Old tires have been proposed to be used as raw materials for smelting synthetic pig iron

Scientists from the Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University named after R.E. Alekseev have proposed using worn-out tires as a source of carbon in the smelting of synthetic pig iron, reports "Nauka Mail" with reference to the press service of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

Instead of traditional expensive materials - graphite or coke - fragments of tires are loaded into the furnace along with the metal charge, which play the role of a carbon-containing additive. It is reported that it is most effective to use fragments with a size of 5 to 50 cm, as smaller ones worsen carbon absorption and increase smoke formation, and too large ones interfere with uniform loading and can reduce the quality of the metal.

The technology has been tested in a series of experimental melts, and the experiments "showed a higher degree of carbon absorption compared to traditional carburizers and a simultaneous reduction in their consumption". At the same time, the sulfur content in the metal remained within acceptable limits, which is important for subsequent mechanical processing and use of the material in mechanical engineering. Another advantage is that the tires do not require deep processing, and it is enough to cut them into fragments of the required size. This reduces costs and improves the convenience of the development from the point of view of implementation in industry.

According to the developers' estimates, the technology can be in demand primarily by large enterprises, including in the automotive industry, and now a scheme for cold briquetting is also being created, which makes it possible to reduce harmful emissions.

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