clumps, at a constant velocity.

The feed system can be a belt, a channel, a chute or a freefall area. The optical sorter can be a belt sorter, a channel sorter, a chute-fed sorter or a freefall sorter, where belt sorters are preferred.

In a belt sorter the object to be sorted are usually conveyed along a belt and are ejected at the end of the belt after the camera has detected the color of the object. The objects may be ejected by one of some nozzles which are actuated to eject the selected objects.

Belt sorters typically can only detect the color for a single side of the objects on the belt. The objects on the belt are usually provided in a single layer to allow good detection.

The width of the belt in a belt sorter can be between 500 mm and 3,000 mm. The speed of the belt is usually fixed, and can be between 1 m/s and 5 m/s. The optical system can use the visible light to detect objects (e.g. the orange plastic fragments) in the feed system. The optical sorter may comprise the optical system which includes lights (e.g. a LED light) to illuminate objects and a sensor which uses visible light to capture images of the objects, which are usually presented to the optical system by the feed system. The lights and the sensors are usually housed above and/or below the flow of the objects being inspected. The optical sorters usually have a combination of lights and sensors to illuminate and capture images of the objects, and the images can be processed with the image processing software. The processed images will determine if the material should be accepted or rejected.

The optical sorter can be a camera sorter (e.g. a color camera sorter, preferably a trichromatic color camera sorter), a laser sorter or a combined camera and laser sorter. The lights, cameras, lasers and laser sensors can be arranged to function with the visible light to detect the orange plastic fragments.

Suitable color cameras may have a high color resolution which is capable of detecting millions of colors. Preferred color cameras are trichromatic color cameras (also called three-channel cameras) which may divide visible light into three bands, which can include red, green and/or blue. The laser sorter can be designed to operate within specific wavelengths of the visible light.

Preferably, the optical sorter comprises a camera sorter.

The image processing software can compare objects to user-defined accept/reject thresholds in order to classify the objects and actuate the separation system. The image processing software usually bases its comparison on the input from the optical system.

The separation system uses usually compressed air and/or mechanical devices (e.g. for larger products in the ASR) to pinpoints the detected objects while in-air. The separation system may deflect the detected objects to remove into a reject chute while the good objects continue along its normal trajectory.

The separated coarse shredder fragments can be shredded again, e.g. when shredding the vehicle in step a), or in a separate shredder.

The method may comprise a step of separating shredder dust from the automotive shredder residue to obtain a transport fraction containing less than 20 wt%, preferably less than 10 wt% and in particular less than 3 wt% shredder dust. The transport fraction may contain less than 20 wt%, preferably less than 10 wt% and in particular less than 3 wt% shredder dust.

The separating of the shredder dust can be made by sieving, e.g. with flat screens or trommel screens, where the shredder dust exits the trommel through the apertures. The sieving conditions can be adapted to the desired purity, e.g. by the screen aperture or the trommel velocity, or the trommel gradient. In a preferred form a two stage trommel screen is used, where in the first trommel (e.g. with aperture of 0.5 - 2 cm) the shredder dust is separated, and in a second trommel (e.g. with aperture of 10 - 20 cm) the coarse shredder fragments are separated.

The shredder dust has usually a granule size of less than 10 mm, preferably less than 5 mm, and in particular less than 1 mm, e.g. when measured in the longest dimension of the shredder dust.

The metal fragments such as ferrous and non-ferrous metal fragments can be separated from the automotive shredder residue and/or the transport fraction. The ferrous metal fragments can be removed by magnetic separators. The non-ferrous metal fragments can be separated from the shredded vehicles by eddy current separators, by heavy media si nk/float units which separate on the basis of density, or by manual sorting.

The transport fraction may comprise less than 5 wt% of metal fragments, preferably less than 3 wt% and in particular less than 1 wt%.

The separating of the cables, wires and ropes from the automotive shredder residue and/or the transport fraction can be made by optical sorting. The optical sorting can be made with the optical sorter which uses visible light to detect the cables, wires and ropes. Suitable optical sorters are described above. The optical sorters may recognize the length of cables, wires and ropes.

The transport fraction may comprise less than 0.1 wt%, preferably less than 0.05 wt%, and in particular less than 0.001 wt% of cables, wires and ropes with a length above 12 cm. The transport fraction may comprise less than 0.1 wt%, preferably less than 0.05 wt%, and in particular less than 0.001 wt% of cables, wires and ropes with a length above 10 cm. The transport fraction may comprise less than 0.1 wt%, preferably less than 0.05 wt%, and in particular less than 0.001 wt% of cables, wires and ropes with a length above 6 cm.

The polyurethane foam fragments can be removed from automotive shredder residue and/or the transport fraction by suction. Usually, vacuum powered machines can be used for suction. Suitable polyurethane foam fragments are usually a maximum size below 12 cm, preferably below 6 cm, and in particular below 2 cm.

