CIRCULAR ECONOMY IN CAR ELECTRONICS A CASE STUDY OF THE COMBIMETER AND THE INFOTAINMENT OF THE SEAT LEON II MODEL

This paper analyzes the loss of mineral capital associated with the car electronics’ EoL through the thermodynamic rarity indicator. This indicator considers the scarcity of the minerals in the earth’s crust needed to obtain the commodities, as well as the energy required for their extraction and refining. In addition, this paper analyzes the recovery of resources in car electronics considering the modular disassembly based approach to recycling as defined in this work. for different recycling processing routes, which are suitable for recycling these car electronic partsare carried out. Thus, Recycling/recovery rates for each of the commodities are calculated by the application of advanced recycling process simulation models, which in fact virtually design or digitally twin the metallurgical and/or other final treatment processes which are best applied to optimize recycling of the contained materials and compounds.Moreover, this work assesses the importance of the disassembly of the car parts into different material groups or fractions to improve recyclability. A close link is made here between disassembly analyses and material (in)compatiblities in (metallurgical) processing options and know-how as captured by the developed recycling simulation models.This aspect is very relevant since disassembly processes are associated with high personnel costs, which may not be justified by a moderately higher recovery rate of raw materials at the car’s EoL. As a case study, the combimeter and the infotainment of a SEAT Leon II have been analyzed, since both electronic parts are among the most critical ones in a conventional car considering the contained metals and their low functional recycling.