RECYCLING VALUABLE COMPONENTS FROM USED TELEVISION CABLE. Joe Kay PAC Recycling Matyville, TN 37804

Transcription

1 RECYCLING VALUABLE COMPONENTS FROM USED TELEVISION CABLE Joe Kay PAC Recycling Mayville, TN ABSTRACT A mechanical process o separae valuable componens from used elevision cable was researched and developed. The cable elevision indusry is now beginning o replace housands of miles of elevision cable insalled over he pas wo decades, This ype of cable is a composie os aluminum, plasic, and copper which, when separaed, are valuable maerials ha can be recycled and reused. The aluminumplasic bond inheren wih his cable is very sron and requires mechanical processing o separae he componens. The resuls of iniia 7 research o idenify processing seps'have been promising. This projec explored innovaive approaches o machine and process design in order o develop a coninuous separaion process, INTRODUCTION PROJECT DESCRIPTION PAC Rec clin has devised an innovaive mechanical process o separae he componens of 87.3 A cable - he ype of cable srung from one uiliy pole o anoher. The cable elevision indus replaces miles of cable every 3-5 years. The wase cable is ypically la 3 filled, however handling of he cable a he landfill can be difficul. Wase cable is no usually re-rolled ono a spool and is delivered o he landfill in angled secions. This cable in his condiion occupies addiional landfill space. Also, during landfill compacion, he cable can easily become enangled in he racks of he bulldozers and oher equipmen Television cable is a 'bundle' of componens comprised of: 1. Suppor Cable - a '/4 inch diameer galvanized seel cable which carries he load or weigh of he CATV cable, 2. CATV Cable - he main componen argeed for recycling, he cable is made up of an ouer aluminum sheah over plasic dielecric and an aluminum core. (Figure 1) Lashing Wire - a small diameer wire ha binds he CAW cable o he suppor cable. 43

2 4. Miscellaneous Connecors and Faseners In order o effecively recycle he CAW cable, i mus be separaed ino is componens. The bundle is unangled and sraighened, he CATV cable is isolaed, and his cable is mechanically separaed ino is individual elemens. Figure 1. Cross Secion of CATV Cable 0 I. TER

3 The greaes proporion of his projec ceners on seps 3, 4, and 5 as oulined in Figure 2. Figure 2. Process Flow Diagram NO. 1 NO I I I I I I LOCATE AND ACQUIRE I I TRANSPORT THE CABLE I I CABLE WHICH IS BEING +---->I TO PLACE OF PROCESSING +---> I I I I REPLACED BY CATV I I I I I I I COMPANIES I I I NO. 4 NO I INITIAL PROCESS OF CATV -->I SEPARATE THE "BUNDLE" +->I CABLE - SEPARATE AND CHOP +-> : INTO THE COMPONENTS I I THE OUTER ALUMINUM SHEATH FROM THE INNER COMPONENTS I NO NO. 6 I SECONDARY PROCESS OF I >I CATV CABLE SEPARATE +--->I WIND-UP CORE INTO A +--> THE PLASTIC DIELECTRIC! I COMPACT PACKAGE FROM THE ALUMINUM CORE: I I NO. 7 45

4 AP P LI CAT1 0 N The CATV cable is available for reclamaion in wo forms: 1. Old cable which is bei replaced. 2. Shor ends which are "w le on new spools of cable. Labor o prepare he "shor ends" for recycling is minimal. However, he old cable which has been removed from he uiliy poles is bound and angled wih he galvanized seel suppor cable and lashing wre, and significan processing ime is required o prepare he old cable for separaion ino is componens. Wases Prevened CATV cable is a composie before processing and is virually worhless in his form, Separaing he cable ino rec clable componens yields "raw maerials' for remanufacuring which mus be as Y ree of conaminaion as possible. The applicaion for each componen of he used cable are as follows: The galvanized sranded suppor cable has sligh value for scrap purposes only. The galvanized coain makes his an undesirable meal for remel Resale value is small, and a f es, freigh coss for shipping he maerial o a recycler may be recovered. while he economics are poor, he cable can be recycled insead of landfilled. The lashing wire is sainless seel and is more desirable for recycling. This componen is clean and pure, and lends well o remel. The oal weigh of he wire is small - less han 2 percen when compared o he whole cable. Again, alhough income from he sale of he wire is low, he wire is being recycled insead of landfilled. The CAW cable is he major recyclable componen of he cable "bundle'. The cable sheah is high fade aluminum which is desirable for remel. The plasic dielecric is a recycla 1 le hermoplasic. The aluminum core may also be reclaimed. Marke Values The marke values (spring 1992) of he componens are: - Lashing Wire - $.lo-.12 per pound. This is less han half he presen value of sainless seel.. Aluminum Sheah - $ per pound. Approximaely 12 fee of 3/4 inch cable produces 1 pound of aluminum. Wih he separaing machine running a 75% capaciy, approximaely 1 pound per minue can be obained. z-. Plasic Dielecric - $ per pound. 46

5 - Aluminum Core - $ per pound. This value is approximaely 60 percen of he aluminum sheah because he core is no only copper clad which renders i less pure, i also has a small amoun of plasic on he ouside afer separaion which lowers he qualiy of he aluminum. Galvanized Seel Suppor Cable - This componen is almos worhless as is galvanized coaing makes i undesirable for remel. However, he $ per pound price may pay for freigh. Cross Swmen Uses Oher uiliies, such as elecommunicaions and elecric, use cable for heir ransmissions. These cables are usually plasic or rubber coaed covering muliple wires. The composiion of he cable dicaes recycling poenial and moneary worh. PROCEDURE DEMONSTRATION PAC Recycling mailed quesionnaires d 75 cable elevision companies in eas and cenral Tennessee requesing informaion on heir disposal mehods for discarded cable. Fifeen companies reurned he quesionnaires. Responses indicaed ha 47 percen of he companies landfill heir cable, 40 percen sell i, and 13 percen dispose of he cable in oher ways. Addiional research indicaed ha mos cable is discarded during sysem rebuilds versus day-oday mainenance. In he firs phase of echnology developmen, PAC developed a prooype of a "Scrap Chopper' wih 4 main componens. 1. Guide Roller and Slier - The cable eners he Chopper hrough a four jaw scroll chuck which is fied wih guide rollers and sliing knives. The hook shaped knives sli each side of he cable. The chuck may be adjused o accommodae diameer of he cable which is being processed. 2. Pull Rollers and Separaors - Two pairs of rollers grip he spli aluminum sheah, peeling i from he plasic and core. The rollers are made from hardened ool seel wih' 64 pich sraigh knurls on he ouside for enhanced gripping and pulling of he sheah. 3. Sheah Chopper - As he sheah exis he pull rollers, i is flaened and chopped ino 6 inch pieces by roaing knives cuin agains a saionary knife. The chopped pieces fall ino a sorage conainer be B ow he machine. 4:Frame - Componens 1-3 are boled o a recangular welded ube frame. An elecric moor and gear box are mouned o he op of his uni. 47

6 In he second phase of developmen, PAC designed a Pulling Uni o pull he cable hrough he Chopper, he plasic dielecric from he cener core and direcing he plasic o an Two specially developed rollers grip he core and crush he plasic separaes from he core. See Figure 3. Figure 3. Scrap Chopper Componens!ir9 Q? b z 00 -u 10 "E STAND U SIDE PIATE 48

7 Manual operaional rials of he Chopper esed cuin abiliy, drive mouning and chain configuraion, and sheah sliing knives. These ria B s led o he following design changes: 1. The sliing knives were redesigned, as forces applied o he sheah during sliing resuled in breakage of he sheah. The original knives were desi ned like miniaure "pizza cuers". This design required high pressure on he i nives and rollers o penerae he sheah, hus causing he breakage. A hook desi n, similar o a seam ripper, allowed reducion of ension in he guide rollers, an 8 he sheah could hen sliced wih much less pulling force. 2. The original gear box moun defleced a he ime of he cu causing exreme vibraion in he uni. A redesigned, heavy du moun and a change of he gear box drive chain from one o wo chains solve 2 he problem. 3. Guides were placed beween he flaening rolls and he cu-off knives o eliminae a "wrapping around" of he sheah and properly guide i o he cu-off knives. 4. A lead-in guide was insalled o sraighen and cener he cable as i was fed. ino he sliing blades of he Chopper. 5. The gears on he cu-off knives were changed o allow he knives o run faser han he linear speed of he sheah. Prior o his change, he sheah buckled which jammed o machine. 6. The main conrol panel was modified so he Chopper could be revers'ed or "paused' o permi hreading and sarup. 7. A swingino-posiion hand winch and pulley mechanism was added o hread he cable hrough he slier. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION PERFORMANCE SUMMARY The 'Chopper" successfully separaes he componens of he CATV cable for reclamaion. The acual separaion sage of he process is fairly consisen; however he condiion of he scrap cable as received by PAC has a major impac on he process. Produc Qualii Variance The cleanliness of he scrap componens - aluminum sheah, plasic, and cener core - direcly affecs he resale poenial and value of hese maerials. Conaminaion reduces accepabiliy and price of he componens. Markeing has focused on he 1100-series aluminum sheah; qualiy of he aluminum has been high, and scrap buyers have been pleased wih he condiion of he componens and virual lack of 49

8 conaminaion. Condiions Tha Impac Performance As saed earlier, he condiion of he cable when received has a grea impac on processin efficiency. When cable is removed from he poles, i is usually handled. Ais ofen resuls in permanen kinks in he cable. The chopping process :$%e inerruped a each sizable kink as he cable is fed ino he Chopper. Cable which is relaively free of kinks can be fed coninuously ino he Chopper, saving handling ime. The flucuaion of scrap aluminum prices will affec economic performance. Scrap aluminum prices have fallen since he projec began, and hus i is vial o minimize handling he cable prior o separaing he componens. Performance Daa Cable is currenly uncoiled from he reels by hand; i akes approximaely one hour o prepare 800 fee. A mechanical device o uncoil he cable and feed i ino he Chopper will soon be developed. Tk maximum speed of he cable hrough he Chopper is 18.5 fee per minue. Approximaely 11 fee of cable will produce one pound of chopped aluminum sheah. Therefore, a maximum speed, he oupu is 1.68 pounds of aluminum per minue, or pounds per hour. The amoun of recoverable componens increases as he cable size, diameer, and aluminum sheah hickness increase. PAC applies a correcion facor of.5 o accoun for inefficiencies (e.. sar-up, swiching o oher cables, kinking of cable lenghs, coninuous operaion is no possi b. le. Thus, an oupu of 50 pounds per hour is he maximum expecaion. As he scrap arrives a PA 8 in fairly shor CONCLUSIONS POLLUTION PREVENTON ASSESSMENT Incenives The Chopper echnology is ready o process cable a a permanen sie. PAC has found ha he collecion of scrap cable is bes done when cable companies are replacin major secions of a sysem; his allows for larger quaniies of cable o be collec J a one ime. As he echnology is perfeced, a mobife uni may be developed such ha cable companies could process scrag cable as i is removed from he pole. This woued eliminae ransporaion o he permanen sie, minimize he large sorage area required a he permanen sis, reduce handling, and enhance profis.

9 Scrap dealers can also benefi from a porable uni. Mos scrap dealers currenly bale he sranded cable and expor i a minimum prices. Processing he cable ino is componens would allow resale of he maerials a a higher price o domesic markes. Fiber opic cable is being inroduced ino he indusry. As cable sysems coninuously upgrade, older aluminumclad cable will become available for recycling. Limiaions As scrap marke prices fall, maerials handling and processing ime mus be minimized o maximize profis. Some cable is manufacured wih various sealing compounds beween he componens which makes hem,difficul o separae, or leaves a residue. Anoher processing sep could be added o separae and clean he componens. Should his sep be necessary, a non-hazardous solven mus be idenified so as no o uilize any hazardous maerials or creae hazardous wase. Underground elevision cable is becoming more common. Is differen composiion renders i more difficul o recycle. 51

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