The transport fraction may comprise polyurethane foam fragments in an amount of up to 1 wt%, preferably up to 0.3 wt%, and in particular up to 0.05 wt%,

The step c) comprises loading the transport fraction in bulk form in the bottom discharge container. The loading of the bottom discharge container is usually made from the top, e.g. by a conveyor belt or a front-end loaders.

Suitable bottom discharge container can be a railway hopper wagon or a hopper truck.

Suitable railway hopper wagons are freight cars designed for transporting bulk materials by rail and have a bottom discharge mechanism, which usually allows for efficient unloading of the bulk material by gravity.

The bottom discharge mechanism may comprise at the bottom of the hopper one or more discharge outlets, typically equipped with slide gates, chutes, or other mechanisms that control the flow of the material. The discharge outlets can be opened or closed to regulate the rate of unloading. The bottom discharge mechanism can be operated by an actuation system, which can be manual, pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric, depending on the specific design of the wagon. This system allows for controlled and efficient opening and closing of the discharge outlets.

Like other railway wagons, railway hopper wagons are usually equipped with couplers for connecting to other wagons or locomotives. They may also have a braking system to ensure controlled stopping and safe operation during transit. The railway hopper wagons can be covered wagons or open wagons. The railway hopper wagons may have a maximum carrying capacity of 40 to 80 tons. The railway hopper wagons may have a maximum carrying volume of 20 to 80 m³.

Suitable hopper trucks are freight cars designed for transporting bulk materials by trucks on the road and have a bottom discharge mechanism, which usually allows for efficient unloading of the bulk material by gravity.

The hopper truck has usually a bed, which is designed in the shape of a hopper. The bed may have sloping sides that converge to a narrow bottom opening, e.g. allowing for efficient unloading of the material. The hopper trucks are usually equipped with a bottom discharge mechanism that enables controlled unloading of the bulk material. The discharge mechanism typically consists of slide gates or hatches at the bottom of the hopper bed, which can be manually or hydraulically operated to open or close the discharge opening.

The hopper trucks can be designed as semi-trailers, while others may have a dedicated chassis with a permanently attached hopper bed. The trailer configuration allows often for easy attachment to a tractor or other towing vehicle.

The step c) comprises transporting the bottom discharge container containing the transport fraction from a first location to a second location.

The transporting can be done by railway, e.g. when the bottom discharge container is a railway hopper wagon, or on the road, when the bottom discharge container is a hopper truck. The transporting usually covers a distance of at least 10 km, preferably at least 50 km, and in particular at least 200 km. The first location can be the shredder site or an intermediate storage location.

The second location can be a recycling plant or an intermediate storage location.

The step e) comprises unloading the transport fraction from the bottom discharge container by gravity.

Unloading by gravity means allowing the bulk material inside the bottom discharge container to flow out naturally without the use of external forces or mechanical assistance. In this process, the material is discharged from the hopper solely due to the force of gravity acting on it. Usually, the bottom discharge mechanism is opened, and the bulk material starts to flow downward due to the force of gravity. The material can move along the sloping sides of the hopper and gathers at the lowest point, eventually exiting through the bottom discharge opening. The bottom angle in the bottom discharge container can be from 20 to 90 degree, preferably from 30 to 60 degree.

The transport fraction may comprise at least 80 wt%, preferably at least 90 wt%, and in particular at least 95 wt% of target plastic fragments which are made of a targeted plastic type selected from polyolefin, polyamide, a polyurethane, an aery loni trile-butadiene-sty rene, a polyoxymethylene, a polyethylene terephthalate, a polybutylene terephthalate, a polycarbonate, a polymethylmethacrylate, a polystyrene, or a mixture thereof.

The target plastic fragment can be made of any targeted plastic type or mixtures thereof. Usually, the targeted plastic type is a plastic type which is present in the polymeric vehicle parts.

Suitable targeted plastic types are polyolefin (such as polypropylene and polyethylene), polyamide (such as nylon 6 or nylon 6.6), halogen-containing polymers (such as polyvinyl chloride), a polyurethane (such as a non-foam polyurethane), an aery lonitrile-butadiene-sty rene, a polyoxymethylene, a polyethylene terephthalate, a polybutylene terephthalate, or a mixture thereof.

Preferably, the target plastic fragment is made of a polyamide, a polyolefin, or a mixture thereof.

In another preferred form the target plastic fragment is made of polyamide 6, polyamide 6.6, or a mixture thereof. In another preferred form the target plastic fragment is made of a polyolefin, such as polypropylene and polyethylene or a mixture thereof. In another preferred form the target plastic fragment is made of a polyvinyl chloride.

Suitable polyamides comprise a thermoplastic polyamide. Preference is given to semicrystalline or amorphous polyamides with a molecular weight (weight average) of at least 5000 g/mol as determined by size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Preferred are aliphatic and semi-aromatic polyamides.

Examples of polyamides are polyamides that derive from lactams having from 7 to 13 ring members, e.g. polycaprolactam, polycaprylactam, and polylaurolactam, and also polyamides obtained via reaction of dicarboxylic acids with diamines. The polyamide plastic parts may comprise glass fibers. The polyamide plastic parts may comprise up to 60 wt%, preferably up to 50 wt%, and in particular up to 40 wt% of the glass fibers, such as 20 to 40 wt%.

