The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) has awarded SSAB Alabama Inc. a USD 361,100 grant for a study on using scrap tire-derived crumb rubber in the electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking process. The funds will cover the purchase of crumb rubber and specialized equipment for its injection into the EAF, as well as an off-gas emissions study conducted by a third-party engineering firm. Liberty Tire and Recycling will supply the crumb rubber for the trial.
The study will replace pet coke with crumb rubber at various concentrations, assessing its impact on emissions and EAF operations. Gas analyzers will measure CO, CO2, O2, NOx, SO2, and VOCs during the trial. A detailed report on the findings will be provided to ADEM.
The trial aims to evaluate the process’s viability, its effects on EAF operations, and its impact on air emissions. SSAB expects reductions in Scope 1 and Scope 3 CO2 emissions, as well as potential SO2 reductions. Since 2003, SSAB has used scrap tires to partially offset charge coal in steelmaking, diverting over 8 mln tires from landfills in the past 11 years.
