Why advanced recycling is a distinct HVAC duct discipline
General recycling ventilation — kerbside MRF tipping floors, paper sorting lines, plastic baling — is hard. The advanced end of the Australian recycling sector is genuinely harder. A lithium-ion battery shredder running on used electric vehicle traction packs and small-format consumer cells releases a four-component thermal runaway off-gas that includes hydrogen fluoride at the most aggressive end of any industrial exposure limit, hydrogen at concentrations that quickly exceed 25 percent lower explosive limit, carbon monoxide that scales with cell state of charge at the moment of failure, and entrained black mass particulate that itself classifies as a combustible dust. A lead-acid battery breaker on the front end of an Australian Refined Alloys SX-EW lead smelter generates sulphuric acid mist at concentrations approaching the 1 mg/m³ short-term exposure limit and lead vapour aerosol approaching the 0.05 mg/m³ time-weighted average. An e-waste WEEE shredder processing legacy CRT televisions and pre-2010 monitors releases mercury vapour, brominated flame retardant aerosol and a polychlorinated dust load that demands HEPA H13 final filtration. A used tyre pyrolysis reactor at Green Distillation Technologies at Warren in New South Wales produces syngas at 400 to 600 degrees Celsius that runs straight into a hazardous area classification under AS/NZS 60079.
None of those duties fit the standard recycling facility HVAC template. They demand 316L stainless steel construction, full welded joints at hazardous area interfaces, dedicated hazardous gas detection with fast-acting isolation, explosion vent panels sized to NFPA 660 (the 2025 consolidated combustible dust standard replacing NFPA 654, 484, 61, 664 and 91), inert gas knock-down via nitrogen or argon, and HEPA H13 plus carbon polishing on the extract before stack discharge. The duct system on each of these facilities is not a passive containment — it is an active safety system, and the engineering of the duct itself is on the critical path of facility licensing and insurance underwriting.
This guide picks up where the general recycling and waste sorting facility HVAC guide stops. It addresses the six specialisations where Australian operators are investing capital ahead of the 2030 federal resource recovery targets: kerbside MRF and Container Deposit Scheme processing at the highest specifications; e-waste WEEE and the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme; used tyre stewardship and tyre-derived fuel; lead-acid battery breaking and smelting; lithium-ion battery shredding and black mass recovery; and soft plastic recovery after the REDcycle collapse of 2022. SBKJ machinery selection is mapped to each specialisation — SBAL-V auto duct line in stainless or galvanised configuration, SBAL-III for heavy gauge, SBSF-1525 and SB-ZF1500 stitchwelders for heavy-gauge and round seam work, SBFB-1500 spiral former for dust transport conveyance, SBPC1500 plasma for stainless cut-to-length, SBLR-600 leveller, and the SBTF-1500, 1602 and 2020 spiral tubeformers for round duct production.
The six advanced recycling specialisations and their HVAC fingerprints
Before duct material selection, classify the facility against the six advanced specialisations. Each carries distinct material, capture and explosion-protection requirements.
Kerbside MRF at maximum specification — Cleanaway Eastern Creek scale
The biggest Australian MRFs run beyond 200,000 tonnes per annum throughput on co-mingled kerbside material with paper and cardboard as the dominant fibre load. Cleanaway Eastern Creek in Western Sydney processes approximately 220,000 tonnes per year and is the benchmark Australian high-throughput MRF, joined by the Cleanaway Erskine Park, Cleanaway Bibra Lake in Western Australia, Cleanaway Wollert in Victoria and Cleanaway Suncoast in Queensland sites. Veolia Banksmeadow in Sydney's south, Veolia Smithfield, Veolia Pinkenba in Brisbane and Veolia Woodlawn (which operates a waste-to-energy gas extraction loop on top of MRF input handling) make up the next tier. Visy Recycling at Coolaroo north of Melbourne is Visy's largest single MRF and feeds the adjacent Visy paper mill directly; Visy operates parallel sites at Smithfield in Sydney, Murarrie in Brisbane, Coomera on the Gold Coast, Hexham in the Hunter Region and Tumut in southern New South Wales.
HVAC fingerprint: dust load dominated by paper and cardboard fibre under NFPA 660 St-2 classification with Kst values typically 100 to 130 bar.m/s, secondary plastic dust from PET and HDPE container sorting, moderate odour load on the tipping floor (kerbside material is not heavily putrescible), 24/7 operation with only Christmas and Easter shutdowns. Duct material is overwhelmingly galvanised G90 with TDF integral flanges; stainless is reserved for any glass crushing exhaust where moisture entrainment is consistent. Explosion protection is the dominant capital line — NFPA 660 explosion vents on the baghouse, NFPA 69 isolation devices on the inlet, dust transport ducts maintained above 22 m/s to prevent settling, and routine housekeeping that limits accumulated dust to under 1/32 inch on horizontal surfaces.
Container Deposit Scheme automated processing — Return-It and TOMRA-Cleanaway scale
The Container Deposit Schemes — Return and Earn in New South Wales since 2017, Containers for Change in Queensland since 2018, ACT since 2018, Containers for Change in Western Australia since 2020, CDS Vic in Victoria since 2023, Recycle Rewards in Tasmania from 2025, the original South Australia scheme since 1977, and the Northern Territory scheme since 2012 — drive a parallel national network of automated counting and processing centres run by Return-It, Cleanaway Container Recycling, the TOMRA-Cleanaway joint venture and Container Exchange in Queensland. CDS centres typically operate inside leased industrial sheds, accept reverse-vending machine drops and bulk drop-off, and route material to baling and onward dispatch.
HVAC fingerprint is lighter than a full MRF: general ventilation to AS 1668.2, localised dust extraction at PET bale press and aluminium can flattener with capture velocity 0.5 to 0.8 m/s, HEPA H13 final filtration on baling exhaust to prevent fugitive dust escape to neighbouring tenancies, galvanised G90 duct throughout. The fabrication complication is that CDS centres are routinely inserted into existing tenancies with tight ceiling heights and short turnaround pressure — favouring SBKJ-equipped Australian fabricators producing to AS/NZS 4254 with TDF flanges that install quickly without on-site rework.
E-waste WEEE shredding and downstream — Sims Lifecycle Services / TES-AMM scale
E-waste falls under the federal National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme through the Product Stewardship Act 2011, supplemented by parallel state-level programs and the Mobile Muster scheme for handsets. The largest Australian operator is Sims Lifecycle Services (formed from the integration of TES-AMM into Sims Limited ASX:SGM, the global ferrous and non-ferrous scrap parent), with the Bayswater Victoria e-waste shredding line as the reference Australian facility. Total Green Recycling in Perth, MRI E-Cycle Solutions nationally and a parallel network of smaller specialist operators complete the sector.
HVAC fingerprint: shredder hood capture at 1.5 to 2.5 m/s, brominated flame retardant aerosol on legacy CRT and pre-2010 monitor streams, mercury vapour on fluorescent tube and old LCD backlight processing, lead vapour from solder dust on printed circuit board fragmentation, polychlorinated dust from old PVC cable insulation, and hazardous gas detection at the shredder for any inadvertent lithium cell that escapes manual de-pollution. Duct material runs galvanised on the general transport path with 316L stainless on the immediate shredder hood and on the chemical scrubber discharge. HEPA H13 final filtration is standard on the extract before stack discharge.
Used tyre stewardship — Tyrecycle and pyrolysis specialists
Used tyre recovery in Australia runs under the Australian Tyre Stewardship Scheme administered by Tyre Stewardship Australia, with the largest collection and processing footprint operated by Tyrecycle (a Veolia subsidiary). Mechanical shredding to crumb rubber is the dominant processing route; pyrolysis to tyre-derived fuel and recovered carbon black is the emerging premium path, with Green Distillation Technologies operating the Warren New South Wales pyrolysis facility as the Australian reference. GMG GreenWaste operates a parallel mechanical recovery network.