Suitable polyolefins are:

1. Polymers of monoolefins and diolefins, for example polypropylene, polyisobutylene, polybut-1-ene, poly-4- methylpent-1-ene, polyvinylcyclohexane, polyisoprene or poly-butadiene, polyhexene, polyoctene, as well as polymers of cycloolefins, for instance of cyclopentene, cyclohexene, cyclooctene or norbornene, polyethylene (which optionally can be crosslinked), for example high density polyethylene (HDPE), high density and high molecular weight polyethylene (HDPE-HMW), high density and ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (HDPE-UHMW), medium density polyethylene (MDPE), low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), very low density polyethylene (VLDPE), and ultra low density polyethylene (ULDPE).

Polyolefins, i.e. the polymers of monoolefins exemplified in the preceding paragraph, preferably polyethylene and polypropylene, can be prepared by different, and especially by the following, methods: a) radical polymerisation (normally under high pressure and at elevated temperature). b) catalytic polymerisation using a catalyst that normally contains one or more than one metal of groups IVb, Vb, Vib or VIII of the Periodic Table. These metals usually have one or more than one ligand, typically oxides, halides, alcoholates, esters, ethers, amines, alkyls, alkenyls and/or aryls that may be either 0- or D-coordinated. These metal complexes may be in the free form or fixed on substrates, typically on activated magnesium chloride, titanium(lll) chloride, alumina or silicon oxide. These catalysts may be soluble or insoluble in the polymerisation medium. The catalysts can be used by themselves in the polymerisation or further activators may be used, typically metal alkyls, metal hydrides, metal alkyl halides, metal alkyl oxides or metal alkyloxanes, said metals being elements of groups la, lia and/or Illa of the Periodic Table. The activators may be modified conveniently with further ester, ether, amine or silyl ether groups. These catalyst systems are usually termed Phillips, Standard Oil Indiana, Ziegler (-Natta), TNZ (DuPont), metallocene or single-site catalysts (SSC).

2. Mixtures of the polymers mentioned under 1 ., for example mixtures of polypropylene with polyisobutylene, polypropylene with polyethylene (for example PP/HDPE, PP/LDPE) and mixtures of different types of polyethylene (for example LDPE/HDPE).

3. Copolymers of monoolefins and diolefins with each other or with other vinyl monomers, for example ethy lene/propy lene copolymers, linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and mixtures thereof with low density polyethylene (LDPE), very low density polyethylene, propylene/but-1-ene copolymers, propylene/isobutylene copolymers, ethylene/but-1-ene copolymers, ethylene/hexene copolymers, ethylene/methylpentene copolymers, ethylene/14eptane copolymers, ethylene/octene copolymers, ethylene/vinylcyclohexane copolymers, ethylene/cycloolefin copolymers (e.g. ethylene/norbornene like COG), ethylene/1 -olefins copolymers, where the 1- olefin is generated in-situ; propylene/butadiene copolymers, isobutylene/isoprene copolymers, ethylene/vinylcyclohexene copolymers, ethylene/alkyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene/alkyl methacrylate copolymers, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers or ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers and their salts (ionomers) as well as terpolymers of ethylene with propylene and a diene such as hexadiene, dicyclopentadiene or ethylidene-norbornene; and mixtures of such copolymers with one another and with polymers mentioned in 1) above, for example polypropylene/ethylene-propylene copolymers, LDPE/ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymers (EVA), LDPE/ethylene- acrylic acid copolymers (EAA), LLDPE/EVA, LLDPE/EAA and alternating or random poly alky lene/carbon monoxide copolymers and mixtures thereof with other polymers, for example polyamides.

Preferably, the polyolefins are polymers of monoolefins and diolefins, for example polypropylene and polyethylene.

The method may further comprise a step c) of recycling the transport fraction by pyrolysis, depolymerization or gasification. The recycling can be made at the second location.

The recycling of the target plastic fragments may comprise a pyrolysis of the target plastic fragments, such as of target plastic fragments made of polyolefins.

The recycling of the target plastic fragments may comprise a depolymerization of the target plastic fragments, such as of target plastic fragments made of polyamide.

The recycling of the target plastic fragments may comprise a depolymerization of the target plastic fragments, such as of target plastic fragments made of polyurethane.

The depolymerization of polyamide or polyurethane is usually a process of breaking down the long chains of polymer molecules into smaller units through a chemical reaction, e.g. by the use of heat, chemicals, or enzymes to cleave the chemical bonds between the individual monomers that make up the polymer. The resulting smaller molecules or monomers can then be purified and reused for the production of new polyamide or polyurethane products.

The pyrolysis is usually a process used in polymer recycling that involves heating the polymer waste in the absence of oxygen to break it down into smaller molecules. This thermal degradation process is typically carried out at high temperatures, e.g. ranging from 300 to 900 degrees Celsius. During pyrolysis, the polymer often undergoes a series of chemical reactions, such as cracking, and fragmentation, resulting in the formation of gases, liquids, and solid residues. These products can then be further refined and used as feedstock for the production of new polymers, fuels, or other value-added chemicals.

