BMW: Consortium research project proves new end-of-life recycling for vehicle supply chain

The BMW Group and its consortium partners have released the results of a research project on the feasibility of high-quality material loops in the automotive industry.

Through the Car2Car research project, the group says it has been demonstrated that the loops are technically feasible. The Car2Car research project brings together partners from the automotive industry, materials manufacturing, the recycling industry and academia to investigate the recovery of materials from end-of-life vehicles for use in new automotive applications along the entire value chain.

“Under expanded processing and sorting conditions, it was possible to increase the ‘Car2Car rate’ from six to 51%,” a BMW Group press release states. “The ‘Car2Car rate,’ as defined by the project, is the percentage of materials from an end-of-life vehicle that can, in principle, be recovered at high enough quality for reuse in new industrial applications.

“Particularly high recovery potentials were achieved for steel, aluminium and copper, whereas significant technological challenges remain for plastics and glass. At the same time, the project demonstrates which conditions, investments and regulatory frameworks will be necessary to further scale high-quality material loops in the future. The results are based on a research and demonstration approach under optimal processing and sorting conditions.”

Various recovery scenarios were explored as part of the research project.

“With Car2Car, we wanted to understand under which conditions materials from end-of-life vehicles can be reused in new cars,” said Hilke Schaer, Car2Car project manager, BMW Group, in the release. “The project has shown the potential in current material streams from end-of-life vehicles that have not yet been optimised for high-quality material loops. The most significant progress was seen with steel: We were able to demonstrate that high-quality flat steel for automotive applications can be produced from end-of-life vehicle scrap. In the field test at BMW Group Plant Leipzig, more than 100,000 series parts were produced using this steel and installed in vehicles – making the project’s results tangible.”

The findings show:

• • Additional processing and sorting steps can significantly increase the potential of high-quality material loops
  • Steps include improved pre-sorting, modified shredding processes, classification, sensor-based sorting of material streams, and more precise separation of aluminium alloys.
  • Methods currently standard in the market, the project achieved a “Car2Car rate” of 6% across all five focus material groups during a vehicle recycling trial with minimal compulsory dismantling.
  • Advanced process engineering and optimised processing routes increased the rate to 51%.
  • Under the 51% rate conditions, the “Car2Car rate” increased from one to 81% for steel, from 23% to 52% for aluminium, and from 48% to 68% for copper.

“The findings confirm the considerable potential for high-quality material loops, especially for metals,” the release states. “At the same time, the results clearly demonstrate that this potential cannot be applied equally across all material groups. Specifically, further development is required for plastics and glass. To achieve large-scale industrial implementation, additional investments will be needed in disassembly, sorting and recycling infrastructure, as well as corresponding regulatory frameworks.”

Researchers say the steel example illustrates the project’s key findings.

“Up until now, copper-bearing impurities from cables, connectors and other components have hindered the recycling of end-of-life vehicle scrap into high-quality automotive steels,” the release states. “The Car2Car project has now demonstrated that an additional processing step can substantially improve scrap quality.”

A patent application has been filed for a new method to reduce copper contamination by sorting steel scrap.

“This ensures high-quality steel scrap as the starting material for new flat steel that meets the requirements of modern automotive applications,” the release states.

Steel coils produced using the method were integrated into industrial production following successful material and quality testing. In a field test conducted at BMW Group Plant Leipzig, more than 100,000 series parts were produced for use in vehicles.

“However, for large-scale industrial implementation [and] scalable process chains, additional infrastructure and viable business models are still needed,” the release states. “At the same time, the project highlighted that progress towards a circular economy varies, depending on the material and the technology available.”

For example, BMW points out that while recycling processes are in place for steel, aluminium, and copper, there is still a lack of solutions for plastics and glass that meet automotive industry high-quality standards.

“The wide variety of materials, complex composite material structures and stringent quality requirements make it difficult to produce high-quality recyclates for high-end automotive applications,” the release states. “For plastics, in particular, it has become evident that precisely tailored process chains comprising various sorting and processing technologies will be needed in the future to consistently achieve the material quality necessary for automotive material loops.”

BMW Group says the findings from Car2Car will further develop its circular economy, “confirming its established Design for Circularity approaches.”

“Beyond the BMW Group and the participating project partners, the Car2Car findings also provide an important data basis for further development of the entire automotive recycling landscape,” the release states. “In the context of future regulatory requirements, such as the European ELV Regulation, Car2Car illustrates which technological, economic, and structural conditions must be created to enable higher material recovery rates and closed material loops.”

BMW says doing so includes innovation and investment in disassembly, sorting and recycling technologies, increased digitalization, and framework conditions that promote transparency, quality, and the return of materials to European material loops.

In addition to BMW Group, the consortium included:

• • TU Bergakademie Freiberg (MVTAT, IEST and IGT institutes)
  • Helmholtz Institute Freiberg for Resource Technology (part of Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR))
  • Technical University of Munich
  • Scholz Recycling
  • STEINERT UniSort
  • thyssenkrupp Steel Europe
  • Salzgitter Mannesmann Forschung
  • Aurubis
  • Novelis Germany
  • OETINGER Aluminium
  • Pilkington Automotive Germany

The final report of the full Car2Car consortium is available for download here. The BMW Group-specific final report is located here.

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Featured image provided by BMW Group