HVAC fingerprint splits in two: the mechanical shredding line handles crumb rubber dust at NFPA 660 St-1 classification with respirable crystalline silica RCS at 0.05 mg/m³ TWA from any reinforcement glass and carbon black aerosol on cured rubber; the pyrolysis line runs syngas at 400 to 600 degrees Celsius classified to AS/NZS 60079 Zone 2 because of the hydrogen content, with 316L stainless full-welded duct from reactor to gas engine. Fire suppression is the dominant additional capital line on tyre storage — high fire-load classification on stockpiled tyres demands water mist or foam systems.
Lead-acid battery breaking and smelting — Australian Refined Alloys / Hydromet scale
Lead-acid battery recycling in Australia is dominated by Australian Refined Alloys (a Veolia joint venture) operating the Wagga Wagga New South Wales primary site and the Geelong Victoria SX-EW lead smelter producing 99.99 percent purity lead cathode. Hydromet in New South Wales adds cobalt and nickel hydromet recovery from spent rechargeable cells. The Product Stewardship Act 2011 framework administers lead-acid battery recovery under the B-cycle scheme (which now extends beyond lead-acid to encompass small-format consumer batteries).
HVAC fingerprint: sulphuric acid mist on the battery breaker hood at concentrations approaching the 1 mg/m³ short-term exposure limit, lead vapour aerosol at 0.05 mg/m³ TWA, ammonia and acid mist from electrolyte handling, and high-temperature lead vapour at the smelter charge port. The duct material is 316L stainless throughout — 304 stainless fails under the sulphuric acid mist within months — with full welded joints, wet scrubber Venturi throat in 316L stainless, and dedicated HEPA H13 plus carbon polishing on the extract. Stack discharge is monitored continuously for lead emission against the state EPA licence condition.
Lithium-ion battery shredding and black mass — Envirostream / Neometals scale
Lithium-ion battery shredding is the newest and most demanding Australian advanced recycling specialisation. Envirostream Australia (owned by Lithium Australia ASX:LIT) operates the Campbellfield Victoria facility as the first commercial lithium-ion battery shredding line in Australia and New Zealand, with black mass output dispatched to specialist hydromet processors in Korea and Europe. Renewable Metals has a Western Australian proposed facility in development, and Neometals ASX:NMT has Kalgoorlie pilot operations. The B-cycle product stewardship scheme administered through the Battery Stewardship Council oversees the collection and processing framework, with Mobile Muster running the parallel scheme for handset batteries.
HVAC fingerprint is the most aggressive of any Australian recycling operation. Lithium-ion thermal runaway off-gas is a four-component killer: hydrogen fluoride at the 1.8 mg/m³ short-term exposure limit (formed from LiPF6 electrolyte hydrolysing on contact with moisture), carbon monoxide at 30 ppm TWA, hydrogen at 25 percent lower explosive limit within seconds in a shredder enclosure, and carbon dioxide that displaces oxygen. NMC (nickel manganese cobalt), LFP (lithium iron phosphate) and LCO (lithium cobalt oxide) chemistries produce subtly different off-gas profiles but all share the four-component pattern. The shredder runs under continuous nitrogen inert atmosphere, the enclosure is classified AS/NZS 60079 Zone 2, capture velocity is 2.5 to 3.5 m/s at the discharge, duct material is 316L stainless with full welded joints, and gas detection with HF, CO, H2 and oxygen sensors interlocks to a fast-acting isolation damper. Black mass downstream handling adds NFPA 660 combustible dust protection. The standards stack is AS/NZS 60079, AS/NZS 5139, AS 1940, AS 4332, AS 1668.2, AS/NZS 4254, NFPA 855, NFPA 660 and AS 4801.
Soft plastic recovery after REDcycle — RECyClus and Curby scale
The REDcycle scheme collapsed in November 2022 after the operator was unable to manage the soft plastic stockpile generated by Coles and Woolworths collection points. The Australian sector has since restructured around the RECyClus replacement program led by major supermarket and brand-owner participants, with Curby (the Coca-Cola Europacific Partners CCEP program) running a parallel household soft plastic collection pilot in New South Wales. Soft plastic processing routes include mechanical recovery into pellets for plastic lumber, recycled film application, advanced recycling via pyrolysis, and gasification for syngas.
HVAC fingerprint splits between mechanical and advanced routes. Mechanical pelletising runs extruder VOC emissions (styrene if polystyrene foam is in the feed, mixed olefin volatiles otherwise) with capture at the extruder die, polyethylene-lined steel or 316L stainless duct, and activated carbon polishing before stack. Gasification follows the tyre pyrolysis pattern — 316L stainless full welded duct, AS/NZS 60079 Zone 2 classification for the hydrogen content, and dedicated gas-engine CHP downstream. Polystyrene foam compaction at the front end of any EPS recovery line releases styrene vapour at the 50 ppm STEL and requires polyethylene-lined or 316L stainless capture.
Australian regulatory and product-stewardship framework
Advanced recycling in Australia operates under a denser regulatory stack than general kerbside MRF work. The dominant federal instrument is the Product Stewardship Act 2011, which administers a series of co-regulatory and voluntary schemes that have proliferated since the original 2011 framework.
Product Stewardship Act 2011 — co-regulatory schemes
The headline scheme is the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS), which mandates that television and computer importers contribute to a collection and recycling network targeting a 90 percent recovery rate for in-scope materials. The B-cycle scheme administered by the Battery Stewardship Council was approved in 2021 for small-format consumer batteries and lead-acid expansion, extending the established lead-acid recovery framework. Mobile Muster, run by AMTA (Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association), handles mobile handset and accessory recovery. Drum Muster handles agricultural and veterinary chemical containers. Paint Back recovers waste paint. The Australian Tyre Stewardship Scheme administered by Tyre Stewardship Australia covers used tyres including end-of-life passenger, light truck, heavy truck, agricultural, mining and aviation tyres.
From a facility HVAC standpoint, product stewardship matters because it defines the inbound material stream specification. An NTCRS-funded e-waste shredder will see television CRTs and pre-2010 LCD backlights in the feed for at least another decade, so the mercury vapour and brominated flame retardant scope cannot be dropped from the design. A B-cycle-funded lithium-ion shredder must accept mixed-chemistry feed including older laptop and power-tool cells alongside newer EV pack returns, so the thermal runaway envelope covers NMC, LFP, LCO and older lithium manganese oxide simultaneously.
State EPA and resource recovery legislation
Each state administers its own EPA framework with parallel resource recovery legislation. New South Wales EPA, Victoria EPA, Queensland Department of Environment and Science, South Australia EPA, Western Australia Department of Water and Environmental Regulation, Northern Territory EPA and Tasmania EPA each issue facility licences with specific emission concentration limits and continuous monitoring requirements. The Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Act exists in parallel forms across states — the New South Wales WARR Act 2001, the Victoria Environment Protection Act 2017 (which replaced the long-running WARR Act), the Queensland Waste Reduction and Recycling Act 2011, and analogous instruments in WA, SA, NT and TAS.
The Container Deposit Scheme legislation operates as a parallel state-level framework: the NSW Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Amendment Act 2016 enabled Return and Earn, the Queensland Waste Reduction and Recycling Amendment Act 2017 enabled Containers for Change, the Victorian Container Deposit Scheme Act 2021 enabled CDS Vic, and analogous legislation across the remaining jurisdictions.
Materials Recovery Facility Act and parallel instruments
State-level Materials Recovery Facility legislation supplements general EPA licensing. The NSW MRF Act and parallel state frameworks define operator obligations on dust emission, fire prevention and worker safety. REI Environment provides the dominant Australian environmental data platform that integrates EPA licence reporting with facility operator submissions.
