ICARFA EURECAT

Development of aluminum alloys with more than 90% recycled content.

The ICARFA project, to obtain these aluminum alloys, establishes a methodology to obtain a constant quality from scrap metal, which results in a predictable casting process that reduces the need for primary material to balance out tramp elements.

On the other hand, the project explores the limits of the alloy to comprehensively understand how chemical composition and tramp elements affect allow formability and service properties, being able to tailor the composition to requirements and applications.

In addition, ICARFA explores technologies to increase formability of aluminium sheet, applying surface texturing to improve interaction with lubricants, and warm forming for better plastic deformation.

These technologies expand the use of aluminium sheet into more complex applications, reduce the use of lubricants and generation of scrap and offsetting potential loss of formability in extreme chemical composition ranges.

Lightweight, corrosion resistant, affordable and non-flammable, aluminum alloys offer an attractive combination of properties structural applications in mobility. Proof of this is the growing trend in the use of aluminium in the automotive sector, since the choice of lightweight materials translates into a cost-effective way of improving the vehicle range.

This study focuses on 5XXX-series sheet metal, alloys commonly used in the automotive sector, but also in fields such as railways and even naval and airspace.

The ICARFA project is led by ALUDIUM, one of the main Spanish rolled sheet aluminium producers. For its part, Eurecat participates through its Ceramic and Metallic Materials Unit, which generates deep knowledge on scrap management, formability analysis and warm forming as an innovative production technique.

General details

Project

ICARFA – Increased recycled aluminum content for high formability automotive parts

Project reference

CPP2021-008886

Programme and call for tender

Project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through the call “R+D+i Projects in Public-Private Collaboration”, State Program to Promote Scientific and Technical Research and its Transfer, from the State Plan for Scientific, Technical Research and Innovation 2021-2023, within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan