The REMADE Institute announced a new technology license, which involves a technological innovation capable of removing metallic impurities from recycled aluminum melt, thereby improving the quality of the aluminum and allowing it to be used for more diverse applications, including electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing.
The innovation is part of a research and development project first funded by REMADE in 2020. The R&D project, “Selective Recovery of Elements from Molten Aluminum Alloys,” led by by Dr. Subodh Das, Ph.D., CEO of Phinix, LLC, is still in progress. REMADE’s tech team oversees the project, ensuring it meets both the Institute’s and the Department Of Energy’s (DOE) technological milestones.
“Congratulations to the entire project team, including Dr. Das and our tech team at the Institute,” said Nabil Nasr, CEO of REMADE. “We believe this technology will be incredibly valuable to U.S.-based aluminum companies, including those that supply the automotive industry. Ultimately, it’s yet another key technology that accelerates the U.S.’s transition to a circular economy and assists the nation in meeting its net zero by 2050 goal.”
Details of this innovation are confidential as the technology is patent pending. Proprietary process advantages include the removal of impurities and the increased availability and quality of recycled aluminum. These innovations allow aluminum to be used for a wider variety of manufacturing applications. The IP has been licensed by Phinix to a domestic secondary aluminum producer.
Technology to Recover High-Quality Recycled Aluminum
“A large part of domestically produced low-carbon and low-cost aluminum scrap in the U.S. is either exported (only to come back as semis or finished products), or used for lower-value product applications, and regrettably landfilled,” said Das, the R&D project’s principal investigator. The country needs to invest in recycling technology that can recover high-quality aluminum.”
According to the R&D project team, producing recycled aluminum costs less and saves more than 90% of the energy required to produce virgin (primary) aluminum. Aluminum is one of the world’s most recycled materials, but there is room to enhance its recycling rate, cost, recyclability, and sustainability. The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the U.S. consumption of aluminum in 2022 was 5.1 million metric tons (MMT). Of this, about 2.74 MMT was imported, 0.86 MMT was produced from primary ores, and the balance of 1.5 MMT was produced from scrap.¹
“The research project ultimately seeks to develop technologies to improve the quality and increase the usage of recycled aluminum in U.S. manufacturing,” said Das. “This technology is capable of benefiting aluminum companies significantly. It can help companies lower their energy costs, increase their profits, and increase the overall value of recycled aluminum considerably.”
Increasing the Four R’s of Energy-Intensive Materials
The technology license is another milestone for the public-private partnership, which seeks to increase the reuse, remanufacturing, recycling, and recovery of four energy-intensive materials — metals, including steel and aluminum; polymers, including plastics; fibers, including papers and textiles; and electronic scrap (e-scrap), formerly referred to as e-waste.
“REMADE is selective in funding R&D projects that have the greatest potential to reduce energy consumption, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, decrease the use of raw or primary materials, and increase the use of recycled or secondary materials,” said Magdi Azer, chief technology officer, REMADE. “This particular R&D project is capable of developing technology to increase the quality and usage of recycled aluminum, and as a result, increase the resiliency of the U.S. supply chain and decrease the nation’s reliance on imported virgin aluminum from other countries.”
About REMADE
REMADE is a 170-member public-private partnership established and funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies (AMMTO) with an initial investment of $140 million. According to REMADE, it is the only national institute focused entirely on developing innovative technologies to accelerate the U.S.’s transition to a circular economy. In partnership with industry, academia, trade organizations, and national laboratories, REMADE enables early-stage applied research and development that will create jobs, dramatically reduce embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the supply and use of recycled materials. For more information about REMADE (Reducing EMbodied Energy And Decreasing Emissions), visit the website.
For more information about the project, contact Subodh Das: skdas@phinix.net.
References
- “Aluminum,” U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries, January 2023.