Steelmaking and scrap integration
The Australian advanced recycling sector closes the loop through BlueScope Steel ASX:BSL Port Kembla, which consumes recycled ferrous scrap from Sims Metal Management (Sims Limited ASX:SGM) and parallel scrap dealers. The ferrous and non-ferrous scrap chain is itself regulated under state EPA frameworks and integrates with the MRF and e-waste operators on the metal recovery side. From a facility HVAC standpoint, the scrap yard is a relatively light HVAC duty — primarily general ventilation and localised capture at any shearing or fragmentation point — but the integration matters because Sims Limited owns both the ferrous scrap operation and the Sims Lifecycle Services e-waste operation, allowing cross-feed of metallic fractions.
Standards stack for advanced recycling HVAC
The applicable standards stack on an advanced recycling facility extends well beyond the basic MRF set.
AS 1668.2 — Mechanical ventilation in buildings
Base building ventilation standard, applies to every facility regardless of process. Sets the outside-air rate per occupant and per floor area, supports building-permit compliance.
AS/NZS 4254 — Ductwork for air handling systems
Duct construction standard. Covers gauge selection, reinforcement, leak class A through D, and installation. SBKJ machinery is configured to AS/NZS 4254 dimensions and tolerances by default for Australian-bound projects. TDF integral flange formation on the SBAL-V and SBAL-III produces leak class A construction without additional gasket sealing.
AS 1530.4 — Fire-resistance tests for elements of construction
Drives the fire rating of any duct passing through a Class 8 industrial fire compartment boundary. Smoke ducts at thermal runaway protection scope typically rate to 250 degrees Celsius for 2 hours per AS 1530.4 Section 11 — addressed by heavy gauge SBSF-1525 fabricated stainless duct with insulation.
AS 1851 — Routine service of fire protection systems and equipment
Routine inspection and maintenance of fire-related duct components — fire dampers, smoke control duct, fire-rated isolation devices. Drives the inspection access design.
AS/NZS 60079 series — Explosive atmospheres
Hazardous area classification and equipment selection. Critical for lithium-ion battery off-gas (Zone 2 — HF + CO + H2), LPG cylinder reception where the e-waste stream includes inadvertent cylinders (Zone 1), e-waste capacitor electrolyte (Zone 2), soft plastic gasification syngas (Zone 2 H2), recovered solvent VOC (Zone 2). Drives selection of intrinsically safe gas detectors, EX-rated motors, certified exhaust fans and the full-welded joint envelope in hazardous areas.
AS 3957 — Combustible dust
Australian standard for combustible dust hazard management — applies to paper and cardboard MRF dust, textile fluff from soft plastic, mixed plastic dust, wood dust from C&D feedstock, and the black mass dust from lithium-ion shredder downstream. Used in conjunction with the NFPA technical references.
NFPA 660 — Combined Combustible Dust Standard (2025)
Published in 2025 as the consolidated combustible dust standard replacing NFPA 654 (industrial particulate solids), NFPA 484 (combustible metals), NFPA 61 (agricultural dust), NFPA 664 (wood dust) and NFPA 91 (exhaust systems). The dominant prescriptive technical reference in Australian Dust Hazard Analysis work for advanced recycling — covering paper, plastic, textile fluff, wood and black mass combustible dust simultaneously in a single document.
NFPA 855 — Stationary Lithium-Ion Battery Installations
Imported as the prescriptive technical reference for lithium-ion installations including battery storage, recycling drop-off accumulation, and shredder feed buffer. Covers spacing, ventilation, gas detection and fire suppression.
NFPA 13 — Sprinkler systems
The sprinkler design standard, used in conjunction with AS 2118 for the Australian framework. Drives the wet-pipe or pre-action selection and the design density per hazard classification.
NFPA 70 — National Electrical Code
The electrical safety reference for any classified location wiring, motor control and grounding on a lithium-ion or biogas hazardous area facility. Used as technical reference alongside AS/NZS 3000 wiring rules.
AS/NZS 5139 — Lithium-ion battery installation
Australian/New Zealand standard for safe installation of lithium-ion batteries — the dominant Australian reference for Envirostream and emerging Renewable Metals and Neometals facilities. Drives the spacing, fire-rated barriers and ventilation around any battery storage area on the recycling site, including the shredder feed buffer and any reject buffer where damaged cells accumulate.
AS 4801 — Occupational health and safety management systems
The Australian OHS management framework, integrated with the state-level WHS Acts (model WHS legislation adopted by NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, NT, ACT in various forms). Drives the worker exposure assessment and the breathing zone monitoring requirements.
AS 1940 — Flammable and combustible liquids storage
Drives the storage and handling design for solvent reclaim, electrolyte residue, tyre pyrolysis oil and recovered hydrocarbon fractions.
AS 4332 — Storage and handling of gases in cylinders
Drives the nitrogen, argon and any oxygen storage handling — relevant for the lithium-ion shredder nitrogen inerting supply and any oxygen-deficient atmosphere mitigation.
Kerbside MRF HVAC duct fabrication — Cleanaway, Veolia, Visy scale
The kerbside MRF is the dominant Australian recycling installation by tonnage processed. SBKJ-equipped fabricators serving the major operators see a consistent pattern of duct requirements across Cleanaway, Veolia and Visy projects.
Cleanaway Eastern Creek MRF case — 220,000 t/yr
Cleanaway's Eastern Creek facility in Western Sydney is the benchmark Australian high-throughput co-mingled MRF. Process flow: tipping floor receives kerbside truck discharge, primary screen separates fines, optical sorters select PET, HDPE and aluminium, eddy-current separator pulls non-ferrous, magnetic head pulleys pull steel, ballistic separator splits 2D from 3D, manual quality control at the pick stations, and baling on the outbound side. Dust load is dominated by paper and cardboard fibre — the kerbside material is approximately 30 to 40 percent fibre by mass — with secondary plastic film and plastic shred dust.
Duct system: galvanised G90 throughout for general supply and exhaust, with TDF integral flanges produced on the SBAL-V auto duct line at 1.0 to 1.2 mm gauge. Dust transport ducts from the sorting line to the baghouse maintained above 22 m/s velocity, sized for NFPA 660 St-2 paper dust with explosion vent panels on the collector. Tipping floor extract ducted to a chemical scrubber primary stage and activated carbon polishing secondary, then stack discharge. The dust collector inlet duct typically requires 1.6 mm gauge — within SBAL-III range — to handle the deflagration pressure pulse upstream of the explosion vent without buckling. Heavy-gauge sections at the shredder hood plenum where deflagration pressure resistance dictates 2.0 to 2.5 mm wall require SBSF-1525 stitchwelder fabrication.
Visy Coolaroo MRF case — paper-fibre dominant
Visy's Coolaroo MRF north of Melbourne is the largest Visy single facility and feeds the adjacent Visy paper mill directly. The HVAC fingerprint is paper-fibre dominant at higher intensity than a mixed Cleanaway MRF because the inbound is sorted toward maximum fibre recovery. Sorting line dust capture is the dominant capital line, with multiple capture hoods at every air-knife discharge, optical sorter exit, trommel discharge and pick station. Baghouse with PTFE membrane filter media is standard, pulse-jet cleaning, dust hopper to rotary airlock and back to material stream where commercially viable.
Duct fabrication scope at Visy Coolaroo scale: approximately 8,000 to 12,000 m² of finished duct in the original installation, with periodic retrofit additions adding 1,000 to 3,000 m² per shutdown cycle. SBAL-V auto duct line in galvanised configuration produces this volume in 8 to 12 shifts of dedicated production. SBTF-1500 or SBTF-1602 spiral tubeformer covers the round duct sections including any vertical risers and return-air paths.
Veolia Banksmeadow and Woodlawn case
Veolia operates the Banksmeadow MRF in Sydney's south-east industrial belt and the Woodlawn site near Tarago in New South Wales which combines MRF input handling with a closed-loop waste-to-energy gas extraction loop over the former landfill cell. Veolia's facility design language draws from European parent-company standards and tends toward more sophisticated odour control trains — typically a chemical scrubber primary followed by carbon polishing — and earlier adoption of stainless 316L on aggressive process exhausts.
