PRESS RELEASE
28 Dec 1995
Tinplate recovery from paint cans
in Scandinavia's first
cryogenic treatment plant

Valuable metal can now be recovered from used paint and varnish cans, adhesive containers, or oil filters. Using new cryogenic technology, the used containers are deep-frozen with liquid nitrogen, and the various components separated.
The technology has been developed by AGA in collaboration with Ragn-Sells Specialavfall i Halmstad AB, where Scandinavia's first installation opened on December 7.

There are special difficulties in the treatment of used paint and adhesive containers or oil filters. They often contain paint or oil residues, as well as wood, rag or other forms of waste material. Paints and oils must be separated from the metal, but so far this has proved almost impossible.

Freeze and separate
Briefly, the new method begins by shredding the used containers, which are then transported via a belt into a freezing chamber where they are treated with liquid nitrogen at a temperature of about -150ÝC. Paint, varnish, adhesive, and oil residues become as brittle as glass and can easily be separated mechanically in a mill. Paint and varnish residues then pass down into a container. These residues are normally incinerated, whilst oil residues can be used as fuel.
A magnetic separator then divides the ferrous fraction from non-ferrous materials such as plastics, paper, wood and aluminium, which are also incinerated. Magnetic material, for example tinplate from paint cans, can then be recovered and recycled as scrap metal for recycling by steel manufacturers.

A first for Scandinavia
The installation at Halmstad is the first of its type in Scandinavia and only the third in Europe. The technology was developed in the Netherlands, where one installation is operational and a second is being commissioned soon. AGA has taken an active part in the development of this technology in the Netherlands.
At full capacity, the Halmstad plant can handle four tons of used containers per hour. For comparison, Sweden uses about six million oil filters and 75,000 tons of metallic packaging per year.

In tune with the times
This installation is entirely in line with the environmentalist thinking which is so prevalent nowadays. For example, the Swedish government's 1993 recycling proposals place emphasis on manufacturer responsibility, with packaging indicated as an urgent priority.
Collection of cans, oil filters etc is planned to take place partly through manufacturers and partly from the local collection centres for hazardous wastes that have been established in most areas./ins


Caption:
A new cryogenic installation separates the residues of paint, oil, varnish or adhesive from used containers so that the metal can be recycled.

For further information please contact:
AGA AB / Industrial Cryogenics
Mikael Orsén
Postfach 201954
D-20209 Hamburg, Germany
Tel: +49 4042 105 333
Fax: +49 4042 105 301

or local representatives, see attached list



N.B.: This text is available on 3.5" disk (Word 5.1a) formatted for Macintosh or PC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE LOCAL AGA REPRESENTATIVE:


BELGIUM
AGA nu/sa
Petra v d Linden
Marketing Communications Manager
Wauersesteenweg 1519
B-1160 BRUSSELS
Tel +31 20 634 5605 (NL)
Fax +31 20 634 1761 (NL)

DENMARK
AGA A/S
Søren Lange
Vermlandsgade 55
DK-2300 KØBENHAVN
Tel 32 83 66 00
Fax 32 83 66 01

FINLAND
Oy AGA Ab
Viestintäpäällikkö
Kaarina Kivimäki
Karapellontie 2
02610 ESPOO
Tel: (90) 591 61
Fax: (90) 591 6311

FRANCE
AGA s.a.
Jean-Pierre Mahe
Bp 3084
F-31025 TOULOUSE CÉDEX
Tel: 61 42 48 00
Fax: 61 42 49 99

GERMANY
AGA Gas GmbH
Klaus Hunfeld
Marketing Communications Manager
Treplowitzstraße 5
D-22529 Hamburg
Tel. 040-42105-316
Fax. 040-42105-341





NETHERLANDS
AGA Gas B.V.
Petra v d Linden
Marketing Communications
Manager
Distelweg go
NL-1031 HH Amsterdam
Tel 020-634 5605
Fax 020-634 1761


NORWAY
AGA AS
Tore Ax
Postboks 13 Grefsen
N-0409 OSLO
Tel 22 02 76 00
Fax 22 02 78 04