| dc.description.abstract | The usage of aluminium wrought alloys in the automotive sector has experienced a significant increase in recent years and is anticipated to persist in the future. While aluminium is a material that may be recycled indefinitely, the production of wrought alloys used in the automotive sector relies mostly on the use of primary aluminium.
This research analyzes the environmental effects of an aluminium automotive bumper beam, from the extraction of its raw materials to its fabrication, using a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. The conceptual foundation and environmental consequences for sorting and producing secondary wrought aluminium Al6XXX alloys from post-consumer scrap have been examined. The study conducted a comparative analysis of the environmental impacts associated with the current manufacturing process of Al6082 alloy, which is utilized for bumper beam production, and an alternative technique that involves substituting primary aluminium with post-consumer scrap. The efficiency and precision of an industrial-scale LIBS machine, installed in Fredrikstad, Norway, by Metallco Aluminium, which is used to sort and separate various wrought alloys from aluminium scrap, have been investigated to assess whether post-consumer scrap can be included in the manufacturing of aluminium bumper beams.
The findings of the study indicate that manufacturing of an aluminium bumper beam results in the emission of 28.2 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent. The Al6082 alloy has a global warming potential of 8.02 kg CO2 equivalent per kilogram. The process of sorting and manufacturing 1kg of Al6XXX wrought alloy from post-consumer aluminium scrap results in a global warming potential of 0.39 kg CO2 equivalent. The suggested approach of substituting 100% primary aluminium with a combination of 75% primary aluminium and 25% secondary wrought Al6XXX alloy in the manufacturing of Al6082 alloy results in 3.67 kilograms of CO2 equivalent, which corresponds to a reduction of 54% in the global warming potential (GWP). The LIBS industrial-scale sorting system achieves a precision up to 96% when sorting Al6XXX alloys, with a feeding speed of 2.5m/s.
The findings highlight the possibility of creating a more environmentally friendly and sustainable aluminium for automotive sector. This can be achieved by using secondary wrought aluminium alloys obtained from post-consumer scrap and implementing a proficient LIBS sorting method. | |