Duct fabrication scope: similar to Cleanaway at the Banksmeadow MRF, with additional stainless content on the Woodlawn waste-to-energy interface where the landfill gas extraction system intersects with the building HVAC. The Woodlawn stainless content drives demand for SBAL-V stainless configuration plus SBSF-1525 stainless capacity from any fabricator serving the site.
Heavy-gauge MRF fabrication — SBAL-III plus SBSF-1525 recipe
Standard MRF galvanised duct at 1.0 to 1.2 mm gauge runs on the SBAL-V at 800 to 1,200 m² per shift. Heavy-gauge dust collector inlet duct at 1.6 mm runs on the SBAL-III at 400 to 700 m² per shift. Heavy-gauge shredder hood plenum at 2.0 to 2.5 mm runs on the SBSF-1525 stitchwelder at 200 to 350 m² per shift, with manual TDF flange formation via standalone flange former or full-welded flange on the heaviest sections. The SBSF-1525 is the workhorse for deflagration pressure resistance duty — the stitchwelded longitudinal seam is structurally stronger than the standard pittsburgh lock under negative-pressure deflagration upstream of the explosion vent panel.
Lithium-ion battery recycling thermal runaway extraction
Lithium-ion battery shredding is the most aggressive Australian recycling HVAC duty. Envirostream Australia at Campbellfield in Victoria operates the first commercial lithium-ion shredding line in Australia and New Zealand, with black mass output dispatched to specialist hydromet processors offshore. The facility is the reference Australian benchmark for thermal runaway extraction HVAC.
Off-gas chemistry and exposure limits
The four-component thermal runaway off-gas dominates the engineering: hydrogen fluoride at 1.8 mg/m³ STEL formed from LiPF6 electrolyte hydrolysis, carbon monoxide at 30 ppm TWA scaling with cell SOC, hydrogen at 25 percent LEL within seconds in a shredder enclosure, and carbon dioxide that displaces oxygen. HF is the most toxic and most aggressive on materials of construction — it pits galvanised steel within hours and attacks the chromium oxide passive layer on 304 stainless within months. Only 316L stainless survives on the off-gas path long-term.
NMC (nickel manganese cobalt), LFP (lithium iron phosphate) and LCO (lithium cobalt oxide) chemistries produce subtly different off-gas profiles but all share the four-component pattern. LFP is the lowest off-gas intensity per kWh — flatter discharge curve and lower energy density mean less stored chemical energy per unit mass — but the off-gas composition is qualitatively similar. NMC and LCO at higher SOC at the moment of failure release more carbon monoxide and more particulate.
Shredder enclosure and nitrogen inerting
The Envirostream Campbellfield configuration runs the shredder under continuous nitrogen inert atmosphere — the headspace inside the shredder enclosure is maintained at oxygen concentration below 4 percent, which is well below the lower oxygen concentration limit for hydrogen combustion. Nitrogen supply is via AS 4332-compliant cylinder bank with redundant pressure regulation and continuous oxygen monitoring inside the enclosure. The enclosure is classified AS/NZS 60079 Zone 2 because hydrogen evolution is intermittent rather than continuous, but full-welded joints and EX-rated equipment apply throughout.
Capture velocity at the shredder discharge runs 2.5 to 3.5 m/s — substantially above standard ACGIH Industrial Ventilation Manual values for general shredder dust — to ensure off-gas is drawn into the extract before it can migrate to the wider building. The capture hood is integral to the shredder feed conveyor enclosure, with sliding shutters that seal automatically when the shredder is not loaded.
Extract duct material and routing
From the shredder hood through the gas detection station to the wet scrubber Venturi throat is 316L stainless full-welded at 1.5 mm gauge minimum, produced on the SBAL-V auto duct line with stainless tooling configuration. TDF integral flange is replaced by full butt-welded joints at every section interface — the AS/NZS 60079 Zone 2 boundary extends throughout the off-gas path, and a TDF gasketed flange is not acceptable for Zone 2 duty. The longitudinal seam on each duct section runs on the SBSF-1525 stitchwelder with full penetration, or the SBAL-V tooling configured for the seam.
The wet scrubber Venturi throat is also 316L stainless — the HF interaction with water generates aqueous hydrofluoric acid in the scrubber liquor which would dissolve 304 stainless rapidly. Downstream of the Venturi, the dewatering mist eliminator and the polishing tower can revert to FRP or polyethylene-lined steel because the aqueous HF is contained in the scrubber liquor loop rather than the gas phase. The polished gas runs through HEPA H13 final filtration before stack discharge.
Gas detection and isolation
Continuous gas detection at the shredder hood and at the wet scrubber inlet covers HF (catalytic bead or electrochemical with calibration cycle every 30 days), CO (electrochemical), H2 (catalytic bead, intrinsically safe), and O2 (electrochemical, used for the nitrogen inerting validation). Each detector is interlocked to a fast-acting damper isolation, a process trip on the shredder drive, an inert gas dump (nitrogen knock-down into the shredder enclosure), and an alarm to the facility control room. The gas detector configuration is documented to AS/NZS 60079 and supplemented by AS/NZS 5139 for the lithium-ion specific risk.
Black mass downstream — NFPA 660 combustible dust
Black mass — the residue after shredding once the casings and structural metal are separated — contains the active electrode material that is the target product. Black mass is itself a combustible dust under NFPA 660 with Kst values in the St-1 range. The dewatering, drying and conveying line for black mass downstream of the shredder runs galvanised duct with explosion vent panels on the dust collector, NFPA 69 isolation, and full-welded joints at any interface back into the Zone 2 envelope. Black mass downstream HVAC is parallel to the front-end thermal runaway extraction — both must be sized and protected together.
SBKJ machine selection for lithium-ion battery recycling
The recipe for an Australian fabricator serving Envirostream-scale lithium-ion shredding projects: SBAL-V auto duct line with 316L stainless tooling configuration producing 1.5 mm rectangular sections at 400 to 600 m² per shift; SBSF-1525 stitchwelder in stainless for heavy-gauge plenum sections and for the longitudinal seam on the SBAL-V output where deflagration pressure resistance requires full penetration; SB-ZF1500 stitchwelder for round spiral sections in stainless; SBTF-1500 spiral tubeformer in stainless for any round duct on the gas detection station and the venturi inlet reduction; SBLR-600 leveller to keep the 316L coil flat after decoiling and prior to the SBAL-V; SBPC1500 plasma for any cut-to-length where the SBAL-V shear is not suited (heavy gauge or special profile). Dedicated stainless tooling sets prevent galvanic contamination between galvanised and stainless production runs.
Lead-acid battery recycling acid mist 316L stainless duct
Lead-acid battery breaking and smelting is the longest-running Australian advanced recycling specialisation. Australian Refined Alloys (ARA), a Veolia joint venture, operates the Wagga Wagga New South Wales primary processing site and the Geelong Victoria SX-EW lead smelter producing 99.99 percent purity lead cathode. The B-cycle scheme administered by the Battery Stewardship Council extends the lead-acid recovery framework.
Battery breaker hood
The battery breaker mechanically fractures the polypropylene casing and separates the lead grid, the lead paste (lead sulphate plus lead dioxide), the electrolyte and the case material. Sulphuric acid mist generation at the breaker is significant — concentrations approach the 1 mg/m³ short-term exposure limit even with adequate hood capture. Lead vapour aerosol approaches the 0.05 mg/m³ TWA limit. The breaker hood capture velocity runs 1.5 to 2.5 m/s with a tight enclosure and minimal open access to the operator side.
The hood-to-scrubber duct is 316L stainless throughout — 304 stainless and galvanised both fail under the sulphuric acid mist within months. 316L contains 2 to 3 percent molybdenum which stabilises the passive layer against sulphate attack at the concentrations seen. Full welded joints at every section interface; TDF flanges with PTFE gasket are acceptable downstream of the wet scrubber where the gas phase is no longer carrying aqueous acid.
