RMIT Europe receives funding to develop recycled aluminium alloy coatings for steel products

RMIT Europe, a global university of technology, design and enterprise, has received funding of AU$434K from the EU Research Fund for Coal & Steel (RFCS) for its new research project ALCOAT. ALCOAT is a 42-month project to develop two new families of aluminium alloy coatings by recycling metal scrap destined for landfill. The outcome will be a more sustainable alternative to zinc for the galvanization of steel products.

Steel is an inevitable metal for the construction sector for its mechanical properties, availability and affordability. But if left untreated, the metal is susceptible to oxidation and subsequent damages like cracking and rusting, especially in a moisture-rich environment. Here comes the role of aluminium alloy coatings to protect it from corrosion.

 “Scrap aluminium is widely available but being contaminated with iron and magnesium makes it brittle and unusable for many applications, meaning it is often either discarded or used for lower-level purposes such as pellets,” said Professor Ivan Cole, Research Director at RMIT Europe.

“However, this aluminium is exactly what we need to produce a good coating for steel as the contaminants it contains actually stop oxide from forming.”