Innovation has been crucial for the industry, as research in materials science and engineering asks for new processes. Amongst the innovations, are the powder-based processes. Manufacturing techniques, as powder metallurgy boosts the production of components for industrial sectors, as aerospace. Therefore, the aim is to lighten these components but not decrease their mechanical performance.
Specifically, RINA highlighted that there’s a development of new aluminium powders for manufacturing processes.
The price of manufactured products is linked to two parameters:
- manufacturing/processing techniques;
- raw material.
Due to the fact that natural resources are not inexhaustible, many sectors are promoting aluminium recycling, resulting to economic, environmental and social advantages. The recycled aluminium saves energy and time, money and natural resources. In the meantime, it provides jobs and helps to pay for community services that make life better for millions of people.
Mainly, many use aluminium powder as alternative killing agents in stainless steel production or for the development of refractories. The base is a high-purity metal or alloy. This is then melted and atomised within enclosures consisting of gas or plasma atomisers to obtain the desired product.
Therefore, RINA aspires to explore additional sources to produce aluminium powder for use in additive manufacturing and other industrial technologies and also steel processing.
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The final product should be ideal-to-use in high tech areas, keeping in mind that demand for aluminium in these fields is growing by an average of 5–7% annually.
In its laboratories, RINA will reuse aluminium from urban mining, taking the majority of it from waste and scrap and through a melting process will enable organic material, including food waste and other residues, to be converted to energy sources for the process.
The powders that will come from the above processes, will be analysed and tested. Then, the new powders will be compared to those currently available on the market.
Concluding, what is expected from this process, is a new aluminium alloy extracted from scrap.