Innovative Solid-State Recycling of Aluminum Alloy AA6063 Chips Through Direct Hot Rolling Process

In this paper, the feasibility of an innovative solid-state recycling process for aluminum alloy AA6063 chips through direct rolling is studied, with the aim of offering an environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional recycling processes. Aluminum chips, produced by milling an AA6063 bill...

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Main Authors: Mauro Carta, Noomane Ben Khalifa, Pasquale Buonadonna, Rayane El Mohtadi, Filippo Bertolino, Mohamad El Mehtedi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Metals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/12/1442
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author Mauro Carta
Noomane Ben Khalifa
Pasquale Buonadonna
Rayane El Mohtadi
Filippo Bertolino
Mohamad El Mehtedi
author_facet Mauro Carta
Noomane Ben Khalifa
Pasquale Buonadonna
Rayane El Mohtadi
Filippo Bertolino
Mohamad El Mehtedi
author_sort Mauro Carta
collection DOAJ
description In this paper, the feasibility of an innovative solid-state recycling process for aluminum alloy AA6063 chips through direct rolling is studied, with the aim of offering an environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional recycling processes. Aluminum chips, produced by milling an AA6063 billet without the use of lubricants, were first compacted using a hydraulic press with a 200 kN load and subsequently heat-treated at 570 °C for 6 h. The compacted chips were directly hot-rolled through several successive passes at 490 °C. The bulk material underwent the same rolling schedule to allow comparison of the samples and assess the process, in terms of mechanical properties and microstructure. All the rolled samples were tested by tensile and microhardness tests, whereas the microstructure was observed by an optical microscope and the EBSD-SEM technique. The fracture surface of all tested samples was analyzed by SEM. Recycled samples exhibited good mechanical properties, comparable to those of the bulk material. In particular, the bulk material showed an ultimate tensile strength of 218 MPa, in contrast to 177 MPa for the recycled chips, and comparable elongation at break. This study demonstrates that direct rolling of compacted aluminum chips is both technically feasible and has environmental benefits, offering a promising approach for sustainable aluminum recycling in industrial applications within a circular economy framework.
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spelling doaj-art-6388cdf4d6d04c699d7b91e037295a402025-08-20T02:56:50ZengMDPI AGMetals2075-47012024-12-011412144210.3390/met14121442Innovative Solid-State Recycling of Aluminum Alloy AA6063 Chips Through Direct Hot Rolling ProcessMauro Carta0Noomane Ben Khalifa1Pasquale Buonadonna2Rayane El Mohtadi3Filippo Bertolino4Mohamad El Mehtedi5Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, ItalyInstitute for Production Technology and Systems, Leuphana University Lüneburg, 21335 Lüneburg, GermanyDepartment of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, ItalyDepartment of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, 09123 Cagliari, ItalyIn this paper, the feasibility of an innovative solid-state recycling process for aluminum alloy AA6063 chips through direct rolling is studied, with the aim of offering an environmentally sustainable alternative to conventional recycling processes. Aluminum chips, produced by milling an AA6063 billet without the use of lubricants, were first compacted using a hydraulic press with a 200 kN load and subsequently heat-treated at 570 °C for 6 h. The compacted chips were directly hot-rolled through several successive passes at 490 °C. The bulk material underwent the same rolling schedule to allow comparison of the samples and assess the process, in terms of mechanical properties and microstructure. All the rolled samples were tested by tensile and microhardness tests, whereas the microstructure was observed by an optical microscope and the EBSD-SEM technique. The fracture surface of all tested samples was analyzed by SEM. Recycled samples exhibited good mechanical properties, comparable to those of the bulk material. In particular, the bulk material showed an ultimate tensile strength of 218 MPa, in contrast to 177 MPa for the recycled chips, and comparable elongation at break. This study demonstrates that direct rolling of compacted aluminum chips is both technically feasible and has environmental benefits, offering a promising approach for sustainable aluminum recycling in industrial applications within a circular economy framework.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/12/1442solid-state recyclinghot rollingaluminumchipsAA6063EBSD-SEM
spellingShingle Mauro Carta
Noomane Ben Khalifa
Pasquale Buonadonna
Rayane El Mohtadi
Filippo Bertolino
Mohamad El Mehtedi
Innovative Solid-State Recycling of Aluminum Alloy AA6063 Chips Through Direct Hot Rolling Process
Metals
solid-state recycling
hot rolling
aluminum
chips
AA6063
EBSD-SEM
title Innovative Solid-State Recycling of Aluminum Alloy AA6063 Chips Through Direct Hot Rolling Process
title_full Innovative Solid-State Recycling of Aluminum Alloy AA6063 Chips Through Direct Hot Rolling Process
title_fullStr Innovative Solid-State Recycling of Aluminum Alloy AA6063 Chips Through Direct Hot Rolling Process
title_full_unstemmed Innovative Solid-State Recycling of Aluminum Alloy AA6063 Chips Through Direct Hot Rolling Process
title_short Innovative Solid-State Recycling of Aluminum Alloy AA6063 Chips Through Direct Hot Rolling Process
title_sort innovative solid state recycling of aluminum alloy aa6063 chips through direct hot rolling process
topic solid-state recycling
hot rolling
aluminum
chips
AA6063
EBSD-SEM
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/14/12/1442
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