Aluminium International Today - Digital Issue - April 2016

PRIMARY PRODUCTION

RECYCLING & SORTING

GREEN BUILDING

PACKAGING

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THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT N E WS

P RIMARY

REC YCLI NG

E NV I RO NM E NT

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CONTENTS

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Sustainability Supplement April 2016 Editorial Editor: Nadine Firth Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855115 nadinefirth@quartzltd.com

COVER PRIMARY PRODUCTION

RECYCLING & SORTING

GREEN BUILDING

PACKAGING

Consulting Editor: Tim Smith PhD, CEng, MIM Production Editor: Annie Baker www.aluminiumtoday.com

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

Sales Sales Manager: Anne Considine anneconsidine@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855139 Sales Director: Ken Clark kenclark@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855117

SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT NEW S

PRI MARY

R E C YC LIN G

E N V IR O N M E N T

NEWS

ALUSOLUTIONS 2016

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Join us at AluSolutions

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Exhibitor Profiles

PRIMARY 6

Energy optimisation: A plant-wide focus

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Greener aluminium production

CASTHOUSE

12 How to achieve a sustainable casthouse

Advertisement Production

Production Executive: Martin Lawrence

Circulation/subscriptions Elizabeth Barford Tel +44 (0) 1737 855028 Fax +44 (0) 1737 855034­ email subscriptions@quartzltd.com Annual subscription: UK £224, all other countries £244. For two year subscription: UK £403, all other countries £439. Airmail prices on request.

Single copies £41

LEADER

SUSTAINABLE SUPPORT

15 Enhancing long-term drivers for w w w. a l u s o l u t i o n s . c o m

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Supporters of Aluminium International Today

18 Sustainability schemes: What can

aluminium learn from other sectors?

TRANSPORT HANDLING

20 Keep on truckin’

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RECYCLING & SORTING

22 Waste processing: Sorted 23 High-grade metals from recycling 25 Sorting solutions improve aluminium recycling

ALUMINIUM INTERNATIONAL TODAY is published six times a year by Quartz Business Media Ltd, Quartz House, 20 Clarendon Road, Redhill, Surrey, RH1 1QX, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855000 Fax: +44 (0) 1737 855034 Email: aluminium@quartzltd.com

28 Putting the Circular Economy in Motion

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Aluminium International Today (USO No; 022-344) is published bi-monthly

by Quartz Business Ltd and distributed in the US

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Contents Template.indd 1

32 Green Building Guide

PACKAGING 38 Aluminium is playing its part

EXTRUSION 40 The power of solar @AluminiumToday

Sustainability Supplement April 2016

GREEN BUILDING

34 Towards sustainable cities

© Quartz Business Media Ltd 2016

ISSN1475-455X

PERSPECTIVES 39 Rigaku answers Aluminium International Today

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SUSTAINABLE NEWS

COMMENT 1

Karmøy technology pilot Hydro has made a formal build decision for the planned fullscale technology pilot at Karmøy, Norway, aiming to verify the world's most climate and energy efficient production of primary aluminium.

Total costs are estimated at NOK 4.3 billion, consisting of net project costs of NOK 2.7 billion and around NOK 1.6 billion in support from Enova. First metal from the technology pilot is expected during the second half of 2017.

With the pilot project, Hydro

aims to industrialise the world’s most climate and energy efficient aluminium electrolysis technology.

The ambition is to reduce energy consumption by around 15% per kilo aluminium produced compared to the world average, with the lowest CO2 footprint in the world.

In addition, the implementation of technology spin-offs to existing production lines are expected to improve productivity in the current primary aluminium portfolio, contributing to Hydro’s capacity

creep ambition of an additional 200,000 tonnes per year by 2025.

The technology pilot is designed with an annual production capacity of approximately 75,000 tonnes, consisting of 48 cells with 12.3 kWh/ Kg HAL4e technology and 12 cells with 11.5-11.8 kWh/kg HAL4e Ultra technology. Total costs are estimated at NOK 4.3 billion, consisting of net project costs of NOK 2.7 billion and around NOK 1.6 billion in support from Enova.

Recycling record The overall recycling rate for aluminium beverage cans in the European Union, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland increased by 1.8% to a new record level of 71.3% in 2013. European Aluminium considers this result an important milestone on its path towards its voluntary recycling target for used beverage cans of 80% by 2020.

From its first introduction more than 50 years ago, the aluminium beverage can has been an integral part of the Circular Economy. It is infinitely recyclable without loss of its properties and its value. This makes it the ideal packaging solution to help achieving the new ambitious EU recycling targets proposed for the years 2025 and even 2030.

On the whole European continent (including other East-European countries, Russia and Turkey) more than 28 billion cans have been recycled. Their metal stays in the European circular economy and remains available for the production of new aluminium products.

These collected cans represent a total amount of 400,000 tonnes of recycled aluminium. Recycling aluminium saves up to 95% of the energy used or the greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) emitted to produce primary aluminium. This means that European aluminium can recycling avoids 3.2 million tonnes of GHG, which is equivalent to the yearly emissions of the population of cities such as Bilbao, Cardiff, Lublin or Nice.

Bauxite mining ban Malaysia is extending its ban on bauxite mining by another three months, effective April 15, in order to clear stockpiles and curb air and water pollution caused by the sector in the past two years.

The country emerged last year as a major provider of bauxite after leading producer Indonesia banned ore exports to encourage more processing at home.

From January to November, Aluminium International Today

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Malaysia shipped some 20 million metric tons of bauxite to China, the world’s biggest aluminium producer. That was nearly half China’s total bauxite imports and a sharp increase from 3.25 million tons in the same period in 2014.

But the activity took its toll on the environment and the public quickly turned against the country’s largely unregulated bauxite mining industry, accusing it of turning the

waters and seas red near Kuantan, the capital of Malaysia’s thirdlargest state.

As a result, the country’s natural resources and environment ministry imposed a three-month ban early this year and froze new permits for the export of bauxite.

While the ban will now last until July, the issuing of export permits will resume as soon as existing stockpiles disappear.

Sustainable solutions With the AluSolutions conference and exhibition just around the corner (10th - 11th May), this free supplement includes a number of articles with a focus on sustainable solutions and technology across the aluminium value chain.

The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) was launched in 2012 to foster greater sustainability and transparency throughout the aluminium industry. On page 15, Dr Fiona Solomon, Director of the ASI talks about enhancing long-term drivers for sustainability.

Dr Solomon will be leading a panel session with ASI member companies on the second day of the AluSolutions conference (11th May). Representatives from member companies such as Rio Tinto, Norsk Hydro, UC Rusal and Schüco Middle East will discuss their involvement with the ASI and assess industry-specific sustainability challenges. For more information on this and the other free-to-attend sessions, see page 2.

Other articles in this special issue look at energy optimisation beyond smelting operations, sorting and recycling of aluminium, green building applications and much more.

I hope you enjoy this issue and if you’d like to know more about working towards a sustainable aluminium industry, there is still time to register to attend AluSolutions on 10th 11th May at the ADNEC, Abu Dhabi, for free.

You can register online here: www.alusolutions.com/register nadinefirth@quartzltd.com Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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2 ALUSOLUTIONS PREVIEW

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Join us at

AluSolutions is a free-to-attend international conference and exhibition aimed at addressing the challenges and opportunities of sustainable aluminium production and processing.

The event will provide a platform to demonstrate how the aluminium industry is making continuous improvements in the environmental efficiency of producing aluminium, as well as its sustainability benefits in end-use applications.

Maintaining a sustainable aluminium industry While the primary process of aluminium production is energy-intensive, the industry has recently been promoting aluminium’s use-phase benefits as outweighing these environmental disadvantages.

Alongside this ‘new look’ for aluminium, recent environmental legislations mean that the primary industry is monitoring the impacts of bauxite mining, how it reduces emissions, saves energy and affects the local environment.

While further downstream, as the demand for aluminium grows, rolling companies, extrusion companies and casthouses are recycling aluminium to use it over and over again in a closed loop system.

The sustainability benefits of aluminium also continue into the end-use phase. In automotive and aerospace applications for example, lightweight technology has lead to a reduction in CO2 emissions, while packaging made from increasing amounts of recycled aluminium is driving a closed-loop circular economy.

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CONFERENCE The conference theme is “The Sustainability Story”, with dedicated sessions on: Sustainable smelting technology Diversification of downstream Sorting and recycling technologies Scrap recovery and dross processing Energy efficiency The conference will discuss the sustainability challenges faced when manufacturing and processing aluminium, as well as a look at the environmental benefits of end-use aluminium products.

Spaces are limited, so register online today to hear representatives from companies such as: The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Rio Tinto Norsk Hydro Gulf Extrusions UC Rusal Schüco Middle East (SME) TAHA Inc Elkem Carbon AS TOMRA Sorting The first day of the conference (10th May) will include speakers from EGA, Gulf Extrusions, The Bureau for Middle

Modar Al Mekdad General Manager, Gulf Extrusions

Mohammed Al Jawi Emirates Global Aluminium, Manager, Environment

Annika Shelly, Sustainability Communications Specialist, (UNEP)

East Recycling, TAHA Inc, TOMRA Sorting and many more. While on the second day (11th May), along with speakers from Rio Tinto, UC Rusal, Norsk Hydro and Schüco Middle East (SME), Dr Fiona Solomon of the ASI will host a panel session to highlight the organisation’s objectives and demonstrate how member companies are working towards a sustainable aluminium chain.

To view the full conference programme, Aluminium International Today

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EXHIBITION The AluSolutions exhibition offers a content-rich environment and international networking opportunity where you can spend time with the primary influencers and decision-makers within the industry.

Exhibitors will present technology and innovation in the following areas: Reducing energy and greenhouse gases Waste management Biodiversity and land management Resource efficiency and recycling Scrap recovery Aluminium’s end-use environmental benefits Current exhibitors include: Gulf Extrusions, Cast Aluminium Industries, ABB, Elkem and AlCircle to name a few.

Ammar Alul, General Manager, Schüco Middle East (SME)

André Schmoker Project Manager, DHZ

Melanie Williams, Consultant, Melanie Williams Consulting

Graham Bruce, Deputy CEO, Taha International

Erik Fossum, Head of Commercial (Senior Vice President) in Primary Metal, Hydro

Why Abu Dhabi?

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the world’s fourth largest aluminium producer, accounting for more than 50% of the Gulf’s aluminium production.

The region is known for its high quality aluminium and the plants are modern, with environmental protection regarded to be amongst the most advanced in the world.

The volume of aluminium production in the Gulf region is expected to increase to five million tonnes by the end of 2015,

which accounts for 17.5% of the total global output, compared with 3.7 million tonnes in 2012 or 11% of the total world production.

While the primary aluminium sector across the Gulf is growing year on year, significant focus is also being paid to the downstream products and services sector.

Abu Dhabi is an international business hub and visitors will be able to explore all the area has to offer, as well as taking time to visit the local industry.

Dr Fiona Solomon, Executive Director, Aluminium Stewardship Initiative

Florian Kongoli, Chairman, FLOGEN Technologies Inc

Salam Al Sharif, President, Bureau of Middle East Recycling (BMR)

Sandro Starita, Director, European Aluminium, EHS and Sustainability

Sebastian Ebers, Sales Engineer, TOMRA Sorting

Dr Stian Madshus, Marketing and Sales Director, Elkem Carbon AS

visit: www.alusolutions.com/conference Aluminium International Today

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4 ALUSOLUTIONS EXHIBITOR PROFILES

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Exhibitor Profiles: AluSolutions 2016 Gillespie & Power Booth: AB15 Gillespie & Powers, Inc. has over 75 years of experience in the design, supply and installation of high temperature furnace equipment for the non-ferrous melting and hazardous waste industries. We find ourselves in the unique position every day helping our customers find solutions to problems they have in their everyday processes.

Our special expertise in the furnishing of melting and process equipment is the total quantitative approach to all phases of the design. We take a comprehensive look at our clients overall process and their end product(s); we listen and assess their needs, goals, concerns and expectations, prior to designing a single item. We work closely with our clients to design the equipment that will work for their long-term goals without compromising flexibility in their process.

We can offer custom solutions found nowhere in the industry.

We include knowledge derived from years of experience in the building and Magneco/Metrel, Inc. Booth: AA3 Magneco/Metrel, Inc. (MMI) is a worldwide refractory manufacturer with headquarters in Addison, Illinois, USA. MMI has developed a line of refractory monolithic products referred to as “Metpump” for Aluminium Furnace Applications. MMI’s cement free colloidal silica bonded monolithic refractory products offer superior performing product compared to traditional cement bonded refractory material and bricks.

In fact, MMI’s aluminium contact products have been tested and Cast Aluminium Industries (CAI) Booth: AC7 CAI is a secondary aluminium smelting company that has served Dubal since 1999 & Emal ever since it was established. CAI is a one-stop shop for dross processing of the region’s primary smelters.