Wet scrubber Venturi 316L
The wet scrubber Venturi throat at the front of the acid mist control train is 316L stainless. The Venturi accelerates the gas to high velocity at the throat, atomises the scrubber liquor (caustic soda solution to neutralise the sulphuric acid), and provides intimate gas-liquid contact for acid absorption. The throat material sees the most aggressive combined acid mist and abrasion duty on the train. SBKJ SBAL-V stainless configuration produces the Venturi throat sections from 1.5 to 2.0 mm 316L plate; heavier sections at the throat itself run on the SBSF-1525 stitchwelder at 2.5 mm.
Smelter charge port
The Geelong SX-EW smelter charges battery paste into a furnace that operates at 800 to 1,000 degrees Celsius. The charge port is the second major lead vapour source on the ARA site, complementing the upstream breaker. Charge port hood capture velocity is 2.5 to 3.5 m/s — high enough to draw vapour into the extract before it can migrate to the operator breathing zone. Duct material from the charge port hood to the bag filter is 316L stainless with insulation; downstream of the bag filter the acid loading drops and 304 stainless becomes acceptable.
SBKJ machine selection for lead-acid battery recycling
The recipe for an Australian fabricator serving ARA-scale lead-acid breaking and smelting projects: SBAL-V auto duct line with 316L stainless tooling configuration; SBSF-1525 stitchwelder in stainless for heavy-gauge Venturi throat and high-temperature charge port plenum; SBLR-600 leveller for 316L coil; SBPC1500 plasma for cut-to-length. The 316L stainless content is approximately 60 to 70 percent of the total duct on a typical lead-acid recycling installation — substantially higher stainless intensity than a kerbside MRF and a primary reason fabricators serving the lead-acid recycling sector prioritise the SBAL-V stainless configuration over the galvanised-only setup.
E-waste shredding HEPA and brominated flame retardant capture
E-waste shredding at Sims Lifecycle Services Bayswater Victoria is the reference Australian facility for WEEE processing under the NTCRS. The process flow runs through manual de-pollution (battery removal, screen removal), primary shredding, secondary shredding, magnetic and eddy-current separation, density separation, and dispatch of separated metallic fractions. The HVAC duty is complicated by the legacy content of the inbound stream — CRT televisions and pre-2010 monitors continue to flow through Australian e-waste recovery despite product withdrawal a decade ago because end-of-life curves run long on consumer electronics.
Mercury vapour control
Mercury sources in the inbound stream include CRT phosphor coatings, LCD backlight cold-cathode fluorescent lamps (pre-LED backlight era), button batteries in legacy devices, and old thermostat assemblies in white goods. The Hg exposure limit is 0.025 mg/m³ TWA — among the most aggressive in any industrial application. The control train: negative-pressure enclosure on the manual de-pollution station for screens, dedicated extract path with sulphur-impregnated activated carbon polishing to chemisorb mercury vapour, continuous mercury vapour analyser at the stack, dedicated 304 stainless or polyethylene-lined steel duct.
Brominated flame retardant capture
Brominated flame retardants — polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE), tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA), hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) — were added to printed circuit board substrate and to plastic housings on televisions, monitors and computers manufactured before approximately 2010. The shredder dust on legacy streams contains PBDE-bearing particulate; the heat-affected zone at the cutting interface can release hydrogen bromide vapour and brominated dioxin and furan precursors.
The HVAC control train: HEPA H13 final filtration on the shredder exhaust to capture sub-micron PBDE-bearing particulate, activated carbon polishing impregnated with sulphur or potassium iodide to chemisorb hydrogen bromide and bromine vapour, and 316L stainless duct between the shredder and the HEPA bank because hydrogen bromide attacks galvanised steel and the standard 304 stainless passive layer. The brominated fraction is directed to thermal destruction at licensed off-site facilities rather than to general waste.
Lead and solder dust
Printed circuit board fragmentation releases lead vapour from the solder bond joints — particularly on legacy boards manufactured before the EU RoHS directive drove the shift to lead-free solder. Exposure limit at the breathing zone is 0.05 mg/m³ TWA, the same as the lead-acid recovery limit. Control: enclosed shredder with negative pressure, dust capture with capture velocity 1.5 to 2.5 m/s, HEPA H13 final filtration, dedicated 304 stainless or polyethylene-lined steel duct.
PVC cable insulation chlorine
Old PVC cable insulation in the shredder feed releases hydrogen chloride if any thermal contact occurs during shredding, particularly at any cutting interface that runs hot. HCl attacks galvanised steel and the 304 stainless passive layer. The control envelope mirrors the brominated flame retardant case — 316L stainless duct, activated carbon polishing with potassium iodide or sodium carbonate impregnation for HCl removal.
Lithium cell escape detection
The most aggressive risk on an e-waste line is inadvertent lithium cell escape from the manual de-pollution station. Despite battery removal as a process step, residual cells remain in some devices (laptop displays, integrated cell phones, tablet assemblies) and these can reach the primary shredder. The control envelope: hydrogen and hydrogen fluoride detectors at the primary shredder hood, interlocked to fast-acting damper isolation, inert gas knock-down via nitrogen plumbed into the shredder enclosure, and a process trip. The configuration mirrors the dedicated lithium-ion shredder but at lower expected event rate.
SBKJ machine selection for e-waste shredding
The recipe for an Australian fabricator serving Sims-scale e-waste WEEE projects: SBAL-V auto duct line with stainless tooling configuration for the 316L mercury, brominated and chlorinated extract paths; SBAL-III for galvanised general transport at heavier 1.6 mm gauge; SBSF-1525 stitchwelder in stainless for heavy-gauge shredder hood plenum; SBFB-1500 spiral former for round duct on dust transport to baghouse; SB-ZF1500 stitchwelder for round seam in stainless; SBTF-1602 spiral tubeformer for cylindrical baghouse inlet sections.
Used tyre pyrolysis syngas and crumb rubber dust
Used tyre processing in Australia is dominated by mechanical shredding to crumb rubber, with Tyrecycle (a Veolia subsidiary) operating the largest national footprint. The premium recovery route is pyrolysis to tyre-derived fuel and recovered carbon black, with Green Distillation Technologies operating the Warren New South Wales facility as the Australian reference for full-scale pyrolysis. GMG GreenWaste runs a parallel mechanical recovery network.
Mechanical shredding crumb rubber dust
Tyre shredding to crumb rubber generates dust loads of rubber particulate, respirable crystalline silica (RCS) at 0.05 mg/m³ TWA from any glass-reinforced steel cord and from any residual silica filler, carbon black aerosol from cured rubber, and hydrocarbon vapour from oil residue on the tyre surface. The dust classifies NFPA 660 St-1 with Kst values typically 50 to 150 bar.m/s. Storage of stockpiled tyres carries a high fire-load classification and demands dedicated water mist or foam fire suppression.
The HVAC duty is straightforward: galvanised G90 duct on the shredder hood and the dust transport, baghouse with NFPA 660 explosion vent panels and NFPA 69 isolation, capture velocity 1.5 to 2.5 m/s at the shredder discharge. The complicating factor is fire suppression — water spray inside the duct during a fire event drops the gas temperature and can cause the duct to buckle if the gauge is too light. Heavy-gauge SBSF-1525 stitchwelded sections at the immediate shredder hood add structural margin for the fire event case.
Tyre pyrolysis syngas
The GDT Warren pyrolysis reactor heats shredded tyre material in an oxygen-deficient atmosphere to 400 to 600 degrees Celsius, breaking the polymer chains into a syngas comprising hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, ethylene and aromatic vapour, plus a solid recovered carbon black product and a liquid pyrolysis oil. The syngas from reactor to gas-engine CHP is the most demanding HVAC duty on the facility.
