Ferrous Department

In a matter of just six years, the recycling of used oil filters has gone from a single mill’s pilot program to more than 100 million filters recycled in 1996. This represents more than 25 percent of all oil filters sold that year, according to the Filter Manufacturers Council (FMC), Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Gregory K. Griggs, FMC president, told attendees at the National Recycling Coalition convention in Orlando in September that it takes several steps to recycle the filters, which each yield about .8 pounds of steel. A 1992 EPA ruling that classified drained used filters as non-hazardous waste has helped speed the growth of filter recycling, says Griggs. He noted that while the majority of oil change service retail chains have been receptive to the recycling option, it has been more difficult to penetrate the do-it-yourself market, which is estimated at 45 percent of the U.S. population.

A consortium of more than 30 steel companies says it is making steady progress in its effort to design a production-ready auto made from what it calls "ultra-light steel". The UltraLight Steel Auto Body (ULSAB) consortium, Detroit, has built its first prototype and says it is on target to validate safety and production cost goals by next spring.

The consortium has been conducting research and testing for nearly three years on the feasibility of using thin-gauge sheet steel in an auto body that is lighter, less expensive and yet still surpasses safety and design requirements. Steel companies from 18 nations on five continents make up the ULSAB group, which is funding the project as a method of boosting steel’s competitiveness in the international automotive market. Much of the engineering work performed to date has been managed by Porsche Engineering Services Inc., Troy, Mich.

Nucor Corp., Charlotte, N.C., is reportedly performing market and site location studies for a new mill that would produce rolled steel plate. The mill would allow Nucor to enter new markets in such areas as shipbuilding, structural bridge steel, thick pipe and other heavy applications, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal. Fast-growing Nucor is on track to become the second-largest U.S.-based steel-maker by the end of the decade. The company recently built a new wide-flange and bantam beam mill in Berkeley County, S.C.

Birmingham Steel Corp., Birmingham, Ala., has purchased a 50.3 percent stake in the Laclede Steel Co., St. Louis., Mo. Laclede operates facilities in six states that produce $335 million worth of carbon and alloy steel products including pipe products, hot rolled products, wire products and welded chain.

"Laclede’s operations and products complement our current facilities and products," says Robert Garvey, chairman and CEO of Birmingham Steel. "In addition, a relationship with Laclede provides Birmingham Steel with the opportunity to access new steel product markets." Laclede’s facilities are located in Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and Oregon.

CONRAIL FERROUS SCRAP FETCHES INCREASED PRICES