CAI is ISO 9001, 14001 & OHSAS 18001 certified and holds the approvals from Dubai Municipality & Dubai Civil Defence and is a proud member of Emirates Environmental Group.

CAI will have a new plant in KIZAD for the sole purpose to serve the UAE’s primary smelters in major and other GCC smelters in general.

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demonstrate excellent non-wetting characteristics, resulting in less rejected finished aluminium.

Metpump Products can be used for Full Construction of the Furnace, Major Repairs of the Furnace, Small Vessel Linings and Specialty Shapes.

The MMI solution requires less material to be used for furnace repairs exercising the endless lining practice, thereby reduces land fill costs, waste, plant environmental impact, and safety concerns. Metpump refractory products significantly prolong the lining life compared to conventional refractory.

Elkem Carbon Booth: AA8 Elkem Carbon is one of the leading suppliers of carbon cathode solutions to the primary aluminium industry. We are committed to provide our customers with products and services that can help them extend cell lifetime, use less energy, improve the working environment and increase productivity.

ELSEAL® is Elkem Carbon’s global brand for its range of high quality cathode ramming paste products. With the development and introduction of the ELSEAL® Type G product, Elkem Carbon contributes to a greener primary aluminium production. There are no PAH emissions during use, and workers will not be exposed to these potentially harmful compounds. ELSEAL® Type G is an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional cathode ramming paste products that have coal tar pitch based binder systems.

Some major advantages of ELSEAL® Type G: Does not contain PAH (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) nor other hazardous substances Easy handling and pleasant working environment – no odour and no need to use special personal protective equipment Improved shelf life No hazardous waste Elkem Carbon is a supplier of graphitised cathode blocks. Our high density and consistent quality products provide the basis for longer pot life. The cathode blocks can be offered in various geometric shapes tailor-made to the customer’s process with the benefit of a more stable operation and reduced energy consumption.

We look forward to seeing you at AluSolutions 2016, on stand AA8.

Hyster Booth: AC9 Hyster® is one of the leading global brands of materials handling equipment and offers a comprehensive range of nearly every type and size of industrial lift trucks up to 52 tonnes.

When a materials handling application demands dependability and durability… the answer is Hyster among the toughest and most reliable lift trucks on earth. Hyster products combine innovative design, industrial-

strength components, state-of-the-art manufacturing and testing.

In the aluminium industry some of the most challenging application environments are to be found due to the heat and high magnetic fields produced by the smelters.

With its specialist industry knowledge and expertise and the services of its Special Projects Engineering Department (SPED), Hyster can customise a solution for specific aluminium and metal applications. We have, for instance, created four packages

maintenance of aluminium melting and holding furnaces and other process equipment. This has furnished our insight as to the modes of failure and allowed us to advance our product designs. It has also allowed us to develop and design unique patented supplemental process equipment and patented processes that help to increase production and decrease energy and maintenance costs.

In the design of a furnace we carefully quantitate forces that will be generated by the heating of the furnace’s two distinctly different refractory systems, and provide for these forces with the addition of internal expansion and structural steel members placed in an systematic manner.

We have also completed numerous water model studies and have a thorough understanding of molten metal circulation. This, coupled with our knowledge of refractory selection, burner placement, combustion systems and control sequences uniquely qualifies Gillespie & Powers, Inc. to furnish the best equipment in the industry.

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Gulf Extrusions Booth: AA6 Gulf Extrusions is a leading aluminium extrusion company, member of the entrenched Al Ghurair Group and Metal Industries. The company is strategically located in Dubai alongside its main supplier Dubai Aluminium as well as its foremost gateway to the world The Jabal Ali Ports.

Gulf Extrusions quality products can be seen in many of today’s progressive structures. The company was formed with the sole purpose to meet the increasing demands for aluminium extrusions in Talex Booth: AA6 Talex is a downstream aluminium extrusion company established to drive and support the development of the Emirate’s industrial sector. Our mission is to be the quality, service and value-added leader in a competitive market, by providing to our customers the most diverse choice of quality products and services that require to improve performance, efficiency and enhance their competitive position.

Talex is committed to research and developmeny and reviewing its methods of operation to continually improve the quality of products and services offered.

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domestic, regional and international markets.

Gulf Extrusions six presses and highly skilled workforce are able to produce 60,000 metric tonnes per annum with a rated capacity of 24,000 tonnes for powder coated finish, 6,000 tonnes for anodised finish and can offer more than

18,000 profile designs. These extrusions cover numerous industries ranging from architectural to transportation, engineering to structural sections, components for household items, HVAC and customised products.

During the progressive stages of Gulf Extrusions, from its inception to expansion, the company not only has acquired a majority share in the local market, it has also made its presence felt globally throughout the GCC countries, Indian sub-continent, South East Asia, Australia, Africa, Europe and Canada.

ABB Booth: AB11 ABB provides solutions that improve the efficiency, productivity and quality of our customers’ operations. As part of the Process Automation division, ABB Metallurgy’s speciality is the optimisation of processes within the metals industry by providing electromagnetic stirrers (EMS) and brakes for casters and furnaces, and even stabilisers for galvanising lines. Our mission is to offer the most effective and energy efficient range of tailor made stirring solutions for a broad spectrum of applications.

In order to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations, a comprehensive and flexible range of EMS products is a prerequisite, together with the on-going evaluation and development of our

offerings. For aluminium stirring, we are continually broadening our already wide selection of products. In doing so, we can guarantee even more benefits as part of our performance warranty.

EMS for aluminium offers the following benefits: Increased productivity Lower energy consumption Reduced dross formation Higher alloy yield Homogeneous aluminium bath temperature Homogeneous chemical composition Payback typically within one year Energy efficient product range

AlCircle Booth: AB9 www.alcircle.com is an information and business portal for the global aluminum industry that covers the whole eco-system and value chain of aluminium. The portal lets you access news, event information, price update, directory data and business, service and HR leads along the five verticals of the aluminum industry…all on a single platform!

Engitec Technologies Booth: AB10 Engitec Group is a group of companies providing the complete engineering service and Original Equipment Manufacturing of the system for the recycling of non ferrous metal such as Aluminium, Lead, Zinc, Copper.

Engitec Technologies designs and builds plants and equipment for the recovery and recycling of scrap, dross, and other wastes

from secondary non-ferrous metallurgy.

The company specialises in the recovery of aluminium and salt from slag, as well as for the recovery of iron, zinc and other metallic elements from the steelworks EAF dust. Engitec organisation includes a Research and Development section with a dedicated Laboratory and with an area for pilot plants for the development of its technologies for the recovery of metals from scrap and residues.

of protection based on the magnetic field present on the site. Due to the high levels of dust and fine particulates that the lift trucks are usually exposed to in smelting applications, we also offer heavy-duty air filters. In short, our solutions can extend run time and enhance dependability in extreme operating environments where humidity, heat, carbon and aluminium dusts are common issues.

The extensive range of Hyster products is distributed and supported through a global network of exclusive dealers,

carefully selected on the strength of their customer support capability and outstanding service ethic. Kanoo Machinery is the exclusive Hyster dealer serving the Middle East, providing local coverage through their sales and service locations.

Visit us at AluSolutions Middle East 2016, on stand AC9, to discover our offering and find out how Hyster can reduce cost, improve productivity and enhance operations in the handling of aluminium in the toughest applications.

Aluminium International Today

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The majority of our 80 employees are based at ABB Metallurgy’s main headquarters in Västerås, Sweden.

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Energy optimisation: A plant-wide focus In this feature article from Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA), attention turns to energy optimisation beyond smelting operations.

EGA’s focus on energy optimisation extends way beyond its smelter operations to embrace other operational areas of the business. For example, both EGA Jebel Ali and EGA Al Taweelah have captive power plants, making both operations effectively selfsufficient in terms of energy requirements.

Nevertheless, the broader sustainability agenda at EGA is translated into ongoing efforts to minimise power consumption.

Through on-going optimisation efforts, the thermal efficiency of the EGA Jebel Ali power plant has improved over the years and in 2013, it reached its highest-ever level of 46%. Greater thermal efficiency means increased power generation to produce hot metal, while the fuel requirement increment is proportionately less – with direct environmental benefits in terms of fossil fuel combustion and associated environmental emissions. The thermal efficiency of the EGA Al Taweelah power plant, a much newer utility, was 47.85% in 2013. After completion of the EGA Al Taweelah Phase II expansion, net efficiency has been recorded at 51.62%.

Moreover, the co-generation configuration of both power plants means that a substantial proportion of the power generated is fuel-free – approximately 27% at EGA Jebel Ali; and 34.8% at EGA Al Taweelah. In addition, waste heat from the EGA Jebel Ali power plant is used to produce potable water through a sea water desalination plant.

Alternative energy sources Although the location of EGA’s smelter operations in the UAE ensures an abundant source of energy, primarily natural oil and gas, EGA strongly supports national

and regional efforts to find and adopt alternative energy sources. Particular support is given to the integrated energy strategies implemented by the UAE which address (among other aspects) demand abatement, diversifying the nation’s energy mix and the adoption of renewable energy sources – which will collectively ensure a higher level of energy security.

For example, EGA Jebel Ali is a member of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy (DSCE) and, as a corporate entity, is implementing the directives issued to all DSCE member companies regarding the Dubai Government’s measures to minimise energy consumption and fulfillment of the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 (DIES 2030). EGA Jebel Ali’s efforts in this area resulted in approximately 40,000 MWh having been saved between initial implementation of the directives in April 2011 and the end of 2014.

In 2013, the absorption chiller installed at EGA Jebel Ali became the UAE’s firstever absorption chiller set-up in a power plant using excess heat to produce chilled water for comfort cooling. Installed on the rooftop of the desalination plant control building, the absorption chiller has replaced the electrically-driven vapour compression chillers used previously.

It consumes less than 1 tonne/hour of steam and has reduced the site’s energy consumption by approximately 780,000 kWh per year, simultaneously reducing the smelter’s carbon footprint.

EGA’s renewable energy efforts to date have included EGA Jebel Ali’s investment of AED20 million in Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park (Dubai) Phase I (13 MW); participating in a feasibility study

relating to the establishment of clean coal-fired power stations in the UAE; and building a mini solar field at EGA Jebel Ali (70 kW). Under the sponsorship of the Executive Affairs Authority in Abu Dhabi, EGA Al Taweelah is working closely with TRANSCO and ADWEA to optimise gas utilisation within the Emirates. Several initiatives that will contribute towards establishing a more efficient grid are at various stages of implementation.

Conserving the environment The focus on energy optimisation is part of the bigger environmental conservation ambition at EGA, where ‘greening’ aluminium takes a prime position on the corporate agenda. “Our corporate ambition is ‘zero harm to people and the environment’,” explains Frank Briganti (Vice President of Environment, Health, Safety, Fire and Security at EGA). “We continually strive for and maintain some of the highest standards in environmental protection – from optimising raw material usage through effective energy-use management, to minimising environmental impact through stringent management of air emissions, effluent discharge and waste. We also install the best available technology for containing and monitoring our environmental impact, and continually innovate our processes and technologies to achieve better environmental performances.”

Emissions In terms of air emissions, a fluoride emissions management system (FEMS) has been introduced to reduce and control fluoride emissions at EGA’s smelters, and

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Aluminium International Today

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Precision Technology

Custom-Tailored to Your Specs Made in USA

High-Pressure Spray Quench – Granco Clark’s latest quench – will be on display at ET ‘16. The design features multi-zone technology for implementing progressive quenching. Stop by our booth (#403) to discuss the benefits that this quench can bring to your operation.

Also at ET ‘16, David Jenista and Drew Griffioen will present a paper titled, “Real-Time Prediction of Quench-Induced Extrusion Distortion: Foundation and Challenges.” This paper details a simulation-based approach for predicting profile distortion. Distortion prediction is a state-of-the-art advance for the quenching process.

Visit us at ET ‘16 in Chicago, Booth #403.

With over 60 years of leading innovations, Granco Clark is recognized as a global leader for our robust, industry-leading innovation. Granco Clark develops equipment that has enhanced productivity, reduced labor, and boosted profile quality, including: the first direct-flame impingement furnace, computer-controlled handling system, and the patented Granco Clark FusionBond® and Hot Saw technologies that eliminate two-piece billets.

Granco Clark is a true one-stop-shop – from engineering, installing, commissioning, training, service and spare parts. We produce all of the equipment required to heat, cool, pull, stretch, handle, cut, stack, age, and manage aluminum extrusions. Our automated equipment is designed to the specific requirements of your extrusion process to deliver exceptional efficiency, productivity, and longevity – giving you the best return on your investment.

7298 N. Storey Road Belding, MI 48809 +1-800-918-2600 gcinfo@grancoclark.com | www.grancoclark.com USA | Brazil | Argentina | UAE | India | Thailand | Singapore | Australia | New Zealand | China GC Feb2016.indd 1

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a 22% reduction has been achieved since 2010. The associated reduction in the environmental impact at EGA Jebel Ali has been confirmed through repeated studies by experts on the vegetation surrounding the smelter operation, since 2006.

A close watch is kept on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with the help of the International Aluminium Institute (IAI), to ensure that these are contained within international standards. In 2014, EGA Jebel Ali met or performed better than virtually all measures relating to the environment, specifically with regard to overall PFC emissions, which were substantially lower than the IAI industry average of 0.27 t CO2eqv/t Al. EGA Jebel Ali achieved 0.085 t CO2eqv/t Al – 88% down on 1990 levels; while EGA Al Taweelah achieved 0.078 t CO2eqv/t Al. Ambient air is monitored in neighbouring communities, using mobile stations that are linked directly to environmental authorities.

Carbon footprint As an active member of the DSCE, EGA Jebel Ai has always been one step ahead when it comes to environmental commitment and energy conservation.

EGA Jebel Ali developed its first comprehensive Carbon Management Strategy (CMS) and implementation in late-2008. Its long-term carbon strategy consists of a policy and objectives, divided into three objective driven phases, each comprising of a series of specific options.

The options are assessed according to feasibility, cost and benefit in order to priorities implementation. The execution of the implementation plan allows us to manage our carbon emission reduction.

The strategy was adopted by EGA Jebel Ali operations and has achieved a significant reduction in GHG emission from 2009 to 2015 – down almost 13 per cent in total GHG intensity (t/t) and almost 5 per cent in absolute terms (equivalent to 1.34 million tonnes). Also, EGA Jebel Ali is the major contributor to manufacturing sector reduction as part of the Dubai’s Carbon Abatement Strategy 2021 (“DCAS 2021”), which set the course of actions to be adopted by Dubai Government in order to manage Dubai’s GHG emissions until 2021 compared to its ‘business as usual’ scenario.

DCAS supports the national longterm Green Economy for Sustainable Development initiative to enhance the competitiveness and economic sustainability of the UAE, and make it a global role model in sustainability and green initiatives. It also complements the DIES 2030 objectives to reduce energy consumption in Dubai by 30 per cent by 2030 – green initiatives and programmes Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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to be implemented by members will reduce carbon emissions by about 16 per cent by 2021.

At tactical level, an initiative introduced by the EGA Jebel Ali Smelter Maintenance department to reduce GHG emissions was approved in Q2 2015 by the UAE Ministry of Energy and is to be registered as a Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The project, titled “The 3.3 kV Main Exhaust Fans energy-saving Project” is integral to the EGA Jebel Ali CMS and will save approximately 30 to 40% of energy consumption by using Variable Frequency Drive, which provides maximum efficiency. The lower energy consumption translates into lower GHG emissions. This is EGA Jebel Ali’s second initiative to be registered as a CDM project – the first being “Regenerative Burners for Melting Furnaces” which consume approximately 39 per cent less gas than conventional cold air burners.

Effluents and the marine environment EGA’s smelters border on the Arabian Gulf, making the marine environment the most sensitive ecological receptor in the immediate vicinity. Protected coral communities in close proximity are considered the most diverse in the region and therefore of national ecological importance. Indicative of EGA’s sensitivity to the environment and determination not to harm the corals, a self-imposed target of maintaining returning seawater within 1 degree Celsius of the ambient seawater temperature, so as to ameliorate any impact, is pro-actively implemented.

Since 2009, EGA Jebel Ali has operated an online system for discharge monitoring and continually monitors site effluents, and utilises independent technical expertise

to ensure that the operations have the least possible impact on the environment.

Similarly, EGA Al Taweelah works closely with Abu Dhabi Ports Company to monitor and understand the impact of the smelter operations on the offshore marine conservation environment. Judging by the healthy condition of fish species that become trapped in the intake chambers at EGA Al Taweelah, the environment is not being affected negatively Onshore, EGA Al Taweelah has witnessed rare Hawksbill Turtles returning to nest on Al Taweelah beach since 2012. Hawksbill turtles are classified by the World Wildlife Fund as ‘critically endangered’, with fewer than 80,000 specimens left in the wild.

Acknowledging that one of the best ways to ensure their survival is by providing safe nesting spots for female turtles, EGA has implemented plans to provide an ideal habitat for nesting – the beach has been closed to any access and a ‘catch net’ system directs the turtles towards the sea. In addition, EGA employees clean the beach area and nearby sea of debris, including discarded fishing nets and other marine flotsam. The cleaning operation continues on a daily basis until after the hatching season.

Frank Briganti adds that EGA works closely with experts from the Turtle Rehabilitation Centre in Dubai to identify the most effective way of supporting the turtles. CCTV cameras with both day and night vision monitor activity on the beach.

As well as recording female turtles coming ashore to nest, the cameras have also observed a wide variety of other wildlife such as gazelles, snakes, lizards and ospreys.

Waste minimisation EGA’s commitment towards sustainable development and environmental protection is evidenced through waste reduction drive with the ultimate objective of zero waste to landfill. The ongoing quest to minimise, re-use and/or recycle waste and eliminate the need for landfilling has achieved excellent results, with EGA Jebel Ali consistently exceeding the Dubai Municipality’s targets in terms of recycling waste to landfill.

In particular, a decision not to landfill spent potlining (SPL) has led to an alternative, sustainable solution being sought. Since 2012, 100% of the SPL generated by EGA Jebel Ali has been recycled through cement companies; the same level having been achieved at EGA Al Taweelah in 2014.

More recently, EGA has been actively pursuing a strategy to self-treat and process SPL. A value-added option that will yield inert raw material for other processes is being evaluated.  Aluminium International Today

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Greener aluminium production Stian Madshus* introduces the ELSEAL® TYPE G cathode ramming paste product

Cathode ramming paste is a critical product for primary aluminium smelters.

In order to prevent liquid metal and corrosive electrolyte from damaging the inner parts of the cathode lining, a ramming paste, sealing the gaps between and in the periphery around the cathode blocks, is required. Reduced pot life due to early failures of the rammed lining is costly and generates additional spent pot lining (SPL) material, which may seriously affect smelter economics.

Conventional cathode ramming pastes have a coal tar pitch based binder system.

Such binders contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds (PAHs), many of them carcinogenic. When placed on the market, regulation requires such products to be hazard classified as dangerous.

Furthermore, coal tar pitch based pastes emit PAHs into the workplace atmosphere during installation and pre-heating, with the risk of worker exposure.

The ELSEAL® Type G product developed

by Elkem Carbon is an occupationally and environmentally friendly alternative.

It contains no PAHs, nor any other hazardous substances, is easy to handle, is odourless and there is no PAH emission during use. Thus, workers will not be exposed to these volatile, potentially

harmful compounds. The ELSEAL® Type G product has been applied worldwide, at a range of aluminium smelters with success.

The need to substitute coal tar pitch based ramming pastes The purpose of developing ELSEAL® Type G was to meet the market demand for a ramming paste, which could replace the conventional products, based on coal tar pitch binder systems. Coal tar pitch is a complex mixture of PAHs and related compounds. Several of the PAH compounds present in coal tar pitch, such as for instance benzo[a]pyrene, are known carcinogens. Currently, benzo[a]pyrene is used as a marker substance for regulation of PAHs present in several matrixes such as, commercial products, particle emissions, biota, soil and subsurface contamination.

Under the EU/EEA regulation Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), high temperature coal tar pitch (EC no.

266-028-2/CAS no. 65996-93-2) is listed as a substance of very high concern (SVHC) and is placed on the Candidate list for possible inclusion into the Authorisation list (REACH Annex XIV list). It is likely that inclusion will occur during 2016.

This means that each specific use of coal

tar pitch will be assessed by the European Chemical Agency and EU Commission following the industry’s mandatory applications for authorisation (AfA).

Authorisation for continued use will only be granted in case there exists no viable non-hazardous substitute product (only granted for a certain time-period). For AfAs where there exists no viable alternative, authorisation for continued use during a certain period of time may be granted, based on the outcome of a socio-economic analysis (SEA), i.e. only in those cases where the socio-economic benefits are deemed to outweigh the cost of health, safety and environmental (HSE) risks.

With alternative ramming paste products already on the market, such as ELSEAL® Type G, which are both technically and economically viable, the use of coal tar pitch based ramming pastes risks being restricted in the EU/ EEA after a certain date, designated as the “sun-set date” by the REACH regulation.

This date will probably be 39 months after inclusion of high temperature coal tar pitch into the Authorisation list. Therefore, it is important for aluminium smelters to qualify and prepare their switch to coal tar pitch free ramming paste products, such as ELSEAL® Type G.

*Marketing and Sales Director, Elkem Carbon AS Aluminium International Today

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Mechanical strength testing of carbon samples.

Development and introduction of the ELSEAL® Type G ramming paste Replacing coal tar pitch in ramming paste has been a key issue for Elkem Carbon, but it has been challenging to find a technically and economically viable alternative. The following ambitious key success criteria were defined at the start of the product development project:  Achieve similar or improved technical properties compared to conventional coal tar pitch based ramming pastes.  Application of the product should be convenient and give high, even densities with all ramming methods, i.e. manual pneumatic, vibration and rolling action.  Storage stability – paste should not dry out rapidly. Shelf life above one year also at elevated storage temperatures.  Wide temperature window for ramming paste application.  Easy handling and odourless – pleasant to work with and no need to use special personal protective equipment.  Non-hazardous according to regulations, e.g. GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals), CLP (Classification, Labeling and Packaging of substances and mixtures) and REACH.  Safe use during handling, preheating and start-up.  Economically viable.

A set of ISO standards as well as inhouse evaluation methods were used during the product development phase.

It was a clear strategy not to make a completely new product but to rely on more than 25 years proven performance of Elkem Carbon’s concept. This includes the use of selected raw materials for the Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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dry aggregate, production of electrically calcined anthracite (ECA) by proprietary technology and a set of well-established standard operating procedures. The focus was on selection and optimising of the binder system.

The new binder system, which is of a biopolymeric nature, has a slightly lower coke yield compared to coal tar pitch based binders. In spite of this, properties such as density, open porosity and mechanical strength of the ELSEAL® Type G product, are at the same level as comparable coal tar pitch based products. Volumetric expansion during baking is also an advantageous feature of the ELSEAL® Type G product, thus securing a tight sealing of the rammed lining during pre-heating, start-up and operation during electrolysis.

Sodium induced expansion of carbon cathode materials may lead to cracks. The Rapoport laboratory test, which measures swelling during electrolysis, shows that the binder system in ELSEAL® Type G does not lead to a higher expansion as compared to a coal tar pitch based binder system. In summary, all critical properties as analysed in laboratory scale, were found to be at an appropriate level, thus providing the necessary confidence to proceed with fullscale tests in electrolysis cells.

Ramming paste is a fresh product and it will deteriorate in standard packaging such as big bags, depending on the storage conditions. It is important to evaluate this behaviour. At an early stage in the product development process, fullscale storage stability tests were therefore initiated. The ELSEAL® Type G product was packed in big bags and stored in a warm room where the temperature was kept at around 45°C. The big bags were sampled

with regular intervals. Even at this elevated temperature, the paste was fresh after 12 months storage, and only a 2% reduction in apparent density as compared to newly produced paste, was observed. ELSEAL® Type G thus has a superior storage stability in warm climate. Coal tar pitch based ramming pastes, on the other hand, will deteriorate significantly when stored at such elevated temperatures for a prolonged period, unless expensive packaging solutions are used.

There are three different densification concepts used during installation of cathode ramming paste, i.e. manual pneumatic ramming, vibration and rolling ramming actions. It is important that a ramming paste can be installed and give a high, even and consistent density with any of these methods. Technical specialists from Elkem Carbon have participated during installation of ELSEAL® Type G at several different smelters covering the different installation methods mentioned.

In-situ density samples were taken out during ramming paste installations.

Achieved density, homogeneity of the rammed lining and adhesion between rammed layers were found to be appropriate at all smelters regardless of the installation method used. Results showed there is no need to change the standard ramming installation operating procedure when switching from an Elkem Carbon coal tar pitch based paste to ELSEAL® Type G paste.

Application of the ELSEAL® Type G ramming paste in the narrow slots between cathode blocks. Picture used with kind permission from the Nordural smelter in Iceland.

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Significant volumes of ELSEAL® Type G ramming paste have been installed in numerous smelters worldwide. The product has a proven performance during pre-heating, start-up and during the first critical years of operation in both older smelters utilising semi-graphitic and graphitic cathode blocks, as well as in modern high amperage smelters, using graphitized blocks. Several smelters have already switched completely to this coal tar pitch and PAH free alternative, or are in the process of doing so.

