Effect of Recycling on the Mechanical Properties of 6000 Series Aluminum-Alloy Sheet

Sustainability is one of the biggest values of today and for the future of our society; a responsible usage of material in every sector is fundamental to achieving sustainability goals. Aluminum alloys are some of the most promising materials in terms of strength and weight, but their production implies the emission of a high amount of CO2. For that reason, the study and development of aluminum alloys with increasing scrap content play a central role in future applications. In the current study, two sheet-aluminum 6181 alloys with different scrap content were analyzed and compared with a 6181 alloy coming from primary production. The alloys were compared in terms of chemical composition, microstructure, tensile properties, and forming behaviors. The results showed that the alloys coming from secondary productions contained a higher amount of manganese, iron, and copper. The metallurgical and mechanical behaviors were very similar to those of the primary produced alloy. Nevertheless, a drop in formability was shown in the aluminum alloys containing a high scrap amount when stressed in a biaxial condition. The study demonstrated the viability of 6181 alloy production using a high scrap amount, highlighting the main difference with the same alloy coming from primary route production.

Automated summary

Sustainability is a crucial value for our society, and aluminum alloys are promising materials for achieving sustainability goals due to their strength and lightweight. However, the production of aluminum alloys emits a high amount of CO2. Therefore, the study and development of aluminum alloys with increased scrap content are essential. This study compared two sheet-aluminum 6181 alloys with different scrap content and a 6181 alloy from primary production. Results showed that secondary production alloys contained higher amounts of manganese, iron, and copper. The metallurgical and mechanical behaviors were similar to the primary produced alloy, but a decrease in formability was observed in high scrap content aluminum alloys.