Solid state recycling by cold compression of Al-alloy chips

Abstract

In solid state recycling material scrap from industry is recycled into new usable material without remelting. Conventional recycling, although very energy-saving compared to production from raw ore, has relatively large material waste and energy costs due to remelting process. This paper presents a short overview of main issues in solid state recycling as well as experimental research in cold compression of Al-alloy chips into solid billets. In order to examine the influence of chips’ size and shape on final material properties, several different types of chips were cut. Furthermore, the influence of pressure loads on billets density was examined. Backward extrusion and free upsetting of compressed billets was additionally conducted to verify their integrity. It was concluded that in order to obtain new material usable in industry, further enhancement of materials properties is essential. Therefore, several solutions for further material processing by severe plastic deformation were proposed.