The gasification is often a process used in polymer recycling that converts polymers into a gaseous state by reacting them with a controlled amount of oxygen or steam at high temperatures. This thermochemical conversion process occurs usually in a gasifier, where the polymer waste is subjected to intense heat, typically above 700 degrees Celsius. The heat may cause the polymer to break down into its constituent elements, primarily carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, resulting in the formation of a mixture of gases known as syngas, which can be further processed and utilized for various applications, e.g. as a fuel for power generation, or it can be refined to produce valuable chemicals and fuels. The invention also relates to the transport fraction containing at least 95 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm. The transport fraction is usually obtainable, preferably is obtained, by the step a) and the step b).

The transport fraction is usually obtainable, preferably is obtained, by a) shredding the vehicle comprising polymeric vehicle parts to produce the automotive shredder residue comprising the plastic fragment mix; b) separating coarse shredder fragments from the automotive shredder residue to obtain the transport fraction containing at least 95 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm.

In another form the method comprises the step:

- converting the transport fraction obtainable by or obtained by the method according to the invention or a chemical material obtainable by or obtained by the method according to the invention to obtain a product PRF1.

The product PRF1 may be selected from:

I) building block or monomer; or ii) polymer, preferably polymer A, polymer composition, preferably polymer composition A, or polymer product, preferably polymer product A; or ill) industrial use polymer, industrial use surfactant, descaling compound, industrial use biocide, industrial use solvent, industrial use dispersant, composition thereof or formulation thereof; or iv) agrochemical composition, agrochemical formulation auxiliary or agrochemically active ingredient; or v) active pharmaceutical ingredient or intermediate thereof, pharmaceutical excipient, animal feed additive, human food additive, dietary supplements, aroma chemical or aroma composition; or vi) aqueous polymer dispersion, preferably polyurethane or polyurethane - poly(meth)acrylate hybrid polymer dispersion, emulsion, binder for paper and fiber coatings, UV-curable acrylic polymer for hot melts and coatings polyisocyanates, hyperbranched polyester polyol, polymeric dispersant for inorganic binder compositions, unsaturated polyester polyol or 100% curable composition; or vii) cosmetic surfactant, emollient, wax, cosmetic polymer, UV filter, further cosmetic ingredient or composition or formulation thereof; or viii) polymer B, polymer composition B, coating composition, other functional composition, foil, molded body, coating or coated substrate.

The content of the target plastic fragments in the product PRF1 can be 1 weight-% or more, preferably 2 weight-% or more, more preferably 5 weight-% or more, more preferably 15 weight-% or more, more preferably 30 weight-% or more, more preferably 40 weight-% or more, more preferably 60 weight-% or more, more preferably 80 weight-% or more, more preferably 90 weight-% or more, more preferably 95 weight-% or more; and/or the content of the target plastic fragments in the product PRF1 can be 100 weight-% or less, preferably 95 weight-% or less, more preferably 90 weight-% or less, more preferably 50 weight-% or less, more preferably 25 weight-% or less, more preferably 10 weight-% or less; and preferably wherein the content is determined based on identity preservation and/or segregation and/or mass balance and/or book and claim chain of custody models, preferably based on mass balance, preferably the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) standard.

The publication Prior Art Disclosure; Issue 684; paragraphs [1000] to [8005]; ISSN: 2198-4786; published: February 12, 2024 will be regarded as Reference RF1, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Preferably, the product PRF1 is a product as described in Reference RF1; paragraphs [1000] to [8005], Preferably, the method described herein is further a method for the production of a product, preferably product PRF1.

The converting step to obtain the product PRF1 preferably comprises one or more step(s) as described below and can be performed by conventional methods well known to a person skilled in the art. The converting step preferably comprises one or more step(s) selected from: recycling, preferably depolymerizing, gasifying, pyrolyzing, and/or steam cracking; and/or purifying, preferably crystallizing, (solvent) extracting, distilling, evaporating, hydrotreating, absorbing, adsorbing and/or subjecting to ion exchanger; and/or assembling, preferably foaming, synthesizing, chemical conversion, chemically transforming, polymerizing and/or compounding; and/or forming, preferably foaming, extruding and/or molding; and/or finishing, preferably coating and/or smoothing.

In addition, the one or more step(s) are described in detail in Reference RF1; paragraphs [1000] to [8005],

The term "building block”, as used herein, comprises compounds, which are in a gaseous or liquid state under standard conditions of 0°C and 0.1 MPa. Building blocks are typically used in chemical industry to form secondary products, which provide a higher structural complexity and/or higher molecular weight than the building block on which the secondary product is based. The building block is preferably selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ethylene oxide, ethylene glycols, syngas comprising a mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, alkanes, alkenes, alkynes and aromatic compounds. The alkanes, alkenes, alkynes and aromatic compounds comprise in particular 1 to 12 carbon atoms, respectively.

