Environmental Stewardship

2019 Kansas Environmental Stewardship Award
Blizzard Energy, Inc.
Tire Processing and Reclamation
Project Description: The project is based on the pyrolysis of end of life scrap tires to reclaim oil, steel and recovered carbon black. Blizzard Energy, Inc. uses a closed system reclaiming all the end of life tire components. The process itself has no air emissions, except for the burners providing the process heat to the ovens.
Blizzard Energy, Inc. reclaims and uses the un-condensable synthetic gas (syngas) as a source of energy in processing the tires. The reuse of the end of life tires syngas as a fuel source minimizes the amount of energy needed in the reclamation process. Pyrolysis oil is also reclaimed into a liquid fuel based derivative oil. This oil can serve as heating oil, diesel and other applications in the fuel industry. The oil’s unique properties can be further processed for multiple applications.
The reclaimed end of life tire steel is sold to be placed back into the steel industry. Reclaimed black carbon can be sold to rubber and plastic manufacturing and other industries as well.
Results: End of life tires reclaimed since January 31, 2018 was 253,100 lbs. Approximately 91,116 lbs. of recovered carbon black, 101,230 lbs. of oil, 20,248 lbs. steel were reclaimed, and 32,903 lbs. of gas reused to save energy. The project has conserved approximately 25,310 lbs. of iron ore, 14,173.6 lbs. of coal, and 1,214.88 lbs. of lime. Blizzard Energy, Inc. has saved the energy equivalence of 36.4 barrels of oil and the energy of 30,169.52 lbs. that would be used in the production of new steel. They have produced approximately 101,230 lbs. of tire oil. Approximately 58% of the virgin carbon cost can be reclaimed through the process.

Pictured L – R: Nancy Larson/K-State Pollution Prevention Institute, Franziska Shepard/Blizzard Energy Inc., Leo G. Henning/KDHE Deputy Secretary and Director of Environment
Photo courtesy of Thad Powell, KDHE