Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have successfully deployed an energy-efficient method to transform scrap aluminum into high-performance metal alloys, Tech Xplore reported.
This method of recycling aluminum does not require bulk melting or material dilution, which conventional aluminum recycling methods use, allowing for a cost-, material-, and energy-efficient way to refashion useful building-grade aluminum products.
Aluminum is an infinitely recyclable material, meaning the metal can be used repeatedly without much limitation. According to The Aluminum Association, aluminum is famously easy to "melt and reform into a solid state without changing its fundamental properties." Recycling aluminum does not degrade the metal, though a small amount may be lost in the mill process.
However, when it comes to recycling post-consumer aluminum products, the recycled aluminum may contain traces of micro-impurities, such as clumps of iron, that may affect the quality and strength of the final upcycled product.
According to a PNNL demonstration video, recycled post-consumer scrap aluminum may need to be diluted with up to 40% new aluminum, which requires mining for more metal. Bulk melting in aluminum recycling releases harmful gases such as carbon dioxide that boost the rising global temperature. Mining can cause water contamination, deforestation, and air pollution that collectively undermine the health of the planet.
PNNL's new method of recycling aluminum uses only post-consumer aluminum. This saves money on material costs while reducing waste and protecting the environment.
The team employs a solid phase alloying technique, wherein a combination of copper, zinc, and magnesium is added to the recycled aluminum to create a strong aluminum alloy. Using the Shear Assisted Processing and Extrusion process — or ShAPE — "high-speed rotating die create friction and heat that disperses the chunky starting ingredients into a uniform alloy," the Tech Xplore report explained.
The upcycled alloy, tested mechanically and examined internally by advanced imagery, was found to be 200% stronger (including increased ultimate tensile strength) than conventional recycled aluminum.
The team's novel aluminum recycling method helps close the loop on the circular economy of nature's precious metals, and they're not the only ones doing so. Scientists from Italy are looking to recover precious metals from end-of-life solar panels.
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Giving me money back 💰 "Our ability to upcycle scrap is exciting, but the thing that excites me the most about this research is that … solid phase alloying is theoretically applicable to any metal combination that you can imagine, and the fact that manufacturing occurs wholly in the solid state means you can begin to consider totally new alloys that we've not been able to make before," Cindy Powell, PNNL chief science and technology officer for energy and environment, said, per Tech Xplore.
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