Worker dies in explosion at Indian metal recycling plant that also processes plastics

The company recovers PVC and PPCP from insulated copper cables and lead-acid batteries at its facility in Gummidipoondi.

A 24-year- old worker has died and five others were injured following an explosion at Jain Metal Group’s copper scrap recycling facility near Chennai, India. The incident occurred early on 14 July at the company’s unit in the SIPCOT Industrial Estate in Gummidipoondi, Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu. According to police cited by The New Indian Express , the accident occurred when a furnace used to melt copper materials exploded.

An investigation into the cause of the accident is under way. In a stock exchange filing , Jain Resource Recycling said operations in the affected section had been temporarily suspended as a safety precaution. The company is assessing the damage and the possible impact on production capacity and said the facility and the damage were covered by insurance.

Although Jain Resource Recycling is primarily a metals recycler, its operations also include plastics recycling . The company recovers plastics generated during the processing of insulated copper cables and lead-acid batteries at its facility in Gummidipoondi. During copper cable granulation, metal is separated from cable insulation, producing PVC grind as a by product.

The material is washed, separated from polyethylene, dried, extruded and pelletised into recycled PVC granules. The company also recovers polypropylene copolymer, or PPCP, from lead-acid battery casings. The plastic is crushed, washed and separated from contaminants before extrusion and pelletisation.

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