Vehicle recycling process

A method for recovering distinct products from scrap vehicles, said vehicles comprising steel vehicle bodies, nonferrous and cast iron vehicle parts, combustible materials including tires and noncombustible materials including glass, which comprises stripping and separating said parts, tires and glass from said scrap bodies to obtain a stripped steel vehicle body, conveying said stripped vehicle bodies adjacent a furnace, burning a fuel in said furnace to produce a heated furnace gas as well as radiant heat which preliminarily heats said stripped body, further heating the preheated bodies in a cupola by means of said heated furnace gas to produce a steel melt and a slag, which are recovered therefrom, as well as a cupola exhaust gas, said exhaust gas from said furnace and said cupola combining to form a heated flue gas, drawing said heated flue gas through a substantially horizontal flue and in heat exchange relationship with a plurality of smelters and heat recovery units for recovering and using the heat from said heated flue gas, introducing ambient air into the flue gas downstream of said heat recovery units to further reduce the temperature of said flue gas, subsequently scrubbing the flue gas with water to substantially remove any particulate matter disposed in the flue gas and exhausting the cooled and cleaned flue gas to the atmosphere.