Producer and supplier of 100% recycled plastic-made railroad ties and industrial building products, Axion International proclaimed that it has received its first order to supply its groundbreaking Recycled Structural Composite (RSC) railroad ties to Alcoa’s subsidiary, Alcoa Fastening Systems.
Axion anticipates delivering the railroad sleepers measuring 10”x10” and 6.5 ft. by the end of April 2011. Alcoa will replace the wooden sleepers from the existing bauxite railroad track at its Wagerup refinery in Washington with Axion’s railroad sleepers.
Axion has developed the RSC material in collaboration with the Materials Sciences and Engineering Department of Rutgers University. The RSC material is free from toxic materials and inert. It is resistant to toxic chemicals and does not allow them to leak. It is also resistant to insect infestation. The RSC sleeper can be easily transported as it weighs less than conventional materials and thus decreases the related energy expenditures. Moreover, products made from RSC materials can be recycled at the end of their operating life and thus are eco-friendly.
The Manager of Mining, Rail, Oil & Gas at Alcoa Fastening Systems, Glen R. Woodrow stated that the company will assess the cost effectiveness and engineering performance of the RSC materials, which are unique mix of recycled polymers, for possible applications in its upcoming railroad sleeper projects across Australia, South East Asia and the Pacific.