Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed RidgeAlloy, a new aluminum alloy that transforms contaminated scrap from car bodies into high-performance material for vehicle parts. This innovation addresses recycling challenges posed by impurities, potentially reducing energy use by up to 95 percent compared to primary aluminum production. The breakthrough could enable the reuse of up to 350,000 tons of aluminum scrap annually in North America by the early 2030s.
Scientists at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have engineered RidgeAlloy, enabling the conversion of low-value recycled aluminum from vehicle body panels into strong, durable components for structural automotive applications. This alloy overcomes contamination issues, such as iron from rivets and fasteners introduced during shredding, which typically render scrap unsuitable for high-performance uses.
The development responds to an anticipated influx of aluminum scrap from aluminum-intensive vehicles, like the Ford F-150 series introduced around 2015, reaching end-of-life by the early 2030s. Recycling systems in North America could handle 350,000 tons of such body sheet scrap each year, much of which currently goes to lower-value products or exports.
ORNL's team used high-throughput computing for over two million calculations to design the alloy, incorporating elements like magnesium, silicon, iron, and manganese to meet strength, ductility, and crash safety standards. Neutron diffraction at ORNL's Spallation Neutron Source helped analyze impurity effects at the atomic level.
"The team advanced from a paper concept to a successful, full-scale part demonstration of a new alloy in only 15 months," said Allen Haynes, director of ORNL's Light Metals Core Program. "That's an unheard-of pace of innovation in developing complex structural alloys."
Ingots from mixed automotive scrap were produced by PSW Group's Trialco Aluminum in Chicago and cast into medium-sized parts by Falcon Lakeside Manufacturing in Michigan using high-pressure die casting. Testing confirmed RidgeAlloy's suitability for underbodies and frame elements.
"Using remelted scrap instead of primary aluminum is estimated to result in up to 95% reduction in the energy needed for processing a part," noted Amit Shyam, leader of ORNL's Alloy Behavior and Design Group. The project, supported by DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office, could extend to aerospace, agricultural machinery, and marine vehicles, bolstering domestic supply chains.
