The innovative process could allow the automotive industry to recycle aluminium leftover from car manufacturing processes with 50 per cent less energy and 90 per cent lower emissions than traditional methods.
The new method could remove the need to mine and refine the same amount of raw aluminium ore and also help extend the driving range of electric vehicles (EV). Moreover, by reducing the cost of recycling aluminium, manufacturers may be able to reduce the overall cost of aluminium components, better enabling them to replace steel.
The research has been presented by the Department of Energy of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), in collaboration with mobility technology company Magna.
“We showed that aluminium parts formed with the 'ShAPE' [Shear-Assisted Processing and Extrusion] process meet automotive industry standards for strength and energy absorption,” said Scott Whalen, a PNNL materials scientist and lead researcher. “The key...