Industrial scale studies and occupational hygiene monitoring A true substitute for coal tar pitch based ramming pastes should not only be assessed for its hazard classification, i.e. inherent properties according with GHS and CLP regulations, but should also be assessed for potential hazard and risk of adverse health effects during application and use in the workplace (installation, preheating and start-up).

Together with Norsk Hydro, Elkem Carbon has performed an industrial scale study at the Sunndal smelter in Norway looking at the potential occupational inhalation exposure, by continuous static sampling for 24 hours during the baking process (100 – 600°C). The sampling methodology and the semi-quantitative and qualitative chemical analyses were performed by the National Institute of Occupational Health (STAMI) in Oslo,

Occupational hygiene monitoring during pre-heating of pot lined with ELSEAL® Type G. Picture used with kind permission from Hydro Sunndal, Norway.

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Compaction of ELSEAL® Type G ramming paste in the periphery around the cathode blocks. A rolling action pot-lining machine is used. Picture used with kind permission from the Nordural smelter in Iceland.

Norway.

The results showed transient peaks of trace concentrations of relatively low molecular weight volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during pre-heating.

Seven of the eight compounds confirmed are hazard classified according to the GHS and CLP substance regulations if present in marketed products.

International and/or national occupational health workplace atmosphere limits, exist for three of the substances identified. For these three substances, the concentration levels detected showed insignificant risk levels for any adverse health effects. Thus, the transient concentrations of the chemical substances identified during the 24 hours of pre-heating, are not expected to cause any harm.

Based on this study and the present experience from a range of smelters, no odour has occurred, no discomfort has been reported and no risk from exposure have been identified during use of the ELSEAL® Type G product.

Looking ahead – a greener production of carbon materials The development of the ELSEAL® Type G product represents a significant green step forward. The proven performance of an alternative occupationally and environmentally friendly binder system in a high performance application such as cathode ramming paste, raises interesting questions regarding the feasibility of substituting coal tar pitch based binders also in other applications. Elkem Carbon, being a world-leading producer of carbon products for various applications, is actively pursuing a green strategy, where

use of renewable energy, energy recovery systems, off-gas abatement systems, zero dust emission target and lean production philosophy, are integral parts. On the material side, significant R&D resources are dedicated to the pursuit of a substitute for coal tar pitch in a range of products.

Based on the promising results achieved in the development of the ELSEAL® Type G product, Elkem Carbon is making steady progress in this field.

Will there also be a viable alternative to coal tar pitch in anodes for aluminium smelting in the future?  Regulatory references Globally Harmonized System of classification and labelling of chemicals (GHS). Sixth revised edition. United Nations, 2015. http:// www.unece.org/trans/danger/publi/ghs/ghs_ rev06/06files_e.html Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) and subsequent amendments. http://echa.europa.eu/web/ guest/regulations/reach/legislation,October 2014.

“CLP”/Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending and repealing Directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC, and amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006, and subsequent amendments. http://echa.europa.eu/web/guest/regulations/ clp/legislation, October 2014.

Contact www.elkem.com

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Fig 2. Manual skimming on smaller furnaces (unknown location)

How to achieve a sustainable casthouse This article looks at automated solutions for casthouse technology in recyclers and producers of semifinished products. By Maarten Meijer* As a supplier of material handling solutions for primary production, casthouses and semi-finished producers, Hencon is regularly invited to have a closer look at improving furnace tending operations such as skimming, cleaning and charging.

Such invitations do not only provide the opportunity to start detailed discussions with customers, but they often lead to better and more sustainable solutions than anticipated beforehand. Two of the most recent of those discussions has led to new product lines with a sustainable footprint.

But first let us define sustainability.

Sustainable business, or green business, has minimal negative impact on the global A)

B)

C)

C)

or local environment, community, society or economy - a business that strives to meet the triple bottom line. Often, sustainable businesses have progressive environmental and human rights policies.

When it comes to Hencon, the company adapts these guidelines with a focus on opportunities for customers as well as its own business ethics. The direct effect of this policy can be seen in the company’s facilities that strive for the use of reusable energy and smart use of waste. For instance the factory in the Netherlands is using geothermal energy to heat the building in winter and cool it down in summer. In Russia, it uses its own waste to heat up the building and subsidiaries

all over the world socially support their local community. However, the main goal remains to bring a sustainable product line towards light metal customers.

Sustainable skimmers Most of the time, machines are operated by humans and we are all aware of the ever increasing HSE standards. So it was only natural to start the development of a more sustainable product by following the HSE standards. At some point this was not good enough anymore and we took the lead with a new approach: Do things once and do them right! Or as described in the lean method, avoid waste.

In order to understand this better let’s

Case A): Homogeneous oxide skin grows on the surface of the metal bath. Case B): Due to change in crystal structure and the different heat expansion of liquid metal and oxide the oxide skin breaks up. Oxide particles charged with the scrap float to the surface. Case C): The breaking of the oxide skin is additionally supported by bath movement. Case D): During skimming metal is trapped in the oxides being removed

Fig 1. Oxide skin formation on a liquid metal bath “Handbook of Aluminium Recycling”, Christopher Smitz (2006 Springer Verlag)

Fig 3. Hencon compact skimmer with zero emission drive line replacing manual skimming jobs (2014)

*Business Development, Hencon BV www.hencon.nl Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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ADVANCED FURNACE TENDING Hencon’s operator assisting technology eliminates damage, metal spillage and greatly improves health and safety.

www.hencon.com info@hencon.com De Stenenmaat 15 7071 ED Ulft The Netherlands

P.O.Box 16 7070 AA Ulft The Netherlands

T. +31 315 68 39 41 F. +31 315 63 05 29

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Fig 4. Hencon Furnace Charger (2002)

Fig 5. Loading station (2015)

Fig 6. Automatic scrap loader (2015)

focus on the nature of a molten aluminium bath as described in the “Handbook of Aluminium Recycling�, Christopher Smitz (2006 Springer Verlag). On page 79 a comprehensive picture describes the stages of the oxide layer during the melting and alloying process. Just before the melt is ready, this layer needs to be skimmed off. Which results in a mixture of oxides and aluminium to be taken out of the furnace. (Fig 1) Despite the progress being made on larger furnaces and the use of forklifts and specially designed equipment to improve skimming conditions, the majority of furnaces in use are too small to actually be able to mechanise the skimming. As a result even today it is not unusual on the smaller furnaces to see an operator doing the job as it is done in Fig 2.

This kind of operation requires physical endurance and is dangerous (30% of skin burns come from this kind of skimming).

It also results in more aluminium to be collected in the waste, loss of heat (due to the long time it requires the operator to finish his job) and in the end a relatively high range on the quality of the alloy. However, until now the design of the door and the shallow well made it difficult to reach the melt and did not give much room for automation or potential improvements of the situation. For a long time it was considered a mission impossible to improve the working conditions, to reduce the time the door needed to be opened and to improve the skimming process by controlling the depth of the skimming blade.

Hencon took on the challenge to develop not only a safer and more sophisticated manipulator but also a drive line with zero emission. This resulted in the first mechanised skimmer capable to mechanise manual labour at compact melting and alloying furnaces. Main improvement of course is the safety of the operator who is now doing his job in a comfortable and safe cabin. On top of that modern feedback systems allow for much faster and direct skimming of a bath, thus resulting in a more constant quality. (See fig 3)

Sustainable scrap loading More or less in that same period the company received a request to have a closer look at charging high volumes of scrap into a newly designed furnace capable of recycling post-consumer scrap into pure aluminium.

The original idea of this recycler was to use a rail bound scrap loader per furnace and have dump trucks driving to the scrap loader in order to charge the charging bucket as fast as possible up to the desired charging capacity and then charge the furnace with the scrap into the chamber.

This request could have easily resulted in a charging machine that the company designed and delivered in 2002 (Fig 4), which is not the best sustainable solution.

The advantage of this old design was the fact that it seals off the furnace while the furnace door is open for charging.

This results in less heat loss and a better climate inside the casthouse. However, the requirement for frequent travel at high speed and the relatively short time the dump trucks have to recharge again form a considerable disadvantage. Furthermore this equipment gets relatively expensive (and ridged in the layout of the casthouse) if it has to work for multiple furnaces. Not to mention the additional housekeeping and loss of scrap due to the transport of scrap from the scrap yard to the hot site of the furnace.

It was for this reason that we took an approach towards a new solution by using full automation from scrap yard to furnace. To give you an idea, the original solution by using a charger as shown in Figure 4 would require a total of six machines to carry out the task. A scrap box needed to be transported for approximately 250 metres to one of the three scrap loaders waiting in front of the furnaces. You can imagine the transport challenges and difficulties faced in the tight space. A compact transport design was required.

In close co-operation with the customer, Hencon decided to develop one compact and fully automated transporter that was able to:

1. Pick up a scrap box 2. Transport the scrap box 3. Dock it to the furnace and 4. Execute the desired furnace loading function.

Instead of six machines just two machines would be adequate enough to reach the desired capacity to put in just under 20 minutes per pay load. The total system consists of a loading station (Fig 5) and an automatic guided scrap loader (Fig 6).

The loading station is designed to be a natural barrier between the dump truck and the automated area. Meaning that as long as the dump truck is loading the scrap box, the box is down on the ground, allowing for fast and precise loading. Once the box is full, the loading station will bring it to the desired height for the automated scrap loader. The scrap loader then weighs the box and confirms the final destination of the box while loading the box inside its shelter. Once loaded, the box will travel 250 metres to the selected furnace. On approaching the furnace the shelter is locked on the furnace and the furnace door is opened.

After confirmation of that procedure the scrap loading box will be charged inside the furnace and retracted again. In the meantime the driver of the dump truck can prepare the next box while the scrap loader is executing its task. Once returned to the loading station, the whole cycle starts again.

From a sustainable point of view, it meant less fume during charging and a reduction in the use of materials and diesel by a reduction of rolling equipment with 77%.

The whole system was developed in less than a year and has in the meantime already delivered 6,000 production hours.

In the near future Hencon will continue to use automated solutions in order to improve process stability and the environmental footprint of our customers.

In the long-term this will lead to more zero-emission-solutions to enter the market in order to serve clients in the light metal industry with sustainable solutions that improve process conditions. î ˛

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Enhancing long-term drivers for sustainability The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) is a standards setting and certification organisation that recognises and fosters the responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium. As a member-based, global initiative, ASI is the result of producers, users and stakeholders in the aluminium value chain coming together to build consensus on ‘responsible aluminium’.

Dr Fiona Solomon* explains.

ASI is developing an independent third party certification programme to ensure sustainability and human rights principles are increasingly embedded in aluminium production, use and recycling. In doing so, ASI continues to seek engagement with commercial entities and stakeholders in the aluminium value chain from across the world.

A potted history of ASI ASI has been built on the strong foundation and continued work on aluminium sustainability and material stewardship by companies and industry organisations for many years. In fact it is a measure of the industry’s leadership on these issues that such significant progress has been made.

ASI’s own history began in 2009, when a global group of stakeholders from the aluminium industry, civil society, research and policy organisations, and industrial users of aluminium products convened.

The group discussed challenges, opportunities and needs facing the aluminium value chain as a whole and a formal study was commissioned.

This resulted in a report, the Responsible

Aluminium Scoping Phase Main Report,

by Track Record, which summarised the industry’s environmental, social and governance sustainability-related risks and opportunities. The report also underscored the need for an international multi-stakeholder approach that could complement existing sustainability programmes throughout the aluminium industry. This finding ultimately led to the establishment of ASI. At the end of 2012, the companies supporting the idea of an ‘ASI’ invited IUCN to be the host and coordinator for a standard-setting process to address key sustainability issues in the value chain.

IUCN convened a multi-stakeholder Standards Setting Group (SSG) and coordinated the process from January 2013 to August 2015, resulting in the launch of version 1 of the ASI Performance Standard in December 2014.

The supporting companies then agreed to take the next step to seek formalisation of ASI as a standards body for the purposes of developing an independent, third-party certification programme.

In March 2015, ASI appointed its first Executive Director, and in June 2015 the

Aluminium Stewardship Initiative Ltd was incorporated as a non-profit membership organisation. ASI has since been working on developing both its governance model and its technical approach, with strong participation from a growing membership.

It is anticipated that the ASI Certification programme will be formally launched at the end of 2017.

ASI’s Standards ASI’s Performance Standard covers critical issues for the entire aluminium value chain, including biodiversity management in mining, indigenous people’s rights, greenhouse gas emissions, waste management including spent pot lining (SPL) and bauxite residue, and material stewardship, particularly for downstream users of aluminium.

A Chain of Custody standard is also in development, to link responsible production with responsible sourcing and support increased emphasis on sustainability in procurement practices.

