Budd–Michelin rubber-tired rail cars which featured innovative and distinctive pneumatic tires. The company claimed that its application of tires on its rail cars afforded both a substantially more cushioned ride and increased the cars' traction by 35%. The design of Michelin's tired wheels included an aluminum safety ring and a flange that were only used in the event of a puncture or other type of tire failure; during normal operation, only the rubber tire made contact with the rail. Inspired by Michelin's success, the Budd Company set its sights on marrying the new rubber rail tires with its shot-welded, stainless-steel carbodies; it had developed
Waste tires million scrap tires generated annually in the U.S. According to the RMA, as reported elsewhere, Waste or Scrap tires are made out of a material which can have no economic end use. This means that tires which are no longer suitable for use on vehicles due to wear or damage, can be recycled to serve a new economic purpose (rubber asphalt and concrete, fuel alternatives, carbon sources, etc.). The United States disposes of 279 million waste tires each year, representing over 4 million tons of scrap waste. The Economic problem with tires is that the polymeric materials that they are