Plans to revolutionise the aluminium supply chain in the UK have been supported by a £3.4 million grant from the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC).
The grant from the APC’s latest collaborative research and development funding round will provide support to an innovative research project aimed at creating the requirements for a world leading metals processing facility, which has been spearheaded by sustainable materials firm EMR.
The planned facility will be able to produce aluminium extrusion billet with less embodied carbon. This material can then be used to make various new metal parts. The facility will also use post-consumer metals, replacing the conventional primary based supply and greatly reducing emissions.
Led by EMR, the project brings together key players in the supply chain, aluminium manufacturer and automotive tier 1 supplier Constellium, academic metals centre of excellence BCAST at Brunel University of London, advanced multi-disciplined surface treatment expert BCW Treatments and digital integration and rapid Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) specialists, Riskoa, with Stellantis, multi-national automotive manufacturer, a technical advisory group leader on the project.
Alongside EMR, Constellium plays a central role in the consortium, leveraging its extensive expertise in aluminium alloy development, which is crucial to the project’s success, with Constellium’s significant contributions to research and development being instrumental in delivering the high-quality recycled aluminium products the project will deliver.
EMR says the project will enable the creation of components made from up to 100% recycled aluminium at an industrial scale, which, for the first time will match the mechanical and durability performance of primary aluminium.
End-of-life aluminium will be processed within the consortium to provide a range of high-strength, impurity tolerant billets for the manufacture of structural automotive components, designed to meet or exceed the same quality and performance standards as those produced from primary based materials and validated through rigorous qualification protocols established by the OEM partners.
ReCircAl brings together EMR’s knowledge and expertise in the industrial processing of end-of-life aluminium, with Constellium and Brunel University of London’s knowledge of alloy development, to deliver the lowest embodied carbon aluminium billets ever produced to provide a new benchmark in the industry.
ReCircAl supports the development of metal circularity using end of life aluminium and its potential to become a net-zero carbon resource for manufacturing automotive components, playing a key role in the transition of the UK and European vehicle fleets to electric.
Bruce Miller, Commercial Director at EMR, said: “This project represents a landmark moment for the aluminium industry and the automotive sector. By proving that high-performance automotive components can be produced from recycled materials, we are helping to create a more circular vehicle manufacturing industry in the UK.
“The support from the APC enables us to push the boundaries of what recycled aluminium can achieve. This collaboration will not only reduce the carbon footprint of UK manufacturing, but also deliver significant economic benefits, securing future investment and jobs.”
Martin Jarrett, Technology Director of Constellium’s Automotive Structures and Industry business unit, commented: “The APC-funded Constellium-led CirConAl project, together with the consortium partners, has pioneered the use of post-consumer scrap in a range of impurity tolerant alloys providing the foundation for ReCircAl, which is aimed at developing the end-to-end recycled aluminium supply chain as a strategic resource for low-carbon aluminium production, creating a paradigm shift in the industry.”
Dr Andy Wilson, BCW Treatments Managing Director, added: “At BCW Treatments, we are proud to contribute our surface treatments expertise to a project that is transforming the aluminium supply chain. By advancing the use of post-consumer scrap, we are helping to drive the transition to a circular economy, reducing carbon emissions, and ensuring that high-performance materials can be sustainably sourced for future generations.”