During 2016, there will be opportunities for public comment on the next draft of this standard.

A new Standards Committee is being convened that will

ASI: Vision, Mission and Values Vision: Mission: Values:

To maximise the contribution of aluminium to a sustainable society To recognise and collaboratively foster responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium.  Being inclusive in our work and decision making processes by promoting and enabling the participation of representatives of all relevant stakeholders groups  Encouraging uptake throughout the bauxite, alumina and aluminium value chain, from mine to downstream users  Advancing material stewardship as a shared responsibility in the lifecycle of aluminium from extraction, production, use and recycling.

*Executive Director, ASI Aluminium International Today

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Fig 1. What a Theory of Change considers

Key actors

Can include standards development and implementation, assurance, incentives, outreach, training and advocacy

ASI strategies

oversee the finalisation of the standard.

Both of ASI’s standards are designed to be applicable internationally to all stages of aluminium production and transformation, specifically: Bauxite mining, alumina refining, primary aluminium production, semi-fabrication (rolling, extrusion, forging and foundry), material conversion, and refining and re-melting of recycled scrap, as well as material stewardship criteria relevant to consumer and commercial product design and manufacture.

Like all voluntary standards and certification initiatives, ASI’s standards aim to provide a benefit to participants and users of ASI Certification. These include to:  Enable the aluminium industry to demonstrate responsibility and provide independent and credible assurance of performance;  Reinforce and promote consumer and stakeholder confidence in aluminium products;  Reduce reputational risks concerning aluminium and aluminium industry players; and  Address the needs by downstream industrial users and consumers for responsible sourcing of aluminium.

Certification relies an on assurance model that includes independent third party audits. Throughout 2016 and 2017 ASI will develop and test its assurance model for the ASI Performance Standard and the Chain of Custody Standard.

After the development and testing phase is successfully completed, the ASI Certification programme will commence.

ASI’s Theory of Change During 2015, ASI worked on its ‘theory of change’ to define intended longterm impacts, short and medium-term outcomes, and supporting strategies to Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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The likely or achieved short-term and medium-term results, from the implementation of a standards sytem’s strategies

Expected outcomes

Positive long-term effects, resulting from the implementation of a standards system

Desired impacts

achieve them. Developing a theory of change is an important step in setting up a standards system, to inform the design of the programme and establish ways to monitor and evaluate its impacts over time. Key questions to consider are highlighted in Fig 1.

The multi-stakeholder Standards Setting Group, convened under IUCN, workshopped a draft theory of change with ASI during its July 2015 meetings.

Participants were very strongly focused on uptake of the ASI’s standards as a priority desired impact: That companies will invest in and reward improved practices and responsible sourcing of aluminium.

Potential risks to success were identified to include: Insufficient membership growth, having too much complexity in the process, costs not matched by value, or an ineffective chain-of-custody programme.

Fig 2. ASI Theory of Change

Drive improved practices

Who/what are the enablers and key influencers?

Approaches and activities that standards systems use to effect change.

Production & transformation

Enablers and influencers

Who/what drives and implements improved practices?

Civil society organisations

Industrial users Downstream supporters

Associations General supporters Key actors

Potential success factors discussed included: Encouraging market pull from buyers, policy support at national levels, good governance processes, taking a risk/materiality approach to assurance, communicating the business case and added value, and taking a visionary and innovative approach.

The resulting Theory of Change, shown in Fig 2, was included in ASI’s 2015-2018 Strategy and helped to set the direction for future strategy and operational plans.

Consideration of the potential risks and success factors continues to inform ongoing work programmes in ASI. Certification in other sectors Certification programmes dealing with sustainability issues for raw materials are not new. They originally developed in agricultural sectors such as timber, fisheries, coffee, tea and cocoa, with a strong focus on environmental and/ or social practices at the production source. Increasingly they tackle sectors with complex supply chain issues such as textiles and apparel, landscape level issues such as water stewardship, and of course metals and minerals, which span issues from mine to consumer.

Programmes such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) show what should also be possible for ASI: That with collaboration and momentum, voluntary standards programmes can create improved practices and significant uptake through complex supply chains.

Both outcomes are required to create real impact on the ground and integrate tangible sustainability drivers into global production and procurement.

Setting and supporting Responsible practices Clear standards and assessment tools that are meaningful, practical and accessible Guidance and learning opportunities for capacity building and continuous improvement Programme implementation Open membership opportunities and flexibility in certification uptake

Reduced environmental impacts from processing residues and GHG emissions Enhanced biodiversity management Practices that implement business’ responsibility to respect human rights Increased material stewardship by all actors in Al value chain Low barriers to entry that enables wide uptake by diverse businesses

Credible assurance based on materiality and risks

Relevant, practical and consistent assessments

Innovative IT platforms to manage data and processes Transparency of outcomes and collaboration with stakeholders and systems

Efficiency and continual improvement of system

ASI strategies

Standards Sustainability and human rights principles are increasingly embedded in aluminium production, use and recycling

Uptake Companies increasingly invest in and reward improved practices and responsible sourcing for aluminium

Reputation Aluminium continues to improve its sustainability credentials with stakeholders

Enhanced ability to demonstrate impact and reduce duplication

Expected outcomes

Desired impacts

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How to get involved in ASI As ASI is a membership-organisation, a wide range of organisations can join to support and become involved in ASI’s work programme.

ASI’s six membership classes are grouped into:  Production and Transformation  Industrial Users  Civil Society  Downstream Supporters  Associations  General Supporters Membership fees are scaled to the size and activities or each organisation, and range from a minimum of USD100 to a maximum of USD25,000.

New members are always welcome and bring valuable perspectives and experiences that can inform ASI’s development.

ASI membership also provides value to each member, by enabling them to:  Network with a wide range of stakeholders in a constructive dialogue about responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium  Support development of a credible

third-party certification programme that can be applied throughout the aluminium value chain  Help shape the development of tools and resources that support implementation of good practices and accessibility to a range of businesses  Be recognised as a proactive leader on responsible aluminium and leverage your organisation’s own work in this area ASI and AluSolutions The upcoming AluSolutions conference (10th and 11th May 2016, ADNEC, Abu Dhabi) will feature a dedicated ASI panel

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session, which will include a detailed overview of the ASI and also introduce a number of member companies including Rio Tinto, Norsk Hydro and Schüco Middle East.

Visitor registration is free-of-charge and open to all aluminium industry professionals. If you would like to learn more about the ASI, then join us for AluSolutions by registering at www.alusolutions.com/register  To find out more, visit: www.aluminiumstewardship.org or contact: info@aluminium-stewardship.org

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Sustainability Schemes: What can aluminium learn from other sectors?

By Melanie Williams*

With the COP 21 in Paris, the European Commission’s new proposals for the Circular Economy and a serious mining accident - the environment has been in the news. Industry has responded with new pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect forests and purchase more sustainability certified commodities.

It is over two years since I first wrote about sustainability schemes in the aluminium sector, so now is a good time to review what has changed since then.

Two years ago, key stakeholders in the aluminium supply chain were working on a global scheme, the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, (ASI). The ASI Performance Standard was launched in December 2014. Back then, the focus was on what the experience of other industries could tell us about how the ASI Standard, or any other sustainability scheme for aluminium, should be implemented to

maximise its chances of success. Since then other sectors have progressed.

Sustainability schemes have implemented new technology and introduced initiatives to help small operators. There has also been diversification away from the traditional sustainability scheme model.

What has happened in the aluminium sector?

The use of aluminium as a lighter weight alternative to other metals has continued. The message that lightweight equals better fuel efficiency and so lower greenhouse gas emissions is increasingly important. For ‘short life’ applications, the indefinite recyclability of aluminium is a definite advantage. The use of recycled aluminium has been promoted extensively; Novelis and Rexam are pioneering the use of aluminium with a guaranteed recycled content. In February of this year Jaguar Land Rover and Novelis announced that they have successfully integrated a highrecycled content aluminium alloy into the structural components of high volume production passenger vehicles.

But what about primary aluminium? The ASI, launched to help the entire aluminium sector, has now become a stand-alone, not-for-profit organisation and membership has increased.

However, ASI compliant aluminium is not yet on the market and no other sustainability scheme has been launched in the sector. In order to understand why, it is worth reviewing the conclusions of the original

article predicting how the concept of sustainable aluminium might develop.

The conclusions are reproduced below (in italics) with an assessment of what has happened since.

The key to early and widespread adoption of a newly launched Sustainability Scheme is ease of implementation.

Rapid implementation of an aluminum sustainability scheme will minimise the risk of competing Sustainability Schemes, which cause market confusion.

Implementation of the ASI has progressed slowly.

The Performance Standard has not been tested on the ground. A robust way of accounting for a sustainable product as it is passed through processors and fabricators is also needed. This is called a ‘chain-ofcustody’ Standard and the longer the supply chain, the more operators have to become certified. As aluminium has a long supply chain it is no surprise that this is proving difficult, with different options still under consideration. However no other scheme has been launched to overcome this problem, so there is as yet no risk of fragmentation or market confusion.

Certain operators could commit to using only recycled aluminium to take advantage of the extra sustainability benefits with a lower compliance and administrative cost. Considerable recent investment has been directed towards using recycled aluminium. Products made from recycled aluminium are being developed with their own brands to catch the attention of the consumer. Evercan™ is the brand launched by Novelis. Rexam announced the first commercial use of the ‘Metal Recycles Forever’ logo in the UK market for beverage cans with a high recycled content. The Jaguar Land Rover

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and Novelis collaboration has produced ‘RC5754’. So using recycled material is indeed proving a high profile means of demonstrating sustainability.

In the early stages of the implementation of a sustainability scheme there will be very little sustainable material produced, as most will still be conventional material.

An easy way of mixing sustainable and conventional material is needed to facilitate trading and uptake in the early stage. The mixing of ASI complaint material with conventional material has proved a difficult issue. On the surface it seems an obscure detail, but it determines how processors will cope with using both sustainable and conventional material in continuous processing equipment. It also determines how easy it is for traders to handle both types of aluminium. The ASI Chain of Custody Standard, which will set out how this is to be done, has been delayed. Without this in place no claims related to ASI complaint sustainable aluminium can be made on products and the customer cannot buy sustainably certified primary aluminium products.

The general issue of supply chain traceability has also preoccupied other sectors over the last two years. Some of the promising new developments are described below, particularly those solutions that could help the aluminium sector.

What has happened in other sectors?

The need for consumer facing companies, particularly international brands, to trace their raw materials through the supply chain is now widely acknowledged. A traditional sustainability scheme, with certification to a published Standard by independent third party auditors, is still the strongest way to assure this process.

It offers not only assurance but also anonymity. Certified operators know the identities of their immediate suppliers and customers only. They can trade with each other in a straightforward way.

However the cost of third party auditing and the administrative burden of proving compliance are disadvantages. There has been something of a backlash against the model of the traditional sustainability schemes. Participants argue that only large companies can afford the costs.

Also, resources devoted to auditing and administration could be better used to help operators implement best practice.

Some schemes have a reduced need for third party auditing. The Better Cotton Initiative relies on self-assessment, 2nd Party credibility checks and some 3rd party verification. Members of the Cement Sustainability Initiative (CSI) carry out Aluminium International Today

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internal checks annually via a selfassessment questionnaire. A CSIcoordinated audit takes place every 4 years or when there is a major change in requirements.

Online transparency platforms are being developed as an alternative to traditional sustainability schemes. They allow upstream producers/operators to input key data about their processes into a central database. A percentage of data on the platform will be audited independently. This information is then accessible to customers and in the best cases, to the public. Operators who use these transparency platforms are not only making some details of their supply chain public but also transferring part of the audit burden to NGOs, their customers and other stakeholders. This significantly reduces costs and can have other benefits.

Well-established sustainability schemes are also seeking to tighten up supply chain oversight. FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) have launched online systems to trace sales of certified materials between certified operators.

These function like a bank where volumes of sustainable material, authorised by an auditor, are put into the company account. Sales transactions are logged as a transfer to another account holder. All material transfers, and more importantly quantities, can then be checked by an auditor or the sustainability scheme itself. This makes the fraudulent practice of selling non-sustainable material as sustainable much more difficult. External systems have also been launched by software providers e.g. SAP and Oracle, in response to the legal requirements to eliminate conflict minerals from supply chains.

However, these platforms have their disadvantages too. Many transactions need to be entered and there is a reluctance to allow confidential data on customers and volumes to be stored on an external system. Audited conversion factors, which are used to account for weight changes during processing steps, are also stored in the system.

The use of satellite data to plot landuse changes associated with primary production of agricultural commodities has also continued, driven by recent ‘no deforestation’ pledges from international brands. These maps can be used instead of on-the-ground auditing to track any reductions in primary forest or expansions near to bio-diverse or culturally sensitive areas.

