May 16 2005
Gerdau Ameristeel Corporation announced today that it has acquired a non-exclusive license to use the patented Stebbing Engineering Scrap Tire Process in its steel minimills.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), approximately 290 million scrap tires were generated in 2003. The patented Stebbing Engineering process uses this potential landfill waste to partially replace the coal or coke used in the minimill steel process. The carbon and hydrogen in the tires also serve as a substitute source of energy, and the tires steel belts are added to the steel mix.
Annually, Gerdau Ameristeel’s electric arc furnaces, transforms more than 7 million tons of discarded scrap metal and small amounts of coal or carbon into finished steel products. Tires burn much cleaner and hotter than coal and reduce the electricity required to melt the steel. The Stebbing Engineering process saves money spent on purchasing charge carbon and transporting it. Plus, when compared to using coal, the process reduces emissions by 19.5 percent.
Gerdau Ameristeel’s steel mill in Jackson, Tenn., conducted rigorous tests to ensure product quality was maintained and that the process delivers on the potential costs saving. According to Robert Bullard, Gerdau Ameristeel vice president of technology, “The Stebbing Engineering Process is the right thing for the company, our customers, and the environment. The process will provide significant cost savings for energy and raw materials. Most importantly, the process reduces emissions and transforms discarded waste into new building materials.”
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