A PROCESS FOR RECYCLING AA7075 SCRAP ENHANCES PROSPECTS FOR RECOVERING WASTE MATERIAL FROM THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY.
Each year, about 700 commercial aircraft retire, joining more than 16,000 planes that are grounded for good.1 Given that aluminum makes up some 80% of an average aircraft by weight, the world’s decommissioned fleet is a valuable material resource. While most of the aluminum used in industrial markets like autos or buildings is recycled, aerospace aluminum remains a relatively untapped resource.
A team from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and Eck Industries, Inc. (Eck) has developed a new process for recycling AA7075, a wrought aluminum alloy commonly used for aircraft components. The process converts AA7075 scrap directly into a high-strength, castable secondary alloy with mechanical properties comparable to premium aluminum casting alloys including those used in the automotive sector.
Read more about this project, its objectives, impacts, and the next steps taken by reading the full summary here.
Project Participants:
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
- Eck Industries, Inc. (Eck)