Recycled end-of-life vehicle parts
Method improves upcycling without pre-sorting
A process has been developed at the Montanuniversität Leoben in Austria that converts mixed aluminium scrap from end-of-life vehicles directly into high-quality sheet metal. The aim is to make recycling more efficient and to conserve primary aluminium.
Across Europe, up to nine million tonnes of aluminium scrap from cars are generated annually. Due to the variety of alloys, a labour-intensive sorting process was previously necessary; otherwise, quality would suffer. The new process does not require pre-sorting and utilises existing infrastructure.
Impurities as an advantage
Instead of being a hindrance, impurities are specifically utilised to improve the microstructure. This results in alloys with properties that are in some cases superior to those of conventional materials, for example in terms of yield strength.
Interest from industry
The process is considered highly relevant to industry. It is intended to help close material cycles. Companies are already showing interest, and preparations are underway for large-scale implementation.
