Selecting Cast Alloy Alloying Elements Suitable for a Circular Society

Abstract

Resource efficiency, energy usage, and carbon footprint drive the need to use aluminium alloys to manufacture lightweight components. The current paper targets the effects of alloy composition on the heat associated with remelting from a material circularity perspective. Si as an alloying element increases the required heat in the recycling cycle. Limiting the Si content in cast materials can reduce the energy needed in the recycling process by 20%, leading to significant gains in energy usage and CO2 emissions from gas heated furnaces and fossil fuel-generated electricity.