Recycling aluminium from existing End of Life (EoL) and production scraps uses only 5% of energy compared to primary material production, making it mandatory for exploiting its global decarbonisation potential and meeting the demands of the European Green Deal. However, once aluminium is alloyed with other metals, it is virtually impossible to remove these elements again. Extensive mixing of different EoL alloys therefore inevitably leads to downcycling. This practice has been a successful strategy due to high demand for cast aluminium alloys in combustion engines, a universal recycling “sink” that will dry up in the coming years. Europe possesses a rich potential of secondary aluminium resources with an expected share of 49% of total aluminium production by 2050. The RecAL project (Recycling technologies for circular ALuminium) provides a balanced approach to fully exploit this valuable resource. It synergistically addresses all stages of circular production and tackles problems of the entire value chain: - Increase impurity tolerance in alloy design at level or superior performance - Exploit the benefits of digitization and robotic assistance in sorting and dismantling - Create recyclate streams with vastly enhanced purities - Adapt production paradigms to unfold the full potential of secondary resources - Harmonise communication between all sectors of the aluminium industry The project will mature an envelope of 14 crucial technological solutions towards these goals up to TRL6 and embed them into a digital, “socio-technical ecosystems”: the Aluminium HUB for circularity. This interactive platform will directly link stakeholders along the value chain for full scale industrial and technological symbiosis and circular economy closing energy, resource and data loops at regional and European scale.

To establish state-of-the-art chemical process to minimise waste generated throughout the process.

Aluminium (Al) due to its properties is the 2nd most used metal after iron (C Krammer AlHandbook 1999). Al dross represents a residue from primary & secondary Al production. Drosses are classified according to their metal contents. White dross is higher metal Al content & is produced from primary & secondary Al smelters. Black dross has a lower metal content & is generated during Al recycling (secondary industry sector). White dross may contain from 15% to 70% recoverable metallic Al & it comprises a fine powder from skimming the molten Al. Black dross typically contains a 15% or less aluminium with a mixture of Al oxides & slag. (Hwang J Y et al 2006). Apart from Al metal, dross may also contain other chemical compounds eg Al203, AIN, Al4C3, MgF2, NaAlCl4, S102 MgO. With total global Al production at 62m tonnes (with close to 26m tonnes from recycled) increase to around 97m tonnes (39m from recycled) (Organisation of European Al Recycling Industry 2013) by 2020. Approximately, up to 4 million tonnes of white dross & more than a million tonnes of black dross are reported throughout the world each year, & around 95% of this material is landfilled (Journal of Minerals & Materials 2012 Vol 5). The problem for Al industry is to develop a means of recovering as much molten liquid from Al from the dross whilst still in the hot form (830°C-900°C) on removal from the furnace. Secondary recyclers are no longer providing acceptable value in dross recovery. Only about 40% of the metal recovery is passed on to the customer & is now common practice. In the Far East & BRIC Countries, secondary recycling services are often not available. Altek have identified a unique dual cycle stirring/pressing process which could dramatically increase the level of Aluminium recovery on site.

Altek is a world leader in the extraction of molten aluminium from dross either by direct draw off or through the use of rotary furnaces. The company are also world leaders in developing & applying electromagnetic stirring into furnaces & ladles & refining/holding furnace installations in the aluminium production industry. Altek is proposing to develop advanced & more compact electromagneto hydrodynamic technologies & devices for application in electromagnetic stirring technology that can deliver an advanced level of aluminium melting, pouring & semi-finished product processing performance providing circulatory benefits including higher productivity with reduced fuel consumption & dross generation. Additionally the electromagneto hydrodynamic) technologies would be utilised as a retrofit unit to be employed on continuous casting lines to modify the metallurgical grain structure & reduce alloy element segregation & porosity to provide improved performance in both high technical specification alloys for aerospace as well as proprietary alloys that require subsequent thermo-mechanical processing into final products ranging from extrusion to rolling. This advancement would provide real economic & environmental benefits to aluminium smelters, primary & secondary aluminium producers.