The term "monomer”, as used herein, comprises molecules, which can react with each other to form polymer chains by polymerization. The monomer is preferably selected from the group consisting of (meth)acrylic acid, salts of (meth)acrylic acid; in particular sodium, potassium and zinc salts; (meth)acrolein and (meth)acrylates. (Meth)acrylates comprising 1 to 22 carbon atoms are preferred, in particular comprising 1 to 8 carbon atoms. The terms (meth)acrylic acid, (meth)acrolein or (meth)acrylate relate to acrylic acid, acrolein or acrylate and also to methacrylic acid, methacrolein or methacrylate, where applicable. Further, the monomer can be selected from hexamethylenediamine (HMD) and adipic acid.

The building block can further be an intermediate compound. The term "intermediate compound”, as used herein, comprises organic reagents, which are applied for formation of compounds with higher molecular complexity. The intermediate compound can be selected for example from the group consisting of phosgene, polyisocyanates and propylene oxide. The polyisocyanates are in particular aromatic di- and polyisocyanates, preferably toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and/or diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI).

The building block and the monomer and typical converting step(s) to obtain the building block or monomer are described in more detail in paragraphs [1000] to [1012] of Reference RF1.

The term "polymer A”, as used herein, comprises thermoplastic, e.g., polyamide or thermoplastic polyurethane, thermoset, e.g., polyurethane, elastomer, e.g., polybutadiene, or a copolymer or a mixture thereof and is defined in more detail in paragraphs [2001] to [2007] of Reference RF1.

The term "polymer composition A”, as used herein, comprises all compositions comprising a polymer as described above and one or more additive(s), e.g. reinforcement, colorant, modifier and/or flame retardant, and is defined in more detail in paragraph [2008] of Reference RF1.

The term "polymer product A”, as used herein, comprises any product comprising the polymer A and/or polymer composition A as described above and is defined in more detail in paragraphs [2009] and [2010] of Reference RF1. The step(s) to obtain the polymer, preferably polymer A, polymer composition, preferably polymer composition A or polymer product, preferably polymer product A is/are described in more detail in paragraph [2011] of Reference RF1 .

The term "industrial use polymer”, as used herein, comprises rheology, polycarboxylate, alkoxylated polyalkylenamine, alkoxylated polyalkylenimine, polyether-based, dye inhibition and soil release cleaning polymers defined in more detail in paragraphs [3035] to [3044] of Reference RF1. The term "industrial use surfactant”, as used herein, comprises non-ionic, anionic and amphoteric industrial use surfactants defined in more detail in paragraphs [3008] to [3034] of Reference RF1. The term "industrial use descaling compound”, as used herein, comprises nonphosphate based builders (NPB) and phosphonates (CoP) described in more detail in paragraphs [3001] to [3005] of Reference RF1. The term "industrial use biocide”, as used herein, refers to a chemical compound that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth or reproduction defined in more detail in paragraphs [3006] to [3007] of Reference RF1. The term "industrial use solvent”, as used herein, comprises alkyl amides, alkyl lactamides, alkyl esters, lactate esters, alkyl diester, cyclic alkyl diester, cyclic carbonates, aromatic aldehydes and aromatic esters defined in more detail in paragraphs [3045] to [3055] of Reference RF1. The term "industrial use dispersant”, as used herein, comprises anionic and non-ionic industrial use dispersants defined in more detail in paragraphs [3056] to [3058] of Reference RF1 . The term "composition and/or formulation thereof' with reference to the industrial use polymers, industrial use surfactants, descaling compounds and/or industrial use biocides refers to industrial use compositions and/or institutional use products and/or fabric and home care products and/or personal care products defined in more detail in paragraph [3059] of Reference RF1. The converting step(s) to obtain the industrial use polymer, industrial use surfactant, descaling compound and/or industrial use biocide are defined in more detail in paragraph [3060] of Reference RF1 . The converting steps to obtain the industrial use composition or formulation of the industrial use polymer, industrial use surfactant, descaling compound and/or industrial use biocide are defined in more detail in paragraph [3061] of Reference RF1.

The term "agrochemical composition”, as used herein, typically relates to a composition comprising an agrochemically active ingredient and at least one agrochemical formulation auxiliary. Examples of agrochemical compositions, active ingredients and auxiliaries are described in more detail in Reference RF1, paragraph [4001],

The agrochemical composition may take the form of any customary formulation. The agrochemical compositions are prepared in a known manner, e.g. described by Mollet and Grubemann, Formulation technology, Wiley VCH, Weinheim, 2001; or Knowles, New developments in crop protection product formulation, Agrow Reports DS243, T&F Informa, London, 2005. The converting step(s) to obtain the agrochemically active ingredients and auxiliaries may be conducted in analogy to the production step(s) of their analogues that are based on petrochemicals or other precursors that are not gained by recycling processes. In addition, conversion to compounds mentioned in sections "Polymer” and "Cosmetic surfactant, emollient, wax, cosmetic polymer, UV filter, further cosmetic ingredient or compositions or formulations thereof” may be performed as described in these sections as well as the respective paragraphs in Reference RF1.

