US: Scrap tyres become a burning issue

摘要

THE problem of old vehicle tyres and their disposal has always been one in which life extension has featured strongly in fleet management philosophy. While tyre re-treading techniques have made considerable advances, the process still consumes a considerable amount of oil so that, increasingly, worn-out tyres are chopped for use as additives in energy-absorbing playground toppings, added to asphalt for road surfacing, or go into landfill. However, the use of tyres in tyre-derived fuel (TDF) has moved into the foreground of the debate, as their high-energy content allows them to be burnt at higher temperatures than in coal, gas or other petroleum type fired power generation. Typical power station equipment cannot accommodate the high temperatures but specially designed burn chambers can readily accept tyres and extract the high BTU energy.