Sustainability schemes are increasingly keen to help small producers and women

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access more profitable international markets. Schemes encourage their members to co-fund projects to help small farmers and processors to improve their profitability. Supply chains are being set up to connect these small producers with international brands to the benefit of both organisations. If intermediate processing is required then the scheme organises a chain of custody verification to allow the final customers to make claims about buying the products from small producers. These projects allow members to demonstrate the positive impacts their activities can have on local communities.

Conclusions Much has happened in other sectors over the past two years to provide further lessons for the aluminium industry as it continues the implementation of its own sustainability scheme.  Traceability of material down the supply chain is key to making robust claims which give consumers confidence and provide a market pull. Software can help with this tracking, particularly if members are willing to put details of their supply chain onto an external system. Use of technology can reduce auditing costs.  Increased transparency via a sector wide transparency platform can bring consumers and NGOs into the verification process, which can increase consumer confidence.  Showing economic benefits to communities and small producers is becoming a key part of the appeal of sustainability schemes.  The use of recycled aluminum is making great progress and catching consumer attention. Demonstrating the sustainability of primary aluminium needs to keep pace to maximise the benefit for the entire aluminium supply chain.  Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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Keep on truckin’ Combilift is Optima’s optimum handling solution. By Liz Townsend* From its manufacturing facility in a small town in rural Somerset, Optima’s range of office partitioning is sent around the world and used in projects by top international companies. Optima continues to expand globally, particularly in Australia and Singapore and products such as its Microflush aluminium door frames are the first choice for leading architects and specifiers wanting to provide commercial workspace that features design and installation.

Before Optima’s systems find their way to locations such as the Shard, the Gherkin or a new building in Dubai, the more mundane, but crucial issue of offloading, handling and storing packs and bundles of aluminium needs to be addressed. Keeping materials on the move is therefore a priority for Warehouse Manager Howard Paterson at the site in Radstock near Bath, UK, where upgraded warehouse, storage and despatch facilities were installed a few years ago due to ever increasing stock levels.

A key piece of equipment for Howard and his team is a Combilift multidirectional forklift, which is used continuously to offload incoming deliveries from suppliers such as ThyssenKrupp and Sapa, put them into racking, take unfinished products to the powder coating facility and return them to the warehouse when treated.

When goods are ready to be despatched the Combilift is again on hand to do this. It is a relatively small cog in a large operation, but a vital one as Howard explains: “Having just the one truck means that any down-time would cause massive problems and backlogs.”

Optima used a counterbalance forklift years ago when operations were on a smaller scale, but the company was an early convert to the advantages of Combilift’s four-way technology, which offers space saving storage and manoeuvring of loads and versatile operation. It leased its first

truck in 2000, followed by a replacement five years later and has recently purchased its present model outright. When the warehouse refurbishment was under way, the new racking was configured according to the capabilities of the Combilift then in place, ensuring best use of the space available.

As with the previous models, Combilift number three is a C3000 diesel powered truck with a 3t capacity, which copes easily with the loads weighing from just a few kilos up to 1.5t, and has a 7.5m mast to access the top beams of racking. Its fourway capability enables it to move sideways when manoeuvring the longest 7m packs of aluminium, to work in narrow aisles and to pass though the doorway to the yard.

Multidirectional travel also comes into its own when taking product to the powder coating facility at a separate site on the industrial estate, which necessitates using a public road. With extra lights, number plates and other features, the Combilift is road legal, and on average it undertakes this journey twice an hour. Warehouse Operative Steve Biggs comments: “If I had to carry 7m loads with a counterbalance truck I’d take up most of the road and would be very unpopular with the other local businesses!”

Steve and the other drivers had input into the finished specification of the new Combilift, with Howard pointing out that those who spend most time in the cab know best and that he was keen to provide what they wanted - hence diesel power rather than electric or LPG options due to the long runs around the site. A wiper on the top glass roof was also added at Steve’s request to aid visibility when putting loads into the higher racking when coming in out of the yard in wet weather.

The in-cab heater and fan for cold and hot conditions respectively also make for a more comfortable environment, and

Steve finds the seating and ergonomics more luxurious than in the first Combilift he operated. “When you are in the truck pretty much all day these things make a big difference,” he said. “The hydraulic fork positioners are also great, particularly in bad weather, as you don’t have to get out and manually adjust the forks to accord to the specific size of load.”

One of Combilift’s strengths as a manufacturer is its ability to customise its range to accord to specific customer requirements. The lift height that Optima required is not usually available on the compact C3000 model so Combilift design engineers redesigned and repositioned the mast mounting to allow the 7.5m mast to be fitted. They also shortened the platform to enable narrow aisle operation that is needed in parts of the warehouse.

Optima’s new truck was supplied by Westexe Forklifts Ltd., which also looks after the service and maintenance.

Combilift was established 16 years ago and in this time it has notched up an enviable record of growth, supplying around 27,000 units to customers in more than 75 countries. The company has a wide portfolio for handling not only long and bulky goods but also pallets, containers and oversized loads and has won numerous awards for its products.

The construction of Combilift’s new €40 million, 46,000m² manufacturing plant and global HQ recently got under way on a 40 hectare site in Monaghan, Ireland, and the facility is on course to be up and running by the first quarter of 2017. The expansion will position Combilift to double its current €150 million turnover by 2020 and will also create 200 jobs in the next five years, mainly for skilled technicians and design engineers.  Contact www.combilift.com www.optimasystems.com

*Avenue PR Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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Waste processing: Sorted REDWAVE expands waste processing with a new subsidiary in Germany

REDWAVE, a supplier of sensor-based sorting machines and turnkey materialsorting systems, has taken a step to expand its business in the waste-processing sector by founding a new subsidiary, REDWAVE Waste GmbH. The new company is located in Wetzlar, Germany and was incorporated in 2015.

It adds the important area of mechanicalbiological waste treatment to REDWAVE’s product portfolio. Also, REDWAVE Waste GmbH is now responsible for acquisition and management of all of REDWAVE’s projects in the waste-processing sector worldwide.

The Division Waste within the REDWAVE group mainly provides waste-processing solutions, using automated mechanical sorting and processing technologies, for converting waste into secondary fuel and usable recycling fractions. REDWAVE provides complete processing lines as turnkey packages, but also offers individual machines and a comprehensive spectrum of related engineering and con-sulting services. Among the technologies offered is biodrying, which greatly improves the sortability especially of damp wastes with high organic content. This improves the quality of the processed materials and the commercial potential of the wastederived fuels and recycling materials.

Another speciality are turnkey plants for environmentally friendly composting of organic waste, such as kitchen waste, waste food and increasingly, residual material from biogas fermentation plants. Special processing systems are needed to convert these materials to valuable compost: The waste must first be separated from contaminants such as plastics and metals, and then composted under controlled conditions.

The necessary quality for sale as compost is then achieved by a final phase of sieving and visual inspection steps.

The team of REDWAVE Waste GmbH consists of 20 experts in relevant fields.

They represent more than 20 years of experience in design, construction and operation of mechanical-biological waste

treatment plants from their previous work in the companies Waste Tec GmbH and Herhof Um-welttechnik GmbH, which have been amalgamated into the new company. The employees’ profound expertise in waste processing technology and the practical experience of building many plants in Germany and abroad make them excellently qualified to lead all of REDWAVE’s activities in the waste sector.

“Working with our new colleagues from Wetzlar is going smoothly, and including them in the RED-WAVE group has been a big step forward that opens up new developments and growth. Now the first successful projects are confirming how good this decision was,” reports Silvia Schweiger-Fuchs, CEO. For example, in the past year REDWAVE was able to acquire two large projects in Finland and a project in Scotland for its newly created Division Waste.

The project in Finland, which REDWAVE was awarded in July of last year, is a combined plant for sorting the light fraction of household waste and waste packaging, and for mechanical processing of household waste to fuel. The two plants together have a capacity of 175,000t per year. Construction of both plants began in December 2015 and will begin operation in summer of 2016.

In Scotland, REDWAVE is supplying the fuel storage and feed technology for a gasification plant. This project is currently in the design phase; the whole plant is planned to go into operation in summer of 2017.

The project in China represents a new kind of process in terms of plant size and MBT technology in China.

It is a mechanical-biological waste processing plant with

an annual capacity of 270,000t, in which household waste is first dried biologically and then processed mechanically. The drying of the household waste, which is very wet in China, allows usable materials such as ferrous and non-ferrous metals to be recovered and impurities like glass and stones to be separated in the mechanical pro-cess. All the combustible components such as plastics, wood, paper, and organic materials are con-verted into a fuel that is used in an existing fluidised bed reactor for efficient power and heat genera-tion.

The mechanical-biological processing plant will be operated fully automatically.

The plant will be built in eastern China, north of Shanghai; it is the first of its kind in China.

“This project is a milestone in the development of the Chinese market for our company,” says CEO Andreas Puchelt.

“The approach of sorting the waste before incineration, in order to recover recyclable materials and also to make energy generation from waste more efficient is new in China and has huge potential for us,” he says. He concludes: “The environmental standards in China will be raised relentlessly, like in Europe. To keep up, Chinese companies have to invest in new technologies. Our approach of offering the latest processing and sorting technology from a single supplier has paid off again as it did in other projects.

We see this project as our entry into a very dynamically growing market, not only in China but in all of Asia.”

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High-grade metals from recycling Since summer 2013, DHZ has run a bottom ash recycling plant in Switzerland. Its latest addition is supersort®metal, which processes and purifies non-ferrous metal concentrates and other metal containing waste streams.

DHZ, a subsidiary of the Eberhard group, was created in December 2009 in order to provide an environmentally aware landfill facility in the surroundings of Zurich, Switzerland, and additionally, starting in 2013, a bottom ash recycling service for the municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) industry, called supersort®technology.

The company’s goal is to maximise the environmental and economic benefits of MSWI bottom ash and other metal containing waste streams by optimising recycling effectiveness and by trading with recycled metal products. supersort®technology for bottom ash treatment is based on an DHZ engineering programme and a combination of in-house research, experience in different recycling technologies and the latest methods of bottom ash processing. The DHZ Company has ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification. supersort®, in operation since summer 2013, is a dry-mechanical recycling plant which is able to recover valuable products such as ferrous and non-ferrous metals, stainless steel or CU-FE «meatballs» from MSWI bottom ash. The recycling plant processes more than 100,000 mt of bottom ash per year – a reasonable amount of the accumulated bottom ash in Switzerland. supersort® is able to maximise the separation of valuable metals in order to improve the quality of the mineral residue fraction by decreasing metal contamination far below the required level.

Its convenient location next to the Häuli landfill site in Lufingen is a big advantage for the legal deposing of the mineral residue fraction. The remaining metal content of approximately 0.5% is far below the required level of 1%. In compliance with Swiss laws, the mineral Aluminium International Today

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residue fraction has to be landfilled and is not suitable for road construction or other uses. The direct access to the landfill reduces the additional costs and the environmental risk regarding the transport and handling of the bottom ash.

Bottom ash is the largest residue fraction after the incineration of household waste and it contains on average 1 to 3% of nonferrous metals and 5 to 15% of scrap iron.

For every Swiss citizen, the incinerators produce approximately 100kg of bottom ash per year.

The installation of supersort®fine is another important step in the overall concept of the supersort®technology and enables the increased recovery of nonferrous metals in grain-size ranges between 0.5 and 3mm. The fraction < 3mm passes from the supersort® plant directly into the supersort®fine plant sector, where it is processed. The potential of recoverable metals in this fraction ranges between 2 and 4% and the content of valuable heavy non-ferrous and precious metals such as silver and gold is higher than in the fractions > 3mm.

Thanks to the high flexibility of the supersort® recycling plant, DHZ is also able to process single sub-fractions from MSWI bottom ash (e.g. fractions in the grain sizes of 0 to 10mm) apart from raw bottom ash as a customer service. In addition, the plant can also process various other materials. These include waste streams with contaminated materials or with considerable contents of metals, batteries and organic components.

The supersort®technology for bottom ash recycling and the processing of other metal containing waste streams helps to implement the resource-mining®strategy in a sustainable and efficient way. It enables an essential increase in the

recovery of recyclable materials.

The supersort®technology is divided into three processing steps: 1. supersort® - the delivered MSWI bottom ash is classified into different fractions and metals bigger than 3mm contained in the bottom ash are recovered, in operation since summer 2013.

2. supersort®fine – the treatment plant processes the fraction 0.5 to 3mm from the supersort® plant and recovers further non-ferrous metal products with a higher content of precious and non-ferrous metals, in operation since December 2014.

3. supersort®metal – advanced separation technology for purifying metal products from customer plants, supersort® and supersort®fine as well as other metal containing waste streams such as shredder waste, launch in summer 2016.

