Michael Blumenthal, senior technical director for the Rubber Manufacturers Association (RMA), recently accepted the Award of Appreciation from the ASTM, the voluntary standards development organization formerly known as the American Society for Testing and Materials.
The award, which recognized the RMA's efforts to create standards for scrap tire uses, was presented at the ASTM's D34.06 (Recyling & Reuse) Subcommittee meeting in Las Vegas, Nev., recently.
Blumenthal, who also serves as co-chair of the subcommittee, was recognized for his outstanding service and active participation in the committee’s work. He authored two ASTM standards, one for scrap tires used in civil engineering applications and the other for scrap tires used as tire-derived fuel.
"This organization has provided an effective forum to bring together a high level of expertise that has successfully created standards that have greatly assisted the growth of viable scrap tire markets," said Blumenthal.
The latest data indicates that more than 50 million tires are used in civil engineering applications across the nation on a yearly basis. That compares to some five million tires in 1996, when there was no standard.
The ASTM standard for tire-derived fuel (TDF) also has been a factor in the recent revival of this market. Increased amounts of 1.5– to 2-inch TDF are being used as a high grade fuel source, which is "the highest value-added application for this class of material," according to the RMA.