The term active pharmaceutical ingredients and/or intermediates thereof, as used herein, comprises substances that provide pharmacological activity or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease, or to affect the structure or any function of the body. Intermediates thereof are isolated products that are generated during a multi-step route of synthesis of an active pharmaceutical ingredient. The term pharmaceutical excipients, as used herein, comprises compounds or compound mixtures used in compositions for various pharmaceutical applications, which are not substantially pharmaceutically active on itself. Active pharmaceutical ingredients and/or intermediates thereof and pharmaceutical excipients are defined in more detail in paragraph [5001] of Reference RF1 .

The converting step(s) to obtain the active pharmaceutical ingredients and/or intermediates thereof and pharmaceutical excipients may comprise one or more synthesis steps and can be performed by conventional synthesis and techniques well known to a person skilled in the art.

The terms animal feed additives, human food additives, dietary supplements, as used herein, comprises Vitamins, Pro-Vitamins and active metabolites thereof including intermediates and precursors, especially Vitamin A, B, E, D, K and esters thereof, like acetate, propionate, palmitate esters or alcohols thereof like retinol or salts thereof and any combinations thereof; Tetraterpenes, especially isoprenoids like carotenoids and xanthophylls including their intermediates and precursors as well as mixtures and derivates thereof, especially beta carotene, Canthaxanthin, Citranaxanthin, Astaxanthin, Zeaxanthin, Lutein, Lycopene, Apo-carotenoids, and any combinations thereof; organic acids, especially formic acid, propionic acid and salts thereof, such as sodium, calcium or ammonium salts, and any combinations thereof, such as but not limited to mixtures of formic acid and sodium formiate, propionic acid and ammonium propionate, formic acid and propionic acid, formic acid and sodium formiate and propionic acid, propionic acid and sodium propionate and formic acid and sodium formiate; glycerides of carboxylic acids and short and medium chain fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acids, such as omega-6 fatty acid (C18:2) methyl ester and 1 ,2- propandiol and beverage stabilizers, such as polyvinylpyrrolidone-polymer or polyvinylimidazole/polyvinylpyrrolidone- copolymer. Animal feed additives, human food additives and dietary supplements are defined in more detail in paragraph [5002] of Reference RF1.

The converting step(s) to obtain the animal feed additives, human food additives, dietary supplements may comprise one or more synthesis steps and can be performed by conventional synthesis and techniques well known to a person skilled in the art.

The terms aroma chemical and aroma composition as used herein, comprise a volatile organic substance with a molecular weight between 70-250 g/mol comprising a functional group with a carbon skeleton of C5-C16 carbon atoms comprising linear, branched, cyclic, for example with a ring size of C5-C18, bicyclic or tricyclic aliphatic chains and but not necessarily one or more unsaturated structural elements like double bonds, triple bonds, aromatics or heteroaromatics and preferably the one or more additional functional groups are selected from alcohol, ether, ester, ketone, aldehyde, acetal, carboxylic acid, nitrile, thiol, amine. In one aspect, the aroma chemical is a terpene-based aroma chemical, for example selected from monoterpenes and monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoids, diterpenes, triterpenes or tetraterpenes. Aroma chemicals can be combined with further aroma chemicals to give an aroma composition. Aroma chemicals and aroma compositions are defined in more detail in paragraph [5003] of Reference RF1.

The converting step(s) to obtain the aroma chemical and aroma composition may comprise one or more synthesis steps and can be performed by conventional synthesis and techniques well known to a person skilled in the art.

The term "aqueous polymer dispersion”, as used herein, comprises aqueous composition(s) comprising dispersed polymer(s) and is defined in more detail in the section [6001] entitled "aqueous polymer dispersion” of Reference RF1 . The dispersed polymer(s) may be selected from acrylic emulsion polymer(s), styrene acrylic emulsion polymer(s), styrene butadiene dispersion(s), aqueous dispersion(s) comprising composite particles, acrylate alkyd hybrid dispersion(s), polyurethane(s) (including UV-curable polyurethanes) and polyurethane - poly(meth)acrylate hybrid polymer(s). The term "emulsion polymer”, as used herein, comprises polymer(s) made by free-radical emulsion polymerization. Aqueous polyurethane dispersion(s) are defined in more detail in the section [6002] entitled "Polyurethane dispersions” of Reference RF1. UV-curable polyurethane(s) is/are defined in more detail in the section [6017] of Reference RF1. Polyurethane - poly(meth)acrylate hybrid polymer(s) is/are defined in more detail in the section [6016] of Reference RF1.

The term "polymeric dispersant”, as used herein, comprises preferably polymer(s) comprising polyether side chain, in particular polycarboxylate ether polymer(s) and polycondensation product(s) defined in more detail in paragraph [6020] entitled "Polymeric dispersant” of Reference RF1 . The converting (polymerization) step(s) to obtain the aqueous polymer dispersion(s) comprising emulsion polymer(s) is/are defined in more detail in the section [6003] entitled "Emulsion polymerization” of Reference RF1.

