By NOEL MURPHY
BILLIONS of dollars and up to 500 million tonnes of aircraft aluminium could be saved with a Geelong breakthrough in recycling process.
Deakin University’s Institute for Frontier Materials could also help achieve “major“ energy savings to curb aluminium smelters’ use of fossil fuels.
The aluminium recycling process could be applied to 200,000 aircraft in service around the world, retaining valuable metal otherwise consigned to waste.
The Deakin researchers used copper rather than steel rollers in the recycling process to crack an aluminium alloy conundrum.
“Our technology could lead to the recycling of around 500,000 tonnes of aircraft aluminium annually,” said metallurgist Dr Thomas Dorin.
“It could save the airline industry and others that use aluminium alloys millions of dollars as well as achieve major energy savings and reduce the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.”
About 70,000 tonnes of pure aluminium is recycled in Australia annually but alloys are difficult to recycle due to their impurities.
“This new aluminium alloy recycling process is cheaper and simpler than any existing process, achieving the final product in only one step,“ Dr Dorin said.
“And it results in reduced impurities, improved corrosion resistance and toughness, allowing the alloy to be reused for similar applications.
“It will also work for other aluminium alloys, such as those used in the automotive, construction, marine or sports industries.”
Dr Dorin said the process could make the cost of dismantling airplanes for recycling worth the effort compared to the cost of smelting new alloys.
Deakin is seeking industry partners to further develop the technology.
