RECOVERY AND DISPOSAL OF PHOSPHATE SLUDGE FROM AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Turkish automotive sector constitutes one of the major powers of the Turkish Industry with its importance as one of the most-advanced branches of the Turkish manufacturer industry. There are 15 automotive main industry companies which manufacture trailers, trucks, light lorries, pick-ups, passenger cars, buses, minibuses, midibuses. Main hazardous waste originated from automotive industry is phosphate sludge. Phosphate sludge coming from automotive sector often contains heavy metals and a variety of other hazardous substances which can cause soil and ground water pollution. This sludge is classified as hazardous waste at the European Waste Catalogue as adopted in Council Decision 2000/532/CE. This work attempts to better understand the physical and chemical characteristics of these sludges, by studying on samples taken from automotive manufacture plant in Marmara Region of Turkey. Chemical composition and leaching characteristics are given, together with disposal and recovery methods.