Duct material: 316L stainless full welded throughout the syngas path, insulated to limit external surface temperature below 60 degrees Celsius and to maintain the gas temperature for downstream gas-engine combustion. AS/NZS 60079 Zone 2 classification because of the hydrogen content (Zone 1 only if hydrogen evolution is continuous; for tyre pyrolysis the evolution is steady but bounded, supporting the Zone 2 classification). Continuous hydrogen and carbon monoxide gas detection at the gas engine inlet, interlocked to a process trip and a vent stack diversion.
Heavy gauge for the high-temperature sections: 2.0 to 2.5 mm 316L for the reactor-to-cooler run, dropping to 1.5 mm 316L downstream of the cooler. SBSF-1525 stitchwelder in stainless configuration is the production path for the heavy gauge; SBAL-V stainless configuration handles the downstream 1.5 mm work.
SBKJ machine selection for used tyre processing
The recipe for an Australian fabricator serving Tyrecycle and GDT-scale tyre processing projects: SBAL-V auto duct line in galvanised configuration for the mechanical shredding line; SBAL-V auto duct line in stainless configuration for pyrolysis syngas where pyrolysis is part of the scope; SBAL-III for heavy gauge 1.6 mm galvanised on shredder transport; SBSF-1525 stitchwelder in galvanised for heavy gauge shredder hood plenum, and in stainless for heavy gauge pyrolysis hot duct; SBFB-1500 spiral former for round duct on dust transport.
Soft plastic recovery — REDcycle replacement and RECyClus
The REDcycle scheme collapsed in November 2022 after the operator was unable to manage the soft plastic stockpile generated by Coles and Woolworths drop-off collection points. Approximately 12,000 tonnes of soft plastic accumulated across multiple warehouse sites pending an alternative processing route that did not materialise in time. The Australian sector has since restructured around the RECyClus replacement program led by major supermarket and brand-owner participants, with Curby (the Coca-Cola Europacific Partners program) running a parallel household soft plastic collection pilot in New South Wales. Both programs aim to deliver mechanical recovery into pellets for plastic lumber, recycled film and advanced recycling routes including pyrolysis and gasification.
Mechanical pelletising
Soft plastic mechanical recovery feeds shredded plastic through a wash line, drying, extrusion through a die plate, water-cooled cutting and bagging as recycled pellets. The HVAC duty: shredder dust capture with galvanised duct (low fire and explosion intensity on clean soft plastic), wash line ventilation for chlorinated wash water vapour (304 stainless or polyethylene-lined steel), extruder VOC capture at the die (mixed olefin volatiles, polyethylene-lined steel or 316L stainless), pellet bagging dust extraction with HEPA H13 final filtration.
Polystyrene foam EPS recovery
Expanded polystyrene foam recovery is a niche but growing Australian stream. The EPS compactor heat-densifies foam into bricks for offshore reprocessing, releasing styrene vapour at the 50 ppm STEL. Duct path: polyethylene-lined steel or 316L stainless to resist styrene attack on galvanised, capture velocity 0.8 to 1.5 m/s at the compactor discharge, activated carbon polishing before stack discharge.
Soft plastic gasification — emerging
Gasification of soft plastic feeds shredded material to a high-temperature gasifier that produces syngas similar to the tyre pyrolysis case. The HVAC duty mirrors tyre pyrolysis: 316L stainless full welded duct, AS/NZS 60079 Zone 2 classification for hydrogen content, insulation to maintain syngas temperature, continuous gas detection on the syngas line. Emerging Australian operators are at pilot scale through 2026 with full commercial scale expected in the late 2020s.
Mixed plastic chlorine
The complication on any mixed plastic stream is residual PVC contamination. When PVC reaches a hot processing step — extruder die, pyrolysis reactor — it releases hydrogen chloride at concentrations that quickly damage galvanised steel and 304 stainless. Inbound stream specification matters: clean polyethylene and polypropylene streams can be processed in galvanised exhaust at the extruder die; mixed streams with PVC content above 0.5 percent demand 316L stainless throughout. The chlorine capture train uses sodium carbonate or potassium iodide impregnated activated carbon for HCl chemisorption.
SBKJ machine selection for soft plastic recovery
The recipe for an Australian fabricator serving RECyClus and Curby-scale soft plastic projects: SBAL-V auto duct line in galvanised configuration for the shredder transport and general ventilation; SBAL-V auto duct line in stainless configuration for the extruder VOC and any chlorine-bearing extract; SBSF-1525 stitchwelder in galvanised for heavy gauge sections; SBFB-1500 spiral former for round duct on dust transport; SBTF-2020 spiral tubeformer for any larger-diameter round sections on the gasifier syngas or compactor exhaust.
Container Deposit Scheme processing centres
The Container Deposit Scheme processing centre network operates at significantly lighter HVAC intensity than a full MRF. Return-It, TOMRA-Cleanaway joint venture, Cleanaway Container Recycling, and Container Exchange in Queensland operate the dominant network. Inbound material is presorted at reverse-vending machines or at depot drop-off — the contamination rate is very low compared to a co-mingled kerbside stream — and the processing scope is primarily baling and dispatch.
HVAC fingerprint: general ventilation to AS 1668.2 at 4 to 6 ACH on the processing hall, localised dust extraction at the PET bale press and aluminium can flattener with capture velocity 0.5 to 0.8 m/s, HEPA H13 final filtration on baling exhaust, galvanised G90 duct throughout. Glass collection lines add wet dust capture (water spray suppression at the conveyor) and 304 stainless on the wet wash discharge.
The fabrication complication is venue: CDS centres are routinely inserted into existing leased industrial sheds with tight ceiling heights (often 5 to 7 m clear), short turnaround pressure (a CDS operator needs the centre operational within 12 weeks of lease signing), and accommodation for incidental tenant infrastructure (existing services, structural columns, fire systems). The favoured fabrication recipe: SBAL-V auto duct line in galvanised configuration producing TDF-flanged sections that install quickly without on-site rework; SBTF-1500 spiral tubeformer for round duct on baling exhaust risers; SBFB-1500 spiral former where larger diameter rounds suit the configuration.
SBKJ machine portfolio for advanced recycling fabrication
The full SBKJ machine portfolio relevant to Australian advanced recycling fabrication, with the duty and the typical Australian fabricator deployment pattern.
SBAL-V auto duct line
The flagship rectangular duct production line. Galvanised configuration produces 1.0 to 1.6 mm rectangular duct with TDF integral flange formation at 800 to 1,200 m² per shift. Stainless configuration (with dedicated tooling set) produces 304 and 316L stainless at 400 to 600 m² per shift. The SBAL-V is the primary production asset for fabricators serving Cleanaway, Veolia, Visy MRF work in galvanised, and Envirostream, ARA, Sims, GDT work in stainless. See the auto duct lines category and the auto duct line buyer's guide for full specifications.
SBAL-III auto duct line
The heavy-gauge variant of the auto duct line. Galvanised configuration handles 1.0 to 1.6 mm at higher reinforcement specification with TDF integral flange. Output 400 to 700 m² per shift. The SBAL-III is the production asset for MRF dust collector inlet duct where deflagration pressure resistance dictates 1.6 mm gauge.
SBSF-1525 stitchwelder
The dominant heavy-gauge longitudinal seam former. Stitchwelds 1.0 to 2.5 mm gauge in galvanised or stainless configuration, producing the body of duct sections that require deflagration pressure resistance, full-welded Zone 2 hazardous area construction, or smoke-rated duct under AS 1530.4. Output 200 to 350 m² per shift on heavy gauge. The SBSF-1525 is paired with manual TDF flange formation or with full-welded flange production for the heaviest sections.
SB-ZF1500 stitchwelder
The round-section stitchwelder. Stitchwelds the longitudinal seam on round spiral or pittsburgh-formed round sections at 1.0 to 2.5 mm gauge in galvanised or stainless. Used for any cylindrical hood reduction, baghouse inlet plenum, or stack section requiring full-welded construction. Output 150 to 250 m per shift on heavy gauge.