The converting (polymerization) step(s) to obtain the aqueous polyurethane dispersion(s) is/are defined in more detail in the section [6014] entitled "Process for the preparation of aqueous polyurethane dispersions” and section [6017] entitled "Aqueous UV-curable polyurethane dispersions, their preparation and use and compositions containing them” of Reference RF1.

Composition(s) and uses of aqueous polymer dispersion(s) and of polymeric dispersant(s) are defined in more detail in the following sections of Reference RF1 : section [6004] entitled "Uses of aqueous polymer dispersions”, section [6005] entitled "Binders for architectural and construction coatings” section [6006] entitled "Binders for paper coating” section [6007] entitled "Binders for fiber bonding” section [6008] entitled "Adhesive polymers and adhesive compositions” section [6015] entitled "Aqueous polyurethane dispersions suitable for use in coating compositions” section [6016] entitled "Aqueous polyurethane - poly(meth)acrylate hybride polymer dispersions suitable for use in coating compositions” section [6017] entitled "Aqueous UV-curable polyurethane dispersions, their preparation and use and compositions containing them” section [6018] entitled "Inorganic binder compositions comprising polymeric dispersants and their use” [6019] 100% curable coating compositions

UV-crosslinkable poly(meth)acrylate(s) and its/their uses are defined in more detail in section [6009] entitled "UV- crosslinkable poly(meth)acrylates for use in UV-curable solvent-free hotmelt adhesives and their use for making pressure-sensitive self-adhesive articles” of Reference RF1.

Polyisocyanate(s), composition(s) comprising them and their uses are defined in more detail in section [6010] entitled "Polyisocyanates” of Reference RF1.

Hyperbranched polyester polyol(s) and its/their uses are defined in more detail in section [6011] entitled "Organic solvent based hyperbranched polyester polyols suitable for use in coating compositions” of Reference RF1. The converting step(s) to obtain the hyperbranched polyester polyols is/are defined in more detail in the section [6012] entitled "Preparation of organic solvent based hyperbranched polyester polyols” of Reference RF1. Coating composition(s) comprising hyperbranched polyester polyol(s), polyisocyanate(s) and additive(s) and substrate(s) coated therewith are defined in more detail in section [6013] entitled "Organic solvent based two component coating compositions comprising hyperbranched polyester polyols and polyisocyanates” of Reference RF1. Unsaturated polyester polyol(s), solvent-based coating com posit! on (s) comprising said unsaturated polyester polyol (s) and substrate(s) for coating with said coating composition(s) are defined in more detail in section [6018] entitled "Organic solvent based coating composition comprising unsaturated polyester polyols” of Reference RF1. 100% curable coating composition(s) is/are defined in more detail in section [6019] of Reference RF1.

Polymeric dispersant(s) for inorganic binder compositions is/are defined in more detail in section [6020] of Reference RF1. The inorganic binder composition (s) comprising the polymeric dispersants and their use are defined in more detail in section [6021] of Reference RF1. The converting step(s) to obtain the polymeric dispersant(s) are defined in more detail in section [6020] of Reference RF1. The term "inorganic binder composition” comprising the polymeric dispersant(s), as used herein, comprises preferably in particular hydraulically setting compositions and compositions comprising calcium sulfate and is defined in more detail in section [6021] of Reference RF1 entitled "Inorganic binder compositions comprising the polymeric dispersant and their use”. Specific building material formulation(s) comprising polymeric dispersant(s) or building product(s) produced by a building material formulation comprising a polymeric dispersant are disclosed in more detail in section [6021] of Reference RF1.

The term "cosmetic surfactant”, as used herein, comprises non-ionic, anionic, cationic and amphoteric surfactants and is defined in more detail in paragraph [7002] of Reference RF1. The term "emollient”, as used herein, refers to a chemical compound used for protecting, moisturizing, and/or lubricating the skin and is defined in more detail in paragraph [7003] of Reference RF1. The term "wax”, as used herein, comprises pearlizers and opacifiers and is defined in more detail in paragraph [7004] of Reference RF1. The term "cosmetic polymer”, as used herein, comprises any polymer that can be used as an ingredient in a cosmetic formulation and is defined in more detail in paragraph [7005] of Reference RF1. The term "UV filter”, as used herein, refers to a chemical compound that blocks or absorbs ultraviolet light and is defined in more detail in paragraph [7006] of Reference RF1. The term "further cosmetic ingredient”, as used herein, comprises any ingredient suitable for making a cosmetic formulation. Several sources disclose cosmetically acceptable ingredients. E. g. the database Cosing on the internet pages of the European Commission discloses cosmetic ingredients and the International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook, edited by the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), discloses cosmetic ingredients. The term "composition and/or formulation thereof” with reference to the cosmetic surfactant, emollient, wax, cosmetic polymer, UV filter and/or further cosmetic ingredient refers to personal care and/or cosmetic compositions or formulations defined in more detail in paragraph [7007] of Reference RF1. The converting step(s) to obtain the cosmetic surfactant, emollient, wax, cosmetic polymer, UV filter or further cosmetic ingredient is/are defined in more detail in paragraph [7008] of Reference RF1.

