Role and Potential of Aluminium and Its Alloys for a Zero-Carbon Society
Shinji Kumai
Abstract
The environmental impact of aluminium can be greatly reduced through recycling. However, recycled aluminium ingots are currently used for the fabrication of lower-grade materials (i.e., cascade recycling) and cannot be used for the production of high-purity and high-grade wrought materials, for which demand is expected to increase in the future. Researching and developing upgrade recycling methods for aluminium is therefore urgently needed, where recycled ingots with a lower environmental impact are used for the fabrication of wrought materials. This approach will substantially reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and ultimately promote a sophisticated resource-recycling society in which aluminium resources can be almost completely recycled.