To further improve metal recycling, DHZ will commission the supersort®metal plant in summer 2016. For this continuative process step, a pilot plant was put into operation in February 2015. Installation work for the new facility started early in 2016. The new plant purifies metal mixtures from supersort®, supersort®fine and from other bottom ash treatment plants into high grade metal fractions. Thanks to the latest technology, the supersort®metal plant will close the gap between the smelters and the conventional bottom ash treatment installations because the resulting metals can be directly processed by smelters.

The central location of the treatment plant near Oberglatt, in close proximity to Zurich Airport enables a convenient handling of input materials and products.

The material – coming from Europe and Switzerland – can be delivered by truck or by train to the facility and is stored on site.

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The input material in the easily accessible facility is loaded into a hopper and then transferred by a conveyor belt to the treatment plant. supersort®metal uses a dry-mechanical separation process and produces different metal-fractions like scrap-iron or light and heavy fractions of non-ferrous metals. The light fraction consists mainly of aluminium and aluminium alloys, the heavy fraction is a mixture of copper, lead, brass and zinc. The resulting non-ferrous metal fractions are dry and feature a purity level of more than 98%. With this treatment, the aluminium fraction accomplishes the European End-of-Waste guidelines.

The processing takes place within two independent lines. Line I processes particles from 8 to 100mm. Line II handles the fine fraction and recovers metals down to a grain-size of 0.3mm. The maximum productivity per line stays at 10 mt/h. If the plant runs 24/7, both lines can handle up to 100,000mt of input material per year. To run the plant, the installed electrical power accumulates at 1600 kW. A liberating process selectively brakes down the input material. The split particles can now be freed from remaining ash impurities. The next step is the segregation of the light organic particles and the ferrous metals. Using sieves, the fractions are divided up into large and small grain sizes. Finally, in the classification step, the light metals such as aluminium and aluminium alloys are separated from the heavy metals such as copper, lead or brass using a density grading process. The results satisfy the highest quality standards: Pure aluminium and pure heavy metal compound which – depending on the input material – contains mainly copper.

For the environment and the working conditions inside the plant, the drymechanical treatment process is kept virtually dust-free through a de-dusting installation that cleans up to 300,000m3 of air per hour.

Using high-tech analysis and quality control systems, the process is managed and the material is graded and continuously optimised by specialists.

Quality and particle sizes of the purified products can be adapted according to customer specifications. The scrap dealers and the smelters can expect a consistently high product quality and a constant flow of secondary raw material. supersort®metal can process a wide variety of waste streams. The plant layout is capable of processing waste with variable particle sizes and compositions. Besides metal concentrates from the treatment of MSWI bottom ash, the plant can process automotive shredder residue (ASR) from the automobile and electronics recycling industry and other metal containing Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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waste streams. Suitable materials contain recoverable metals and mineral or organic contents which have to be removed.

Any remaining minerals contents are disposed in compliance with Swiss laws and unburned organics are returned to the incinerator. The removing of metals from MSWI bottom ash helps to save room in landfills and metal-free ASR can be disposed at lower costs. For the landfill contractor, the new plant is an alternative to traditional disposal options.

The concept of the supersort®metal plant is able to process the following material streams:

need for planning, as well as process operation. The location of the plant allows for extremely flexible and efficient logistics operations thanks to direct connections to the road and railway networks and to shipping traffic. Close cooperation with well-known freight contractors complements the service offered.

The supersort®technology enables the nearcomplete recovery of metals from waste materials. This results in environmentally relevant quality improvements of the residual fraction to be disposed and helps to reduce the demand for metals such as iron, copper or aluminium from primary

1. Non-ferrous metals from supersort®

and supersort®fine 2. Non-ferrous metals from stationary

and mobile treatment plants 3. ASR, containing lighter and heavier fractions 4. Other metal containing waste

production. The recycled high grade metals are reused as secondary raw materials and contribute to the closing of the material cycle. Recycling helps to conserve valuable primary resources and eliminates remarkable amounts of CO2 emissions because the secondary production of metals requires significant less energy, compared to primary production. supersort®technology – a technology able to recover recyclable materials, to close material cycles, to save emissions and all in all a great contribution for a sustainable environment. 

According to the company, the supersort®metal process recovers metals efficiently and produces high-quality secondary raw materials with purity levels of approximately 98% metal content.

Thanks to the high degree of reliability and constant process monitoring, a high product standard can be guaranteed at all times, which simplifies customers’

Contact www.dhz.ch

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Sorting solutions improve aluminium recycling The recycling of aluminium products ensures that this valuable metal can be re-used over and over again.

Major aluminium recyclers and secondary smelters have been searching for solutions to improve and extend the volume of their recycling businesses, both qualitatively and quantitatively. A major challenge has been the fact that a very high majority of scrap dealers do not supply their customers with scrap material that is ready to melt to their specifications. Thus, these secondary smelter customers must correct the incoming scrap as they melt it.

These adjustments are costly - in terms of time, energy, materials, and throughput.

Sense2Sort alliance partners Austin AI (US based) and Toratecnica (Europe based) have launched an innovative sorting process technology that bridges the gap between the scrap dealer’s typical nondescript mix of scrap alloys and the smelter’s specific needs for furnace infeed scrap.

Now, for shredded scrap, it is possible to create a melt ready aluminium fraction from Twitch and Zorba. Now, for production scrap, it is possible to extract specific alloys from binary, tertiary, and quaternary mixes - such as 5XXX and 6XXX series - in a high purity and economically efficient manner!

Efficient sorting Looking at today’s recycling processes, aluminium can be recovered at a purity of up to 98% via waste and scrap recycling. In comparison with primary aluminium production, up to 95% of the energy needed to smelt bauxite ore is saved. In the automobile industry as one example, the use of aluminium has grown considerably in the past years. However, traditional aluminium recyclers have lacked the sorting technology that allowed the

“XRT sorting technologies alone are not good enough for most aluminum recycling applications. Chemistry is the Key.” creation of melt ready aluminium streams - so a large proportion of the specific alloys each manufacturer demands is made from primary ingot. Now finally, the missing pieces have appeared: Using XRF and LIBS technology, Sense2Sort have developed the technologies that allow

all sorting requirements to be fulfilled and melt ready packages be created in a completely automatic recovery process from waste scrap. This is the final step to a cradle-to-cradle process, resulting in huge energy savings and highly profitable recycling processes.

By Mrs. Eva-Maria Gerosch, Mr. Eric van Looy. Sense2Sort Europe, Toratecnica, SL . & Mr. Rick Comtois, Sense2Sort US, Austin AI, Inc Aluminium International Today

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Fig. 1Periodic Table of Elements

XRF and LIBS Technologies surpass XRT in metal recycling applications in terms of cost efficiency and technical advantages.

In the recent past, sorting aluminium alloys by means of XRT (X-ray-Transmission) technology has been tried. However, this expensive sensor technology (based on the physical property of material density) is not precise enough for specific alloy sorting.

Additionally, extra material preparation stages like sizing for XRT sorting is costly and time consuming.

Sorting with XRT has demonstrated to be cost inefficient and yielding poor product quality when used beyond the stage of rough sorting light and heavy metal alloys commonly found in shredder scrap.

The scrap processor to scrap consumer business link is therefore in need of a better bridge by which they may conduct their trade. In the Sense2Sort model, the XRT approach is thus followed by XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) technique. Using the XRF sensor technology, aluminium alloys can be classified cost efficiently, at a high quality, and at an economically viable throughput performance. Different than XRT, which results merely in black white imaging as sorting criteria, XRF sensing allows the definition of plain material composition according to the atomic elements table (Fig.1). XRF, and its partner technology in Sense2Sort’s first-of-itskind scrap metal processing line, LIBS, are elemental analysers that use the chemistry of the target material for identifying or sorting criteria. For example, the XRF technology has proven usage for the scrap metal processors in sorting their Zorba und Zurik. XRF extracts Zn, Cu, Ni, Fe, etc., from the Zorba; and extract only PCB’s or Cu from Zurik material.

S2S LIBS-Sense: Sorting aluminium on specific alloy constituents has become possible Scrap must be of appropriate quality before it can be melted down. To obtain this level of quality, all adherent materials Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is the emission of characteristic “secondary” (or fluorescent) X-rays from a material that has been excited by bombarding with high-energy X-rays or gamma rays.

The phenomenon is widely used for elemental analysis and chemical analysis. In recycling applications, this information is used to classify materials according tot he chemical elements as shown in Fig 1.

must be removed. Depending on scrap type, aluminium losses of about 2% to 10% may be incurred during separation of aluminium from other materials. A certain degree of material loss is inevitable with industrial processes but, because of aluminium’s high intrinsic value, all efforts are directed at minimising losses.

For example end-of-life products are often not mechanically separable into single material output fractions.

A dilution of foreign materials within each output is the result. The treatment of scrap is a joint undertaking by the aluminium recycling industry and specialised scrap processors.

Almost all aluminium used commercially contains one or more alloying elements to enhance its strength or other properties.

Aluminium recycling therefore contributes to the sustainable use of copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, silicon, zinc and other elements. Implementing new technology in the form of LIBS and XRF sorting is maximizing recycling quantities accordingly and opens up up-to-date eco efficient process optimisation.

Why are single elements of interest important to the secondary smelter?

In summary, the difference in one element’s presence or absence in furnace feedstock can dramatically affect the mill’s performance.

For example, if the incoming feedstock is a Twitch-like material (a mix of wrought and cast scrap), then the furnace operator must either increase the amount of alloying Si if he is making a cast Al product; or he must dilute down the Si if he is making a wrought product. In the former case, the operator adds Si metal to the molten Al to get the Si up to spec.

In the latter case, the operator adds pure Al ingot to reduce the Si to spec.

In both cases these pot adjustments means there is 1) significant added energy consumption keeping the melt at temperature; 2) longer pot time (lower turnover); and, 3) added feed material costs.

The argument becomes more dramatic when the case for Mg is analysed. More and more Mg metal is finding its way into feedstock from today’s scrap shredder process. This is a result of increased usage in automobile manufacturing, mainly.

Referring back to the Twitch product, Mg levels can be at 3%-5%, or more.

For most secondaries there is a need to reduce this Mg content to lower values.

This is typically done via the addition of chlorine to the molten metal and the subsequent creation of a floating Mg slag that is drawn off. In addition to the salient points 1) – 3) above for the Si adjustment case, there are the incremental arguments supporting removal/reduction of the Mg metal before melting. These are 4) increased capacity per turnover; 5) reduction in chlorine usage; 6) reduction in the waste Mg slag; and 7) creation of an asset as the pre-extracted Mg metal is a tradable commodity (typically trading higher than the subject Al metal). These are seven powerful drivers providing quick ROI for those adding Mg extraction technology to their processing line.

Finally, one can achieve “closing the loop” in aluminium recycling to the point of ultimate alloy specificity.

As an example, alloys of the 5XXX and 6xxx series can be sorted (see inset).This is done with LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy).

Several key applications are the sorting of aluminium extruded parts (typically 6XXX series) and automotive recycling applications (where 5XXX series alloys are common).

Latest XRF and LIBS sorting technologies are the final step to a cradle-to-cradle process, resulting in huge energy savings and highly profitable recycling operations.

It can be concluded that the end goal of very tightly closed loop between smelter to consumer to smelter is possible.

This “Cradle-to-Cradle” recyclability of aluminium goods has gained this metal and its alloys a higher level of importance all over the world. This single characteristic is part of the reason that aluminium metal has a much brighter future than some of the other metal alloys.

The aluminium industry seeks ways to reduce energy usage and emissions.

Sorting recyclable aluminium, while creating melt-ready packages, is thus a huge step forward, helping to close the loop. Operator advantages continue as recycling qualities and quantities are raised profitably. Bottom line impact for most clients’ processing requirements can be realised immediately upon commissioning. 

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Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a type of atomic emission spectroscopy which uses a highly energetic laser pulse as the excitation source.[1][2] The laser is focused to form a plasma, which atomizes and excites samples. In principle, LIBS can analyze any matter regardless of its physical state, be it solid, liquid or gas. Because all elements emit light of characteristic frequencies when excited to sufficiently high temperatures, LIBS can (in principle) detect all elements. If the constituents of a material to be analyzed are known, LIBS may be used to evaluate the relative abundance of each constituent element, or to monitor the presence of impurities.

LIBS operates by focusing the laser onto a small area at the surface of the specimen; when the laser is discharged

it ablates a very small amount of material, in the range of nanograms to picograms, which generates a plasma plume with temperatures in excess of 100,000 K. During data collection, typically after local thermodynamic equilibrium is established, plasma temperatures range from 5,000–20,000 K. At the high temperatures during the early plasma, the ablated material dissociates (breaks down) into excited ionic and atomic species. During this time, the plasma emits a continuum of radiation which does not contain any useful information about species presented, but within a very small timeframe the plasma expands at supersonic velocities and cools. At this point the characteristic atomic emission lines of the elements can be observed. The delay between the emission of

Laser power supply Laser head PC

Input optical-fibre

Focusing lens

Laser spark

Collection lenses

Unknown material

Spectrograph Delay generator Detector controller

Fig. 2 Schematic illustration of LIBS detection continuum radiation and characteristic radiation is in the order of 10 µs, this is why it is necessary to temporally gate the detector.