The terms "polymer B”, "polymer composition B”, "coating composition”, "other functional composition”, "foil”, "molded body”, "coating” and "coated substrate” are well known to the person skilled in the art and are defined in more detail from paragraph [8000] to [8005] of Reference RF1.

Figure 1 shows a suitable bottom discharge container in one form of a railway hopper wagon, which has a bottom discharge mechanism including three discharge outlets having chuts in an bottom angle of about 45 degree. Figure 2 shows another suitable bottom discharge container in one form of a railway hopper wagon, which has a bottom discharge mechanism including two discharge outlets.

Figure 3 shows a suitable bottom discharge container in one form of a railway hopper wagon, which has a bottom discharge mechanism including one broad discharge outlets.

Figure 4 shows a possible flow scheme with a suitable process sequence for recycling the automotive shredder residue: Starting from the vehicles, followed by optional depollution, followed by optional dismantling, followed by shredding the vehicles, followed by optional separating the metal fragments from the shredded vehicle, then the ASR is obtained, followed by optional separation of the ASR in shredder light fraction and shredder heavy fraction, followed by the optional drying, followed by the separating the coarse shredder fragments to obtain the transport fraction, followed by the loading of the transport fraction in the bottom discharge container, followed by the unloading the transport fraction by gravity, and followed by the optional recycling.

The present invention allows several advantages: the transport fraction can segregate less during transportation; the transport fraction has improved flowability characteristics, making it easy to discharge the transport fraction smoothly from the bottom discharge container, e.g. without clogging or without ratholing. It is also possible to reduce transportation costs, e.g. with a reduced volume of the transport fraction. During unloading, the dust formation of the transport fraction is reduced, and the formation of electrostatic charges.

Claims

1. A method for preparing a bulk automotive shredder residue for transport by bottom discharge container comprising the steps of a) shredding a vehicle comprising polymeric vehicle parts to produce the automotive shredder residue comprising a plastic fragment mix; b) separating coarse shredder fragments from the automotive shredder residue to obtain a transport fraction containing at least 95 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm; c) loading the transport fraction in bulk form in the bottom discharge container; d) transporting the bottom discharge container containing the transport fraction from a first location to a second location; and e) unloading the transport fraction from the bottom discharge container by gravity.

2. The method according to claim 1 here the bottom discharge container is a railway hopper wagon or a hopper truck.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2 where the method comprises a drying step to obtain a transport fraction with a water content of less than 10 wt%.

4. The method according to any of claims 1 to 3 where the separated coarse shredder fragments are shredded again, preferably when shredding the vehicle or in a separate shredder.

5. The method according to any of claims 1 to 4 where metal fragments are separated from the automotive shredder residue.

6. The method according to claim 5 where the ferrous metal fragments are removed by magnetic separation.

7. The method according to claim 5 or 6 where non-ferrous metal fragments are removed by eddy current separation.

8. The method according to any of claims 1 to 7 where the method comprises separating shredder dust from the automotive shredder residue to obtain a transport fraction containing less than 20 wt% shredder dust.

9. The method according to any of claims 1 to 8 where the transport fraction comprises less than 5 wt% of metal fragments.

10. The method according to any of claims 1 to 9 where the transport fraction comprises less than 0.1 wt% of cables, wires and ropes with a length above 12 cm.

11 . The method according to any of claims 1 to 10 where polyurethane foam fragments are removed from the automotive shredder residue and/or the transport fraction by suction.

12. The method according to any of claims 1 to 11 where the transport fraction comprises polyurethane foam fragments in an amount of up to 1 wt%.

13. The method according to any of claims 1 to 12 where the transport fraction comprises at least 80 wt%, preferably at least 90 wt%, of target plastic fragments which are made of a targeted plastic type selected from polyolefin, polyamide, a polyurethane, an acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, a polyoxymethylene, a polyethylene terephthalate, a polybutylene terephthalate, or a mixture thereof.

14. The method according to any of claims 1 to 13 where further comprising a step f) of recycling the transport fraction by pyrolysis, depolymerization or gasification.

15. The method according to claim 14 where the recycling is made at the second location.

16. Method, preferably according to any of claims 1 to 15, comprising the step:

- converting the transport fraction obtainable by or obtained by the method according to any of claims 1 to 15 or a chemical material obtainable by or obtained by the method according to any of claims 1 to 15 to obtain a product PRF1.

17. A transport fraction of an automotive shredder residue as defined in any of claims 1 to 15 containing at least 95 wt% shredder fragments with a fragment size below 12 cm.

18. The transport fraction according to claim 17 where the transport fraction comprises less than 0.1 wt% of cables, wires and ropes with a length above 12 cm.

19. The transport fraction according to claim 17 or 18 where the transport fraction comprises polyurethane foam fragments in an amount of up to 1 wt%.

20. The transport fraction according to any of claims 17 to 19 where the transport fraction contains less than 20 wt% shredder dust.