ISRI Convention: From Fluff to Feedstock

Max Daughtry has witnessed the transformation first-hand.

Daughtry, a founder of tire recycler Four D Corp., Dutton, Okla., served as moderator of a session on steel tire wire recycling at the ISRI (Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries Inc.) Annual Convention, which took place April 18-21 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans.

Before introducing three panelists, Daughtry recounted how in the 1990s and early this decade, Four D’s tire wire would alternate between being rejected by scrap yards or being accepted by processors or mills for a very low price. Much of it was landfilled, he recalled, with the wire containing as much as 25 percent rubber content at that time.

But with the addition of better processing equipment and a red hot ferrous scrap market, Four D now receives a healthy per-ton amount for its wire. “That makes a huge difference to your bottom line,” he told attendees.

One of the people helping tire recyclers make such transformations has been Mark Bielicki of Bi-Metal Corp., Ridgefield, Conn. The company helps tire recyclers set up systems to upgrade the purity of their tire wire. “Here was a product that was being landfilled due to contamination [that is] now viewed as an effective feedstock for steel mills.”

Bielicki noted that the grade now has its own ISRI specification (calling for less than 2 percent contamination), and remarked that scrap yard and mill buyers “will respect an investment [that] provides a high-productivity feedstock.”

Mark Ridall of Wendt Corp., Tonawanda, N.Y., alerted panelists to the availability of small balers and briquetters that can allow them to condense their tire wire into a stackable, shippable form that can help them maximize their shipping loads and avoid contamination caused by ground contact of loose materials.

From the consumer side, James Dutton of Sand Springs Metal Processing Corp., Sand Springs, Okla., offered views on how his mill services company has incorporated tire wire into electric arc furnace melts.

He said Sand Springs uses “six different recipes” to charge its furnace, with some 100 truckloads of scrap each day bringing in material to make sure the right ingredients are on hand.

When tire wire contains too much rubber, it can cause problems, including generating too much heat and smoke, Dutton noted.

But if the wire is clean enough (well under five percent rubber, according to Dutton), it makes a material that, much like steel turnings, can help fill voids in the charge to create a nice, dense charge bucket.

Dutton said his company will work with new suppliers if they first send FedEx samples and also allow him to conduct an on-site visit to see their processing methods.

From the viewpoint of tire recyclers, Daughtry summed up the good news by saying that in the past several years he has seen tire wire sell anywhere from $30 to $160 per ton, depending on the overall ferrous market—“for something that used to be a liability and cost us money.”