Innovating Aluminium: From Scrap to High-Value Performance

HORIZON-CL4-2026-01-MAT-PROD-14 – Improving availability of secondary raw materials through recycling (IA)

The technological capabilities of the Łukasiewicz - Institute of Non Ferrous Metals are focused on the casting of aluminium alloy billets for subsequent metal forming processes, including direct and indirect extrusion, Continuous Rotary Extrusion system (CRE) processing, and forging. In addition, the Institute has extensive experience in the production of decorative, protective, and hard coatings on aluminium products, as well as in waste reprocessing and disposal. All materials are characterized in the Institute’s Accredited Laboratory, covering chemical analysis, metallographic and X-ray examinations, mechanical testing, corrosion resistance evaluation, and assessment of technological properties.

The proposed technology involves recovering high-quality aluminium on a semi-industrial scale as part of a closed-loop process. It enables the production of high-performance 6xxx and 7xxx series alloys containing a high proportion of recycled scrap, with melts weighing between 20 and 800 kg. It bridges the gap between laboratory-scale development and industrial implementation.

Key innovations include optimised alloy processing and refinement, with metal purity assessed using Prefil Footprinter® and PODFA analysis based on TIC, to ensure that the alloys' mechanical properties are maintained after extrusion. Additionally, real-time surface defect detection using deep neural networks and artificial intelligence monitors extruded profiles, enabling the immediate identification of defects, process deviations, and quality loss.

These applications include extruded products for use in the aerospace, automotive, transport, construction and defence industries.

The strong potential of the Light Metal Center at Łukasiewicz – IMN is underpinned by a highly specialized team of experts with long-standing experience in light metals research. The team has successfully acquired and implemented numerous national and international projects, including EIT RawMaterials initiatives, the RADIUS project, Horizon 2020 projects, SALEMA, and CORNET ALU4CEED