UPSALA: Upgrading Production Scraps to Advanced Aluminium Alloys
Campaign: Boost circular economy through Additive Manufacturing
We aim to develop an efficient and scalable recycling process for transforming scraps into a high-quality aluminum alloy suitable for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The project goals include assessment of alloy robustness to impurities, atomization, characterizing powder properties, fabricating and testing coupons using recycled materials.
Employing scraps will come with several challenges. We will employ grade specific scraps from industrial processes, but also scrap mixtures from milling processes working with varying materials. Knowing the impurities and trace elements will be key. With the exceptional processing conditions of LPBF and our alloy concept which is tolerant towards impurities, we believe to achieve a robust processing window and comparable properties to virgin material.
The outcome of this project could offer a significant environmental and economic impact by reducing the grey energy of AM components, and offering an upgrading route for otherwise downgraded industrial scraps.