SBFB-1500 spiral former
The spiral former for dust transport conveyance to baghouse. Produces spiral-lockformed round duct at diameters up to 1,500 mm in galvanised or stainless at 80 to 150 m per shift. Used for dust transport on MRF sorting lines, e-waste shredder downstream, lithium-ion shredder black mass downstream and tyre shredder transport.
SBPC1500 plasma cutter
The plasma cut-to-length asset. Handles galvanised and stainless plate up to 25 mm at clean kerf, used for any cut-to-length where the SBAL-V shear is not suited — heavy gauge, special profile, or non-rectangular cuts at duct interfaces.
SBLR-600 leveller
The coil leveller. Keeps galvanised or stainless coil flat after decoiling and prior to the SBAL-V or SBSF-1525. Critical for stainless work because 316L coil retains curl and any unflatness translates to a poor TDF flange profile downstream. The SBLR-600 is a standard line component on any SBKJ-equipped fabrication shop.
SBTF-1500, SBTF-1602, SBTF-2020 spiral tubeformers
The round duct production assets at three diameter ranges. SBTF-1500 covers up to 1,500 mm diameter, SBTF-1602 covers up to 1,600 mm with structural reinforcement option, SBTF-2020 covers up to 2,000 mm for the largest stack and baghouse inlet sections. All three are available in galvanised and stainless configurations. See the spiral tubeformer category for full specifications.
Construction phasing for an Australian advanced recycling project
The construction sequence for an advanced recycling facility — lithium-ion shredder, lead-acid breaker, e-waste shredder, tyre pyrolysis — runs longer and tighter than a kerbside MRF because of the hazardous area work and the regulatory approval cycle.
Stage 1 — Site preparation and regulatory approval (weeks 1-12)
State EPA licence application and approval, building permit, fire engineering report, hazardous area classification drawings under AS/NZS 60079, dust hazard analysis under NFPA 660, lithium-ion specific approvals under NFPA 855 and AS/NZS 5139 where applicable. Site civil works in parallel.
Stage 2 — Building shell and primary equipment (weeks 12-20)
Building shell, primary process equipment installation (shredder, breaker, pyrolysis reactor, smelter), structural steel for HVAC support. Duct fabrication runs in parallel at the supplier shop.
Stage 3 — Hazardous area duct installation (weeks 20-28)
316L stainless duct installation on hazardous area paths, full-welded joint inspection, leak testing to AS/NZS 4254 leak class A, gas detector installation and calibration, inert gas supply installation, fast-acting damper installation. This is the most schedule-sensitive stage because the regulatory commissioning of the hazardous area cannot start until installation is complete.
Stage 4 — General ventilation and dust capture (weeks 24-32)
Galvanised duct installation on general ventilation and dust capture paths, baghouse installation, explosion vent panel installation, NFPA 69 isolation device installation. Parallel to Stage 3.
Stage 5 — Commissioning and performance testing (weeks 32-40)
BMS commissioning, fan VFD tuning, damper position calibration, smoke-test capture verification, pressure cascade verification, gas detector functional testing, alarm and interlock testing, EPA emission monitoring system commissioning.
Stage 6 — Regulatory commissioning and operational handover (weeks 40-48)
State EPA witness testing of stack emission, fire engineer sign-off on hazardous area, insurer pre-operational inspection, operational handover documentation, operator training. Production ramp-up typically over weeks 48-56.
Australian project lead times and budget reference points
Advanced recycling HVAC duct projects run longer and at higher capital intensity than kerbside MRF work because of the stainless content and the hazardous area engineering.
- Lithium-ion battery shredding HVAC duct package: AUD 1.5-3.5 million for the duct fabrication and installation scope on a 5,000-15,000 t/yr capacity facility, exclusive of nitrogen inerting supply, gas detection skid and wet scrubber package.
- Lead-acid battery breaker plus wet scrubber duct: AUD 1.2-2.5 million on a 20,000-50,000 t/yr capacity facility.
- E-waste shredder plus brominated and mercury control duct: AUD 800,000-1.8 million on a typical Australian facility scale.
- Used tyre pyrolysis hot duct plus gas engine interface: AUD 1.0-2.5 million depending on pyrolysis capacity.
- Container Deposit Scheme processing centre duct: AUD 250,000-600,000 typical scope.
- Greenfield 200,000 t/yr MRF HVAC duct package: AUD 3.0-4.5 million.
Critical path items: dust collector and explosion protection skid 12-16 weeks lead, wet scrubber package 10-14 weeks, gas detection skid 8-12 weeks, stainless duct 6-10 weeks (longer than galvanised due to lower fabrication throughput and material lead time), nitrogen inerting supply 6-8 weeks.
SBKJ machinery purchase economics for an Australian fabricator entering the advanced recycling vertical: SBAL-V auto duct line with stainless tooling configuration plus SBSF-1525 stitchwelder plus SBLR-600 leveller plus SBPC1500 plasma typically pays back within 12-18 months on a fabricator with a single major advanced recycling project commitment. The stainless content premium (3-4 times galvanised by weight) and the project pricing premium for hazardous area work supports the machinery economics.
How SBKJ supports Australian advanced recycling projects
SBKJ Group operates from Box Hill North in Melbourne with full Australian after-sales coverage for the advanced recycling segment. The support pattern:
- Engineering review: we walk fabricators through the auto duct line specification matched to the recycling specialisation. A fabricator serving Envirostream-scale lithium-ion work needs different tooling configuration from a fabricator serving Cleanaway-scale MRF work or ARA-scale lead-acid work.
- AS/NZS 4254 calibration: all SBKJ machinery shipped to Australia is configured to AS/NZS 4254 dimensional and tolerance specifications by default. SMACNA and EN 1505 configurations are available on request for fabricators serving export projects.
- Dedicated stainless tooling sets: separate tooling sets prevent galvanic contamination between galvanised and stainless production runs. Mandatory for fabricators serving 316L stainless work on lithium-ion, lead-acid, e-waste mercury and brominated, used tyre pyrolysis and AD biogas duct paths.
- TDF flange precision: SBKJ integral TDF flange formers achieve leak class A per AS/NZS 4254 — required for hazardous area duty downstream of any Zone 2 boundary, and for negative-pressure odour control duct on tipping floor extract.
- Heavy gauge SBSF-1525 stitchwelder support: Australian-resident commissioning of the stitchwelder including weld parameter optimisation for galvanised and 316L stainless variants, weld qualification documentation, and operator training to AS 1554.1 and AS 1554.6.
- Hazardous area engineering documentation: SBKJ engineers provide weld procedure specifications, dye penetrant test procedures and AS/NZS 60079 Zone 2 interface documentation packages for advanced recycling projects requiring full-welded joint construction.
- Australian-resident commissioning: SBKJ engineers based in Box Hill North handle commissioning and after-sales without the timezone friction of overseas-only support.
- Spare parts continuity: 10-year parts availability commitment in writing, addressing the long-tail concern for fabricators making a generational machinery investment.
- ARBS 2026 attendance: SBKJ Group will exhibit at ARBS 2026 in Sydney in May, with engineering team available on-stand for advanced recycling specification discussions.
See our Australia regional page for the full local-support model and our contact page for an engineer-led specification call on your specific advanced recycling facility project.
FAQ
What is the most dangerous off-gas from a lithium-ion battery shredder and what extraction velocity captures it?
Lithium-ion thermal runaway off-gas is a four-component killer mix. Hydrogen fluoride at 1.8 mg/m³ STEL is the most toxic — formed from LiPF6 electrolyte hydrolysing on contact with moisture. Carbon monoxide at 30 ppm TWA scales with cell SOC at the moment of failure. Hydrogen builds to 25 percent LEL within seconds in a shredder enclosure. Carbon dioxide displaces oxygen. Capture velocity at the shredder discharge must hit 2.5 to 3.5 m/s at the breathing zone — well above standard ACGIH IV Manual values for general shredder dust — and the off-gas duct must be 316L stainless because HF will pit galvanised steel within hours. Envirostream Australia at Campbellfield Victoria runs this configuration under continuous nitrogen inerting with HF and CO gas detectors interlocked to a fast-acting damper and a process trip.
