Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have developed an aluminium-based catalyst that could help make sodium–sulphur batteries last longer. The catalyst addresses a problem that has limited the technology: Sodium polysulphides can dissolve and move away from the cathode, reducing battery life. The research team, led by Professors Wang Hui and Zheng Fangcai at CAS's High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Hefei, changed the atomic structure of aluminium by replacing one oxygen atom with nitrogen. The team wrote in the press release, “This created an asymmetric structure with three oxygen atoms and one nitrogen atom around each Al atom.” It is an Al–O3N structure (three oxygen atoms and one nitrogen atom surrounding each aluminium atom). Explore AL Circle’s report ALuminium Wires &...
Europe's aluminium industry is facing mounting pressure from rising carbon costs, shifting trade policies and limited willingness among buyers to pay premiums for low-carbon metal. Yet, despite a series of crises since the Covid pandemic, producers remain committed to maintaining their presence in Europe and investing in decarbonisation, said Paul Voss, Director General of European Aluminium. In an exclusive interview with Fastmarkets at Aluminium Düsseldorf, Voss described the European aluminium industry's condition as bruised but resilient. He highlighted concerns over the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), the potential inclusion of indirect (Scope 2) emissions under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the treatment of aluminium scrap in carbon accounting. Reflecting on...
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Reducing Embodied Energy and Decreasing Emissions (Remade) Institute, located in Rochester, New York, has successfully designed a “technological innovation capable of removing metallic impurities from recycled aluminium melts, thereby improving the quality of the aluminium and allowing it to be used for more diverse applications, including electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing.” Remade has a 170-member toll on its public-private partnership institution and is partly funded by the United States Department of Energy (DOE). The aluminium refining technology and associated R&D for the ultimate outcome was first initiated in 2020 by Remade. The CEO of St. Louis-based Phinix LLC, Subodh Das, is at the helm of this R&D project, known as “Selective Recovery of Elements from Molten Aluminum Alloys”....
On August 16, China's trade ministry asked that the United States immediately ease tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminium imports. The ministry made the remarks in response to a World Trade Organisation (WTO) dispute resolution tribunal that found China placing higher taxes on select US products. According to the ministry, China has taken notice of the WTO panel's findings and is reviewing the report, with the main reason being "the unilateralist and protectionist behaviours" of the US side. In 2018, the Trump administration imposed 25 per cent tariffs on some steel imports and 10 per cent penalties on certain aluminium imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962. Since then, the US has not enacted absolute quotas, but US negotiators have examined alternate managed trade...
UK-based Optima’s New York counterpart, PurOptima has declared that from now on all its glass and aluminium wall partitions or doors would consist of aluminium with recycled content, choosing Norsk Hydro’s Circal for this sustainable ideation. Norway-based Hydro anoints PurOptima as an international maker and supplier of indoor glass and aluminium partitions or doors. One of the biggest aluminium recyclers, Hydro, is quite positive about this new collaboration as it boasts of creating the flagship Circal with more than 75 per cent recycled post-consumer scrap. The Managing Director of Optima Products, Christian Mabey, quoted: “We have worked closely with Hydro to ensure we use aluminum with the maximum recycled content available and the lowest carbon footprint. This has led to our...
Dadco Alumina and Chemicals Limited, a leading supplier of high-quality alumina-based products and services in Europe, has received Performance Standard V2 (2017) Certification from the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative for producing smelter grade alumina and other alumina chemicals at Aluminium Oxid Stade (AOS) refinery in Stade, Germany. However, the facility has been recognised with the certification for its entire operations, including port, administration, storage areas, and landfill in Stade. Dadco’s AOS refinery has an annual production capacity of more than 1 million tonnes of alumina. They supply the alumina to smelters for processing into aluminium and deliver alumina chemicals for the production of flame retardants and water treatment products. The ASI Performance Standard V2...
Reynaers Aluminium UK has significantly reduced lead times for its ConceptWall 50 curtain wall system following a major expansion of its UK warehouse. The company's warehouse space has increased to 95,000 Sq. Ft., allowing for approximately 40 per cent extra stock to be stored and increasing stock in line with demand. The popular ConceptWall 50 system offers unlimited design freedom and exceptional performance while providing high-specification resilience with accredited weather performance. The system is highly insulated and can achieve Passive House levels of thermal performance at 0.8W/m²K. Its quality is assured through CWCT testing and approval. According to John McComb, Technical Director at Reynaers, mid-sized projects often require curtain walling within a short span, especially...
