This automotive part was manufactured from RidgeAlloy, a new structural alloy developed by researchers at ORNL. It was cast using metals recycled entirely from post-consumer aluminum auto body sheets. Image Credit: ORNL, U.S. Department of Energy
Technology USARecycled Car Scrap Turned Into High-Performance Metal
The United States has developed a new aluminium alloy that transforms low-value car scrap into high-performance material, enabling stronger, more sustainable vehicle production.
“That’s an unheard-of pace of innovation in developing complex structural alloys,” said Allen Haynes, director of the Light Metals Core Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
The new RidgeAlloy converts contaminated automotive aluminium into structural components that meet modern safety and durability standards. Recycling aluminium can reduce energy use by up to 95% compared with primary production, and with up to 350,000 tonnes of vehicle scrap expected annually in North America, the technology could unlock a major domestic resource. Successfully demonstrated in real vehicle parts within 15 months, the breakthrough could lower costs, reduce imports and reshape supply chains for future manufacturing.
