Scientific project

ULiège takes part in the SALEMA project for the substitution of critical raw materials in aluminium alloys for electric vehicles



The University of Liege, and more particularly the GeMMe research group, is taking part in the European H2020 SALEMA project (“Substitution of critical raw materials on aluminium alloys for electric vehicles"). SALEMA brings together a consortium of 16 partners from 6 different H2020 participating countries comprising leading European industrial companies, research centers and universities.

A

A €8.93 million grant was awarded by the European Commission (EC) to develop the substitution of critical raw materials in aluminium alloys for electric vehicles. The project will be developed under the leadership of Fundacio EURECAT, a Spanish leading Technology Centre based in Catalonia, and the second largest private research organization in Southern Europe.

Through the SALEMA project, the ULiège GeMMe Lab (UEE) will expand knowledge in aluminium (Al) sorting and recycling processes and further develop efficient and sustainable Al alloys using a higher percentage of scrap. ULiège will notably lead Work Package 7 (WP) on “scrap sorting system optimisation” with the following objectives :

  1. Develop to Technical Readiness Level 7 (TRL) a multi-sensor based automated multiclass online sorting system of Al alloys.
  2. Operate a large-scale pilot campaign for the sorting of up to 150 tonnes of Zorba to deliver large batches of minimum 30 tonnes of various Al alloys for pilot activities of WP 4, 5 and 6.
  3. Assess the ability of the new alloys developed within SALEMA to be sorted from scraps streams.

The scrap sorting optimisation will target four Al alloy scrap classes and subclasses obtained from Zorba sized at 50-100 mm and sourced from the recycling of end-of-life vehicles and metallic scraps. Zorba consists in a mix of shredded nonferrous metals comprising primarily aluminium, but which may also contain copper, lead, brass, magnesium, stainless steel, nickel, tin and zinc. Zorba is produced by eddy current separator or other segregation techniques typically used in the recycling industry.

ULiège provides key background to the project, notably :

  • 3D reconstruction of scraps on conveyor belts.
  • Synchronization of muti-sensors signatures (3D, Hyperspectral UV-VIS, XRT and LIBS).
  • 3D-Hyperspectral and XRT classification software for mixed Zorba.
  • Ultra-fast robotic gripping of scraps on conveyor belt.

ULiège will participate to SALEMA through its GeMMe Research Group member of the Urban and Environmental Engineering Research Unit and specialized in georesources, mineral engineering and extractive metallurgy. The GeMMe contributes to the development of innovative processes for the efficient management of mineral and metallic resources while providing unparalleled upscaling experience in urban ore characterization and processing (with a focus on innovative sorting techniques and hydrometallurgy) derived from a long research tradition in the processing of primary ores.

Belgium is represented in SALEMA by three partners : The European Aluminum Association, ULiège and Comet Traitements. Comet Traitements and the GeMMe have developed a long-standing collaboration, notably focused on the industrialization of post-shredder processes for the recovery of non-ferrous metals, minerals, iron oxides, plastics and precious metals as highlighted in the Reverse Metallurgy Walloon regional program during which specific R&D in the field of smart sorting and hydrometallurgy was upscaled to the piloting stage with the PICK-IT and BIOLIX projects respectively.

The Zorba to be treated by ULiège in SALEMA will be provided by Comet Traitements and this collaboration represents yet one more step in the valorization of the PICKIT technology.

SALEMA Circular Economy Value Chain

SALEMA Partners 

Aluminium is a key material for the automotive industry by providing high performance, lightweight, fully recyclability and cost-effectiveness while being technically viable and economically affordable for mass-market application. However, high performance Al grades make use of a wide range of alloying elements, notably some classified as Critical Raw Materials (CRM) for which the European Union (EU) faces supply risk.

SALEMA will develop high performance aluminium concepts to shield the automotive sector and the aluminium processing industry from the dependency on CRM with the following two strategies : 1) develop Al grades with a high amount of recycled material, that is, reclaiming CRMs already embedded in end-of-life scrap metal available within the EU as a substitute for the import of refined pure elements, and, 2) demonstrate the feasibility to substitute the CRM in Al alloys by Iron, a non-critical metal produced within the European borders. These new SALEMA materials will undergo testing with the most widely used processes in application for the automotive industry (sheets, castings and extrusions), notably through four pilot actions : High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC), Cold and Hot sheet metal Stamping, and Extrusion.

SALEMA project activities will be carried out over 3-year time frame and address in a coordinated and cooperative manner the key challenges of the value chain: improving scrap classification and sorting systems to turn scrap into a valuable raw material; demonstrating the feasibility to substitute CRMs in alloying systems; developing recycled aluminium alloys with improved mechanical performance.

Follow the project on LinkedIn

ULiège Contact

Philippe GIARO


Europe drapeau pt SALEMA was submitted within the framework of the Horizon 2020 Call H2020-SC5-2018-2019-2020 (Greening the economy in line with the Sustainable Development Goals) under the topic CE- SC5-10-2019-2020.

Share this news