Australia has entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the US state of California to propel clean energy technology development and strategic partnerships. Australia is a heavy mining region and will benefit from this green energy collaboration, while California, the largest economy in the United States with Silicon Valley at its heart, might lend operational expertise on this matter. The MoU was signed on Wednesday and revolves around the active cooperation of these two regions on advancements to curb carbon emissions, protect the ecosystem, and obliterate global warming and climate change. Australia and California are preparing the greatest of its minds in the metal and aluminium industry, as well as the academia, to work together on matters concerning clean energy supply chains...
In a strategic move to propel its flagship project forward, Canyon Resources Limited, a bauxite development and exploration company, has unveiled a subscription agreement with Singapore's Eagle Eye Asset Holdings (EEA). The agreement bears the potential for an investment of up to A$59.7 million, indicating a significant financial boost for the company. Canyon Resources is laser-focused on advancing the Minim Martap Bauxite project situated in central Cameroon. This project managed through its subsidiary Camalco, has already gained momentum with a promising Bank Feasibility Study confirming its profitability and long-term viability over an initial 20-year mining period. Bolstered by a sizable high-grade mineral resource estimate, the project's potential was underscored by a defined Life of...
The heat treatment process plays a crucial role in the entire value chain of aluminium. From raw materials melting by electrolysis, semi-finished product manufacturing such as traditional sheets, plates and wire rods, to finished product making such as thin aluminium foil or engine blocks, intermediate heat treatment is inevitable. The importance of the heat treatment process in aluminium manufacturing is because it poses strength, hardness, ductility, toughness, wear resistance, elasticity, and magnetism, improving the metal's properties and making the output high-quality and functional. Heat treatment is a way of using controlled heating and cooling procedures, which otherwise is a critical and cumbersome task. Most of the unavoidable and annoying consequences that occur within...
When it comes to automobiles, aluminium has a league of its own. Arcelor Mittal, a global steel company, has received a Fuso Canter 7C18 to deliver steel plates across North England from its Birkenhead location. The Fuso Canter, with its aluminium foundation platform, is an excellent match for the services required by the Luxembourg-based multinational corporation. Having an aluminium base, the light-duty commercial vehicle weighing only 7.5 tonnes, the Canter will be put to use for transferring goods between high-end manufacturers to customers, including the renowned Cammell Laird shipyard, which is a little over a mile away. As stated by Elliott Taylor, transport production coordinator: “These consignments include profiles cut from plate to exacting measurements, and the deliveries are...
On Friday, August 18, Alcoa Corporation, the world’s eighth-largest aluminium producer, announced the renewal of the agreement with AGL Energy Limited (AGL) to source 300 megawatts of power for its Portland Aluminium Smelter in Victoria. The new agreement will be valid for nine years, effective from July 1, 2026, when the current contract between Alcoa and AGL expires. The 300 megawatts of power will meet around 50 per cent of the energy required to produce the annual nameplate capacity of 358,000 tonnes of aluminium at Alcoa’s Portland Aluminium Smelter. Currently, the smelter is producing about 75 per cent of the nameplate capacity. According to Alcoa Australia President Matt Reed, the new deal will secure the smelter’s future operation and save more than 760 jobs, including...
The Greener Sweden Project, started by Hydro in 2022, an ambitious energy project to remove local carbon emissions from the region, has been started. The installation of solar panels and battery storage at Hydro's Swedish extrusions facilities in Vetlanda, Sjunnen, and Finspång has begun. The rooftop solar panels and battery storage are expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2023, followed by ground-mounted solar panels in 2024. The first phase, carried out by Hydro's renewable energy division Hydro Rein, consists of roof and ground-mounted solar panels and battery storage devices. This will augment Hydro's current Sjunnen local hydropower facility. The technological solution consists of 2.2 MWp roof-mounted solar cells, about 1.8 MWp ground-mounted solar cells, and two battery...
LME aluminium opened at US$2,132 per tonne on Thursday, with its high and low at US$2,186 per tonne and US$2,132 per tonne, respectively, before closing at US$2,146 per tonne, an increase of US$3 per tonne or 0.14 per cent from the previous trading day. On Thursday, August 17, both LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price surged by US$41.5 per tonne or 1.98 per cent and US$42 per tonne or 2.01 per cent to close at US$2,130 per tonne and US$2,131 per tonne. The 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price gained US$29 per tonne or 1.35 per cent and US$27 per tonne or 1.25 per cent to close at US$2,171 per tonne and US$2,171.50 per tonne. December 24 bid price and December 24 offer price expanded by US$25 per tonne to score at US$2,337 per tonne and US$2,342 per...
Capral Limited, manufacturer and distributor of fabricated and semi-fabricated aluminium and associated products in Australia, has reported strong result for H1 2023 that has outperformed expectations. As per the report, the company’s net cash stood at $41.2 million at the end of the year’s first half and net profit after cash at $16.6 million. However, this is to be noted that Capral’s net profit for H1 recorded a plunge of 25.2 per cent year-on-year from $22.2 million, attributed to the sluggish LME aluminium benchmark price. Lower sales volume was also another reason for the drop in Capral’s H1 net profit. Sales volume stood at 35,600 tonnes at the end of June, down by 2 per cent from the same period last year. Meanwhile, Capral’s underlying EBITDA showed a slight rise from $31.6...
Gone are the days of struggling with hulking laptops. Acer has a solution to this. The new Acer Predator Triton 14 illustrates how a lightweight laptop can be beneficial and powerful. The lid made of aluminium is sturdy, sleek, durable, anti-corrosive and travel-friendly, catering to both the needs of gamers and working professionals. With its new Predator Triton 14 gaming plus professional laptop, Acer has made a remarkable impact in electronics. For a clean, elegant design, its lid is made of aluminium, and its chassis is forged with magnesium. Aluminium is a bad conductor of heat, which assists in heat dissipation and allows the laptop to operate without becoming overheated. The Acer Predator Triton 14 boasts responsive chiclet keys with RGB lighting and a fingerprint sensor in the...
Researchers from the University of Bayreuth in Germany have brainstormed a brand new method of recycling aluminium-plastic composite (APL) films, usually found in packaging solutions for potato chips worldwide. Through this newly discovered novel process, researchers are recreating energy-efficient cooling films with the used APL potato chips packets. Prof Markus Retsch from the University of Bayreuth, Germany, has been leading this revolutionising process with his team of gallant experts. The process he has developed upcycles the end-of-life APL films while lessening the amount of carbon emitted during conventional recycling processes. The APL packages can be revamped to create high-performance cooling films with a simple coating atop. The transformed modules can be crucial in...
Bobby, the newest "healthy" soft drink to enter the market, is a low-sugar, sustainable soft drink alternative devoid of preservatives and artificial flavours and contains gut-friendly bacteria. Sustainability is at the core of Bobby, and is known for using ecologically friendly packaging made of recycled aluminium and cardboard slabs. The firm always looks for methods to reduce, reuse, and recycle. "We signed off on the flavours in September 2021 but didn't launch until May the following year after multiple delays on some of our raw materials, mainly about the supply of printed aluminium cans. Our mission is to own the word soft drink and to redefine it in the minds of Australians nationally; traditionally a 'taboo' word associated with unhealthy diets and rotting teeth, we take great...
Sansera Engineering Ltd is a precision-forged and machined aluminium components manufacturer that caters to both auto and non-auto segments. The company is planning to invest INR 300 crore in FY24 for capacity expansion and line balancing to cater to the growing order book. The facility is designed to house all the aluminium forged and machine product categories of components, aligning with the company's long-term sales contribution target of 20% for xEV and tech-agnostic products. Vikas Goel, CFO of the company, informed investors during the Q1 FY24 earnings call that the majority of the capex would be in the non-auto and Auto-ICE categories. It aims to deliver upon the growing order book and spend part of the capex on the machining facility, which is under construction. The Chairman &...
The Aluminium Federation (ALFED) will hold the first training sessions for its newest programme, the 'Aluminium Ambassador Programme'. The initiative, launched in collaboration with Bloodhound Education, will include an online (22 August) and in-person (11 September) session. The programme, available only to ALFED members, will develop industry role models from member firms to inspire the next generation of professionals by presenting the aluminium sector. Aluminium Ambassadors will be educated to travel into educational and business settings to provide informative speeches and organise EnvironmentAl training workshops to inspire topics and career interests. "The ALFED Aluminium Ambassador Programme is a great opportunity to establish industry role models to support the UK aluminium...
