CRU: Aluminum news roundup

In addition, China will reduce the export tax rebate rates for some refined oil products, photovoltaics, batteries and certain non-metallic mineral products from 13% to 9%. This will aid government finances and encourage moves further downstream.

Constellium claims breakthrough in aluminum recycling

Paris-headquartered Constellium says together with partners they have made a major advance in sorting aluminum by implementing laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technology at an industrial scale. The focus is on the automotive industry.

“Recycling aluminum scrap with the precision and scale offered by LIBS technology is an unprecedented leap forward for the industry,” said Dieter Hoell, vice-president global automotive at Constellium. “This innovative approach allows us to recover high-quality alloys from pre-consumer scrap, significantly reducing our carbon footprint and supporting our customers’ sustainability goals.”

One of the most significant challenges in automotive aluminum recycling is proper segregation – traditionally, mixed 5xxx and 6xxx alloys from stamping scrap were downcycled, limiting their use in high-value applications.

The latest technology allows for fast and precise sorting of aluminum scrap, achieving purity levels of over 95% for both alloy families. Constellium reports that it has already processed large quantities of LIBS-sorted scrap at its Neuf-Brisach plant in Alsace, eastern France, recycling it into top-quality aluminum products while maintaining material integrity.

The process was developed in collaboration with German recycler OSR and an unnamed European automotive manufacturer. Constellium and OSR plan to enhance the technology with the longer term goal of extracting high-value aluminum from end-of-life vehicles.

Norwegian aluminum producer Hydro already uses LIBS-based technology at its recycling plant in Dormagen (Germany) and in partnership with US recycler Padnos at Grandville, Michigan.

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