Recovery of aluminium from multi-component packaging using a fluidised bed reactor

This study presents the use of fluidised bed combustion to produce thermal energy, aluminium recovery and the reduction of the Tetra Pak and Combibloc packaging waste stream. Fluidisation and the pneumatic transport, which take place in the same apparatus, allow recovering bits of the aluminium foil from the combustion zone. The limited time spent in the high temperature zone leads to a high content of free metal in the solids separated in the ash trap and cyclone. Other solid products are practically chemically inert and may be disposed in a landfill of municipal or inert wastes.