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Performance evaluation of material separation from spent fluorescent lamps using the thermal end-cutting method

  • SPECIAL FEATURE: ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • The 7th International Conference on Waste Management and Technology (ICWMT) 2012
  • Published:
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Abstract

The recovery of valuable materials such as aluminum, phosphor powder, and glass from spent fluorescent lamps (SFLs) is part of the overall recycling process of lamps. In the end-cutting process, an SFL is separated into a base cap and a glass part using thermal shock caused by the temperature difference between the heating unit and the cooling unit. The separation efficiency of the end-cutting system is estimated by measuring the mass of the parts of the SFL. The optimum condition of the end-cutting process with thermal shock was determined to have a temperature difference of 600 °C and moving speed of 2 cm/s. At optimum conditions, the separation efficiency of glass and the end cap from an SFL using the end-cutting method is estimated to be more than about 97 %. In an air injection system, however, the separation efficiency of phosphor powder from glass is less than 50 %. Separation efficiency in the end-cutting system is increased by decreasing the moving speed of the SFL and increasing the temperature difference between the heating unit and the cooling unit. From the results of experiments, it was found that the end-cutting unit has very high performance because the overall separation efficiency is more than 95 %.

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Acknowledgments

This study was partially supported by the R&D center for Valuable Recycling (Global-Top Environmental Technology Development Program) funded by the Ministry of the Environment, Korea (project no. GT-11-C-01-070-0).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Kyonggi University, San 94-6, Iui-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon, Kyonggi-do, 443-760, Republic of Korea

    Seung-Whee Rhee & Hun-Su Park

  2. Resource Recirculation Research Division, National Institute of Environmental Research, Environmental Research Complex, Hwangyeong-ro 42, Seo-gu, Incheon, 404-708, Republic of Korea

    Hyo-Hyun Choi

Authors
  1. Seung-Whee Rhee
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  2. Hyo-Hyun Choi
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  3. Hun-Su Park
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Correspondence to Seung-Whee Rhee.

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Rhee, SW., Choi, HH. & Park, HS. Performance evaluation of material separation from spent fluorescent lamps using the thermal end-cutting method. J Mater Cycles Waste Manag 15, 503–509 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-013-0172-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10163-013-0172-3

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