Railroad tie pyrolysis presents some interesting opportunities. In the U.S. alone, over 20 million new wood railroad ties are installed every year. While wood is currently the best option for railroad ties (and utility poles) the ability to re-use or dispose of treated wood coming is clearly a critical consideration. The regulatory, environmental, and financial landscape for re-use and disposal are rapidly changing, with the goal being to re-use these creosote-treated railroad ties and utility poles possibly as feedstocks for bio-oil production. A good proposed process is to use careful temperature and time control in commonly used pyrolysis techniques, such as intermediate and fast pyrolysis. As this exploration continues, it is always a consideration that the water-resistant chemicals and pesticides infused in the wood be properly dealt with. Disposing of used wooden railroad ties properly is important to the ecology, and pyrolysis appears to be a good solution.
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