The Reducing EMbodied-Energy And Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) Institute based in Rochester, New York, is investing $43 million in new technology research focused on improving the sustainability of manufacturing operations. Working with industry innovators and academic researchers, the institute selected a total of 24 projects as part of its latest round of funding, including several projects relevant to the aluminum industry.
“REMADE’s projects address multiple aspects of the Circular Economy, including remanufacturing, recycling, and recovery,” said Magdi Azer, chief technology officer of REMADE. “These latest projects will, for example, explore ways to advance sustainable automotive manufacturing and address issues related to plastics recycling in food packaging—one of the fastest growing and most pressing sustainability issues in the U.S.”
Among the project receiving funding, three focus on aluminum manufacturing, including:
- Selective Recovery of Elements from Molten Aluminum Alloys conducted by Phinix, LLC, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Kingston Process Metallurgy, Smelter Service Corporation, and Certified Flux Solutions, LLC
- Material and Vehicle Design for High-Value Recycling of Aluminum and Steel Automotive Sheet conducted by the University of Michigan, Ford Motor Company, Novelis, Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), The Aluminum Association, and Light Metal Consultants
- Achieving 100% Recycling Aluminum in Die Casting Applications conducted by The Ohio State University (OSU), Alcoa USA Corp., North American Die Casting Association (NADCA), and CompuTherm LLC
REMADE is already planning a new round of research to be launched in late spring 2021, with an additional $50 million in funding. The institute will consider projects that address education and workforce development in addition to the transformational and traditional research projects that REMADE prioritizes.
“Our mission is to reduce energy consumption and decrease emissions, while increasing the U.S.’s manufacturing competitiveness,” said Nabil Nasr, CEO of REMADE. “Our experts are working diligently to reach these critically important goals and, in the process, accelerate the U.S.’s transition to a Circular Economy.”