New directions for old aluminum: Innovating aluminum recycling through novel processes and materials

Demand for aluminum alloys is increasing rapidly, facilitation of electric vehicles being but one example. A consequence is increasing scrap supply; a positive as aluminum is highly recyclable with it consuming a fraction of resources compared to using primary aluminum. There is a growing concern, however, as high-performance alloys are compositionally tuned to maximize performance. Separation of similar but distinct alloys in a scrap yard is infeasible leading to a growing fraction of the scrap supply that can only be down-cycled. With scrap supply outstripping demand new recycling and reuse solutions are required. This proposal builds upon existing collaborations between UBC and MPIE, focusing on using advanced characterization techniques (at MPIE) to better understand materials, processed at UBC, that 1) have non-traditional alloy chemistries based on scrap compositions and 2) are fabricated by combining local scrap recovery and additive manufacturing.

Faculty Supervisor:

Chad Sinclair

Student:

Partner:

Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Achieving Net Zero; Advanced Manufacturing; Sustainability & the Environment

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: