Direct aluminium-alloy upcycling from entire end-of life vehicles

Abstract

Abstract The global transition to a circular economy hinges on the development of sustainable recycling processes for end-of-life vehicles. Ongoing electrification and material choices over the recent decades hinder their integration in existing recycling pathways. This results in a large surplus of low-grade aluminium scraps and forfeits substantial energy, emissions, and cost savings, making the need for novel recycling approaches an urgent problem. This study presents a process for directly upcycling mixed end-of-life vehicles scrap into a high-performance aluminium alloy under realistic industrial conditions. It is compatible with existing infrastructure and dispenses the need for sorting, dilution or downcycling. By leveraging metallurgical principles and accelerated precipitation, the produced alloys achieve yield strengths that even surpass the commercial automotive alloy spectrum. This approach establishes a circular, low-emissions route to high-value aluminium recovery and offers a strategic model for transforming today´s and future´s critical raw material streams into next-generation structural alloys.