Gerdau Ameristeel Corp. has acquired a non-exclusive license to use the patented Stebbing Engineering Scrap Tire Process in its steel minimills.

The patented Stebbing Engineering process uses scrap tires to partially replace the coal or coke used in the steelmaking process. Upon combustion, the tires release carbon and hydrogen, which also serve as a substitute source of energy, and the tires’ steel belts also add to the steel mix.

Annually, Gerdau Ameristeel’s electric arc furnaces transform more than seven 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 and transporting charge carbon. Plus, when compared to using coal, the process reduces emissions by 19.5%.

Gerdau Ameristeel conducted rigorous tests at its Jackson, Tenn., mill to ensure product quality was maintained and that the process delivers on the potential costs savings. 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.”

Gerdau Ameristeel is the second largest minimill steel producer in North America with annual manufacturing capacity of over 8.4 million tons of mill finished steel products. Through its vertically integrated network of 15 minimills (including one 50%-owned minimill), 16 scrap recycling facilities, and 42 downstream operations (including two 50%-owned joint ventures), Gerdau Ameristeel primarily serves customers in the eastern two-thirds of North America. The company’s products are generally sold to steel service centers, to fabricators, or directly to original equipment manufacturers for use in a variety of industries, including construction, cellular and electrical transmission, automotive, mining and equipment manufacturing.