Periodic Reporting for period 1 - SALEMA (Substitution of Critical Raw Materials on Aluminium Alloys for electrical vehicles)
Reporting period: 2021-05-01 to 2022-10-31
Raw Materials (RM) are essential for the sustainable and sound functioning of Europe’s industries as asserted in 2008 by the European Union Raw Materials Initiative (RMI) and the Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP) of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP) on RM (EIP-SIP). Subsequently, the EU has continuously implemented policies and strategic decisions to improve the competitiveness of RM-related industries within the context of the EU’s wider industrial policy, e.g. COM/2017/0479: as RM industries play fundamental roles in many downstream sectors, such as automotive, aerospace, machinery, and renewable energy devices. Securing access to RM is crucial to stimulate investment in innovation and new technologies for a European Industrial Renaissance. Simultaneously, the EU is highly dependent on imports of several metal ores from international markets, while excessively high import reliance can threaten security of supply- this has become abundantly clear when shipment and transportation lines were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. An alternative resource of RM is recycling, which accounted for about 8% of overall material inputs to the EU economy in 2014. SALEMA addresses this concern for the CRM-reliant high performance Aluminium grades required in electrical vehicles, changing the input materials required to produce these advanced alloys, SALEMA proposes a circular economy model using scrap metal as an alternative source of CRM and the substitution of CRM for commonly available alloying elements. These developments are deployed in four industrial pilots (High Pressure Die Casting, Cold and Hot Sheet Stamping, and profile Extrusion), representing the most relevant processes in aluminium manufacture for lightweight automobiles. SALEMA puts together an industrially and user-driven consortium of 16 partners that represent the whole sector of aluminium in automotive applications. The consortium is working to demonstrate that the presented measures are competitive, technically feasible and contribute towards circular economy strategies and sustainability goals. The project addresses the key challenges in the different levels of the value chain: 1) Improving scrap classification and sorting systems to turn scrap into a valuable raw material; demonstrating the feasibility to substitute CRMs in alloying systems (Work packages 1,2 and 7); 2) Developing recycled aluminium alloys with improved mechanical performance; 3) Optimizing High Pressure Die Casting, sheet metal Stamping and Extrusion processes in a timely and cost-efficient manner to ensure the adoption of the developed alloys; 4) SALEMA will deliver 4 industrial pilots, validate the new developed Al alloys with 5 car-part demonstrations in 5 industrial case studies, which guarantees a prompt industrial deployment and take up.
To date SALEMA has been focusing on examining the technical possibilities, developing and refining processes regarding the impact of impurities in Al scrap and use of the new low CRM content alloying systems. In addition to the development of new alloys, the provision of Al scrap and the improvement and scale up of scrap sorting systems was evaluated. The uptake and incorporation of the newly developed alloys by the alloy manufacturers is currently being examined, in parallel with the set-up, validation and production of components using HPDC, stamping and extrusion processes.
The main results obtained in the first 18 months of project life are:
• Determination of the effect of impurities and alloying elements in the alloys selected for each transformation process
• Definition of low CRM alloying families and CRM reduction strategies by compensating the loss of mechanical properties with additions of alternative elements or other hardening treatments
• Preparation of the aluminium producer companies to produce the new aluminium alloys and production of the 1st batch of material for HPDC, stamping and extrusion
• Development of a new scrap sorting equipment and software at prototype level
The main results obtained in the first 18 months of project life are:
• Determination of the effect of impurities and alloying elements in the alloys selected for each transformation process
• Definition of low CRM alloying families and CRM reduction strategies by compensating the loss of mechanical properties with additions of alternative elements or other hardening treatments
• Preparation of the aluminium producer companies to produce the new aluminium alloys and production of the 1st batch of material for HPDC, stamping and extrusion
• Development of a new scrap sorting equipment and software at prototype level
At this stage, although it is early in the project, there is already a great impact being provided in terms of technology, know-how and market.
More than 20 results were identified in multiple fields: new methods developed, new manufacturing processes, new automotive parts and industrially applied ICT solutions. A prioritization methodology has also been put in place and selected the following results as the most strategically important for the project, individual partners and European ecosystem of aluminium production. From the descriptions provided of the innovations and technology development that is underway, progress towards the Call Topic objectives and expected impacts are ongoing with very promising results being expected. At a C&D level, it is also really important to highlight the developments, which have generated a lot of interest from external companies that offer a potential and opportunity for uptake, scale out and commercialize the technology under development. The basic research on alloy development has been completed and right now is time to work in the process, the characterization of the alloy variants and the selection of the most adequate for each demonstrator, taking into account the defined requirements.
The main work to be done within the following months are:
- To define the new alloy management system and the quality control procedure
- To complete the research to be carried out on CRM recovery from dross
- To select the HPDC alloy that better suit with the requirements of the demonstrator
- To characterize the alloy properties and develop a simulation procedure for HPDC
- To conduct the analysis of service performance of the aluminium sheet produced
- To implement the simulation of the new alloys for producing the demonstrator components
- To work on the extrudability and select the extrusion alloys for demonstrator production
- To develop a simulation model and procedure to simulate extrusion process with SALEMA alloys
- To select best extrusion alloy at better suitability regarding low CRM and high-scrap strategy
- To conduct at large scale sorting campaign and provide end-of-life scrap to the alloy manufacturers
More than 20 results were identified in multiple fields: new methods developed, new manufacturing processes, new automotive parts and industrially applied ICT solutions. A prioritization methodology has also been put in place and selected the following results as the most strategically important for the project, individual partners and European ecosystem of aluminium production. From the descriptions provided of the innovations and technology development that is underway, progress towards the Call Topic objectives and expected impacts are ongoing with very promising results being expected. At a C&D level, it is also really important to highlight the developments, which have generated a lot of interest from external companies that offer a potential and opportunity for uptake, scale out and commercialize the technology under development. The basic research on alloy development has been completed and right now is time to work in the process, the characterization of the alloy variants and the selection of the most adequate for each demonstrator, taking into account the defined requirements.
The main work to be done within the following months are:
- To define the new alloy management system and the quality control procedure
- To complete the research to be carried out on CRM recovery from dross
- To select the HPDC alloy that better suit with the requirements of the demonstrator
- To characterize the alloy properties and develop a simulation procedure for HPDC
- To conduct the analysis of service performance of the aluminium sheet produced
- To implement the simulation of the new alloys for producing the demonstrator components
- To work on the extrudability and select the extrusion alloys for demonstrator production
- To develop a simulation model and procedure to simulate extrusion process with SALEMA alloys
- To select best extrusion alloy at better suitability regarding low CRM and high-scrap strategy
- To conduct at large scale sorting campaign and provide end-of-life scrap to the alloy manufacturers