Why does lead-acid battery recycling require 316L stainless duct and not just 304?
Lead-acid battery breaking generates sulphuric acid mist at concentrations approaching the 1 mg/m³ STEL and lead vapour aerosol approaching the 0.05 mg/m³ TWA. Sulphuric acid mist at warm temperatures penetrates the 304 stainless passive layer within months. 316L contains 2 to 3 percent molybdenum which stabilises the passive layer against sulphate attack at battery breaker and wet scrubber Venturi throat concentrations. Australian Refined Alloys runs this specification at Wagga Wagga New South Wales and Geelong Victoria SX-EW smelter sites, producing 99.99 percent purity lead cathode that requires full 316L containment from breaker through to smelter stack. Service life under wet acid mist exceeds 20 years for 316L versus 2 to 4 years for galvanised.
How does an MRF manage cardboard and paper fibre dust deflagration risk under NFPA 660?
NFPA 660, published 2025 as the consolidated combustible dust standard replacing NFPA 654, 484, 61, 664 and 91, applies to paper, cardboard, mixed plastic and textile fluff dust at a kerbside MRF. Paper and cardboard classify St-2 with Kst typically 100 to 130 bar.m/s. The compliance path at Cleanaway Eastern Creek scale: baghouse explosion vent panels sized to NFPA 68, NFPA 69 isolation including rotary airlock and chemical isolation, dust transport ducts above 22 m/s to prevent settling, and housekeeping limiting accumulated dust to under 1/32 inch on horizontal surfaces. Visy Coolaroo Victoria and Veolia Banksmeadow New South Wales run this envelope, with explosion vent relief paths discharged to a safe outdoor location.
What are brominated flame retardants in e-waste and how does the duct handle them?
Brominated flame retardants — PBDE, TBBPA, HBCD — were added to PCB substrate and plastic housings on televisions, monitors and computers manufactured before approximately 2010. When the e-waste shredder operates on this legacy stream, dust and any combustion contamination releases hydrogen bromide vapour and brominated dioxin and furan precursors. The HVAC duct path needs HEPA H13 filtration on shredder exhaust, activated carbon polishing with sulphur or potassium iodide impregnation for HBr chemisorption, and 316L stainless duct between shredder and HEPA bank because HBr attacks galvanised and 304 stainless. Sims Lifecycle Services at Bayswater Victoria runs this envelope, with the brominated fraction directed to thermal destruction at licensed off-site facilities.
How is lithium thermal runaway managed in HVAC duct design at Envirostream-scale facilities?
Thermal runaway response has three layers. Gas detection: continuous HF, CO, H2 and O2 monitoring at the shredder hood and wet scrubber inlet, interlocked to fast-acting damper isolation, inert gas knock-down via nitrogen into the shredder enclosure, and process trip on the shredder drive. Material containment: 316L stainless full-welded duct throughout the off-gas path, AS/NZS 60079 Zone 2 classification with full-welded joints at every section interface. Inert atmosphere: continuous nitrogen inerting maintaining oxygen below 4 percent inside the shredder enclosure, validated by O2 detector. The four-component thermal runaway mix — HF + CO + H2 + CO2 — is the most aggressive HVAC duty in Australian recycling.
What SBKJ machine produces heavy-gauge 1.6 mm GAL ductwork for an MRF paper sorting line?
SBAL-III auto duct line handles galvanised steel up to 1.6 mm with TDF integral flange formation — the upper end of standard MRF dust transport duty. For projects where the dust collector inlet duct exceeds 1.6 mm, typically on shredder transport ducts requiring deflagration pressure resistance, the SBSF-1525 stitchwelder combined with manual flange formation is the production path. SBSF-1525 forms a stitch-welded longitudinal seam at material thickness up to 2.5 mm. Output 200 to 350 m² per shift on heavy gauge versus SBAL-V at 800 to 1,200 m² per shift on standard gauge — lower throughput but produces duct that survives deflagration pressure that standard pittsburgh-locked galvanised cannot.
How does the Australian Container Deposit Scheme affect HVAC duct at processing centres?
CDS — Return and Earn NSW 2017, Containers for Change QLD 2018, ACT 2018, Containers for Change WA 2020, CDS Vic 2023, Recycle Rewards TAS 2025, SA since 1977, NT since 2012 — drives a national network of automated processing centres operated by Return-It, TOMRA-Cleanaway joint venture and Cleanaway Container Recycling. HVAC pattern is lighter than full MRF: general ventilation to AS 1668.2, localised dust extraction at PET bale press and aluminium can flattener (capture velocity 0.5-0.8 m/s), HEPA H13 final filtration on baling exhaust, galvanised G90 duct throughout. The complication: CDS centres are routinely inserted into existing leased industrial tenancies with tight ceiling heights and short turnaround pressure, favouring SBKJ-equipped fabricators producing AS/NZS 4254 TDF-flanged sections that install quickly.
What HVAC duct material handles used tyre pyrolysis syngas?
Used tyre pyrolysis at facilities like Green Distillation Technologies at Warren New South Wales generates syngas — hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane, ethylene and aromatic vapour — at 400 to 600 degrees Celsius leaving the reactor. Duct from reactor to gas-engine CHP is 316L stainless full-welded, insulated to limit external surface below 60 degrees Celsius, classified to AS/NZS 60079 Zone 2 because of the hydrogen content. Crumb rubber dust extraction on the upstream shredder is a separate scope: galvanised duct, baghouse with NFPA 660 explosion vent panels because rubber dust classifies St-1, dedicated water mist fire suppression because tyre storage carries a high fire-load classification. Tyrecycle (Veolia subsidiary) operates the largest Australian shredding footprint; syngas economics confined to specialists like GDT and emerging pyrolysis players.
What capture configuration handles polystyrene foam EPS recovery and soft plastic gasification?
Polystyrene foam recovery is a niche but growing Australian stream after the REDcycle collapse in November 2022 and the RECyClus replacement program. The EPS compactor heat-densifies foam into bricks for offshore reprocessing, releasing styrene vapour at the 50 ppm STEL. Duct path needs polyethylene-lined steel or 316L stainless to resist styrene attack on galvanised, and activated carbon polishing before stack release. Soft plastic gasification — emerging at pilot scale through 2026 — feeds shredded soft plastic to a high-temperature gasifier producing syngas similar to tyre pyrolysis. Duct material and hazardous area mirror tyre pyrolysis: 316L stainless, AS/NZS 60079 Zone 2 for hydrogen, full welded joints. Curby (Coca-Cola Europacific Partners) and emerging specialists are the next-generation Australian references.
Why is SBAL-V configured for 316L stainless at 1.5 mm a high-value asset for an Australian recycling fabricator?
SBAL-V with stainless tooling produces 316L rectangular duct at 1.5 mm gauge with TDF integral flange formation at 400 to 600 m² per shift — roughly half galvanised throughput but at material premium of 3 to 4 times per kg. Australian addressable demand is large: every Envirostream-style lithium-ion shredding line, every Australian Refined Alloys lead-acid smelter retrofit, every Veolia AD biogas tie-in, every Pact PET wash-line, every pharmaceutical and food-grade application demands 316L. Australian-resident fabricators with SBAL-V stainless capability are scarce, and project pricing supports premium machinery economics. Single-shift output of 400 m² at 316L 1.5 mm at typical 2026 supply pricing recovers SBAL-V stainless tooling capital within 12 to 18 months on a single major recycling battery or food project commitment. SBSF-1525 stitchwelder supports stainless work for heavier-gauge complement to SBAL-V output.
Get an SBKJ engineer quote for your advanced recycling duct fabrication setup →