“Latest XRF and LIBS sorting technologies are the final step to a cradle-to-cradle process, resulting in huge energy savings and highly profitable recycling operations. ”

New Sorting Opportunities: Some XRF and LIBS application examples: PRODUCTION SCRAP In the more alloy specific world of recycling production scrap, the goal is to close the loop as tightly as possible between the generation of excess manufacturing product and the secondary smelter producing that specific alloy. In an ideal world, the manufacturer would maintain 100% control of each of their alloys used in production and these overages, clippings, punchings, etc., would be returned to the secondary for remelting. But the reality is that this has proven to be unachievable and production scrap is returned as mixed

lots of a handful of different alloys.

While these admixtures may be limited in range of alloy, the slight chemistry difference is a killer to the furnace operator who must melt, test, adjust, test and pour. Eliminating only but the target alloys reduces the furnace time to melt and pour. Even in the case where a mixture of production scrap is limited to a specific 6XXX alloy and a 5XXX alloy, the difference of a single minor or trace alloying element such as Mg, Si, Cu, or Mn, etc., may force the need for “pot adjustments”. The key to success for the Sense2Sort process is the very finite

degree of separation specificity. All the aforementioned alloying elements can be criteria on which a sortation can be based. It has been demonstrated that in the worst case scenario of a 50/50 production scrap mixture of one 5XXX and one 6XXX, the target alloy is typically extracted to >90% purity in one run. A second pass through the process yields purities of 98% and higher. There are very few mixes of common production Al alloys that would keep the furnace operator from accepting the scrap as melt-ready when it contained 98% of the target alloy.

New Sorting Opportunities: Some XRF and LIBS application examples: SHREDDER SCRAP The difficult business environment for automobile shredders can now be helped by product innovations based on XRF and LIBS technologies that allow further purification of their nonferrous downstream and increase the value of their output by providing a superior product to their customers. That is, a purer alloy product is more valuable to furnace operators because it cut costs and energy requirements considerably while creating preferred, green material

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streams, ready for smelting.

Whether the source is Zorba, Twitch, or other downstream non-ferrous material such as ELV, Incinerator Bottom Ash, etc., the Sense2Sort process can make the difference in profits and efficiency. Starting with the most common shredder non-ferrous output, Zorba, the process will separate the lights and the heavies. The light fraction with Cast Al, Wrought Al, and Mg is further separated into its more valuable

parts. Further reduction of the Wrought Al material is performed, basically all the way to melt-specific alloys if so desired.

If the starting point is Zorba, then the process can also be applied to the heavy’s fraction. Extraction of Cu, Zn, Fe, Brass, etc., is only limited in scope by the economics of the scrapper’s volume and available sales outlets. Even coins and precious metals such as silver and gold can be found in this heavy’s fraction.

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Putting the Circular Economy in Motion Rick Hindley* discusses how the UK’s aluminium packaging industry is helping to meet increasingly challenging recycling targets.

Increased targets for the recycling of aluminium packaging were proposed in the European Commission’s revised circular economy package, announced in December 2015, with a target of 75% by 2025.

Aluminium is a perfect material for the ‘circular economy’ as it can be recycled over and over again without any loss in quality. The real challenge, as with all other packaging materials, is to engage with consumers to get them to recycle, supported by improvements in waste collection and sorting.

Alupro acts as the voice of the aluminium packaging industry, representing the industry to policy makers and opinion formers in the UK and Europe, and helping it to meet and exceed, statutory recycling targets for aluminium packaging. The membership organisation comprises the leading aluminium packaging producers, fillers and reprocessors/exporters in the UK. Achievement of the proposed new EU recycling targets will form the major focus of Alupro’s activities in 2016 and beyond – the first task to update our plan which identifies the barriers and opportunities for further recycling growth.

Alupro works in partnership with local authorities, the waste management industry and major brands to increase the amount of aluminium that is kept in the recycling ‘loop’. It does this through advocacy programmes, and by running consumer information campaigns to encourage citizens to recycle more. In addition, Alupro works with other organisations representing the wider packaging sector to deliver consistent messaging about the importance of recycling all packaging materials.

In 2014, more than 170,000 tonnes of aluminium packaging – primarily drinks cans, aluminium foil and aerosols – was placed on the UK market.

When collected for recycling, this material would be worth in excess of £60 million (US$ 94 million) to collectors. And it’s a growing market, with increasing sales of goods packaged in aluminium.

Alupro’s campaigns have been helping drive up the UK’s

recycling rate for aluminium packaging for 27 years. From a starting point of less than 2% in 1989, today the recycling rate for all aluminium packaging stands at 48% and the recycling rate for aluminium drinks cans has reached 60%.

New aluminium protocols In order to assess progress

*Executive Director of the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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towards a more circular economy and the effectiveness of action taken, it is important to have a set of reliable indicators.

Alupro is committed to ensuring that the measurement of aluminium recycling is as accurate as possible, and recently led a review of aluminium protocols to ensure they reflected the real rate of aluminium packaging currently being recycled in the UK or exported for recycling.

Following approval from the UK government’s Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Environment Agencies, January 2015 saw the introduction of a new protocol covering aluminium packaging recovered from Incinerator Bottom Ash (IBA), as happens in other European countries.

This replaced three long-standing aluminium scrap protocols. The changes were introduced following an extensive research project carried out by Alupro in 2013/14 to identify the aluminium packaging

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content of IBA. Estimates predict that the new protocol could see more than 10,000 tonnes of recovered aluminium being counted towards the targets set for the recovery of aluminium packaging. This figure is set to increase year on year as more household waste is sent to energy from waste plants rather than landfill.

Changes to the accreditation process The UK’s recycling performance data is based on a market-driven system whereby accredited reprocessors issue Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs) to producers and retailers for every tonne of material delivered for recycling.

Unlike for the producers and retailers, there is no obligation on reprocessors to become accredited. The system’s perceived complexity and the low price of aluminium PRNs means many have chosen not to become accredited and so their tonnages are simply not captured.

The resulting gaps in the data mean that recycling performance appears weaker than the reality.

Alupro highlighted issues with the accreditation process, which were proving a disincentive to reprocessors becoming, or remaining, part of the PRN system, and leading to material collected for recycling not being reported; this meant that aluminium was at risk of not achieving its statutory target.

As a result of lobbying

by Alupro, supported by the Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP), The Environment Agency acted in July 2015 to allow PRNs to be issued from the date accreditation applications were received and urged reprocessors to become accredited and issue PRNs and Packaging Waste Export Recovery Notes (PERNs). Defra also announced changes to the accreditation and application process to reduce the administrative burden, and costs, for reprocessors. The changes to the accreditation process marked one of the most significant successes todate for Alupro’s lobbying activities.

There is still work to be done to encourage more reprocessors to become accredited so that recycling data is an accurate record of recycling performance. The sector needs to record tonnages accurately in order

to demonstrate compliance with the ambitious new material recovery targets set under the Circular Economy Package from the EU. MetalMatters Alupro project manages a programme called MetalMatters – an industry partnership programme funded by metal packaging manufacturers, reprocessors and leading brands.

Through MetalMatters, Alupro offers a range of support to local authorities who are expanding or promoting their recycling activity, including funding for communications campaigns to help boost participation.

MetalMatters aims to increase the capture rate for metal packaging used in the home. It is a targeted communications campaign which informs residents about the endless transformation their household metal packaging undergoes every time it is recycled.

Local councils in the UK collect recyclable materials from most households at the kerbside, and aluminium packaging represents up to 25% of the value of materials collected. According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) Best Practice Guide on the collection of aerosols and aluminium foil, the high value of aluminium means that even small amounts yield reasonable cost savings for authorities that have a revenue sharing agreement with their waste management firm or materials recovery facility (MRF).

In recent years, Alupro has developed campaigns to encourage councils to increase the range of metal packaging they collect at the kerbside, including aerosols, foil trays and household foil to meet householders’ desire to recycle more at home. A two-year campaign in partnership with the aerosol and foil container sectors encouraged local authorities to add foil trays and aerosols to their collections and has led to a marked improvement; today more than 96% collect aerosols at the kerbside, and over 75% collect foil trays.

Fortunately, it is easy to engage with residents about metal packaging recycling and to motivate them to recycle more.

The fact that metal can be continuously recycled into an array of ‘new’ and valuable items, resonates with consumers.

Two leaflet drops, typically six weeks apart, inform and remind householders about what and how to recycle and explain what happens to metal packaging after it is collected. The communications materials are tailored to fit with existing local authority or waste partnership branded campaigns.

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Rick Hindley, Executive Director, AluPro UK

has been delivered in more than 55 local authorities throughout the UK, directly targeting more than 3.2 million households. It has been proven to work across all recycling scenarios, including urban and rural areas and co-mingled or source-separated collection schemes.

What’s more, the revenue from the additional metals collected has generated some impressive returns on investment, with most authorities covering their costs within 12 months of the campaign rolling out. MetalMatters not only generates an uplift in materials collected for recycling during the campaign, but importantly has a sustained positive impact long after the campaign has been delivered.

Every Can Counts Alupro also manages the Every Can Counts programme, which focuses on developing the infrastructure for collecting drinks cans used outside the home – in particular in workplaces and situations where people are ‘on the go’. Every Can Counts is a partnership between the major European and UK beverage can manufacturers, aluminium reprocessors and leading drinks brands.

Every Can Counts supports organisations wanting to set up or improve drinks can recycling amongst their staff and/ or customers. The programme provides assistance with finding a recycling service provider, supplies collection containers and offers help with promotion of the recycling scheme, including an extensive range of free communications materials.

Across the UK there are 13,300 Every Can Counts-branded recycling points.

Results show that introducing Every Can Counts not only boosts recycling of drinks cans, but stimulates interest in recycling of all materials.

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Every Can Counts is also working to raise awareness of recycling drinks cans ‘on the go’ and has run campaigns in shopping centres, town centres, tourist sites and at events, including major music festivals.

The Every Can Counts model developed

by Alupro in the UK is now being replicated in other countries in Europe. Most recently launched in Spain, there are currently 10 European programmes promoting recycling.

Leave your cap on The ‘You Can Leave Your Cap On’ campaign, jointly funded by Alupro, The European Aluminium Foil Association and British Glass, encourages recyclers to screw the caps back on their empty bottles, as the metal can be easily extracted from the glass during the recycling process.

Alupro has produced signage for bottle banks and kerbside boxes, as well as a range of template materials for local authorities to adapt including a press release, social media posts and web copy, and a short animation reminding residents to leave their cap on!

Seasonal recycling campaigns Alupro runs a number of seasonal campaigns to help raise consumer awareness about what can be recycled.

Free template communications materials are available for local authorities to encourage householders to recycle their Christmas turkey trays, Easter egg wrappers and summer picnic packaging, while other campaigns focus on drinks cans and aerosols.

Learning aluminium Schools around the UK can now benefit from new multidisciplinary teaching

resources on aluminium recycling.

Alupro launched the new resources for schools with free curriculum-linked activities for pupils aged seven to 14.

The resources, which can be used across several subjects including geography, design and technology, English and ICT, are hosted on a dedicated website www. learningaluminium.co.uk.

The Learning Aluminium website also features the aluminium industry’s popular design & technology (D&T) schools resource, the Alu D&T Challenge, which includes a national competition to encourage students to think about the importance of sustainable design.

The 2015 competition set challenges in three design categories focusing on transport, building and packaging, with winners announced in February 2016.

This competition attracts sponsorship from across the aluminium industry and its customers. Main sponsors for the 2015 competition were Alupro, the Aluminium Federation, Novelis UK Ltd., Hydro Aluminium Rolled Products and Jaguar Land Rover, with additional support from Alcoa and Befesa.

Lasting and positive behaviour change Making the circular economy a reality will require long-term involvement at all levels, from international governments, to local authorities, businesses and citizens. Our successes to date show that partnerships work and Alupro programmes are making a major contribution to delivering lasting and positive behaviour change, and increasing the recycling rate of aluminium packaging.

Voluntary support from industry makes Alupro’s work possible. The campaign has even attracted funding from businesses not included in the PRN system (including household foil rewinders and coffee capsule manufacturers), because they see the value of working with the wider industry to promote the recyclability of aluminium packaging.

Driving up capture rates for aluminium, and all metal, packaging remains a priority.

Householders need to be reminded, and reassured, that when they recycle they are doing the ‘right thing’ and their actions will make a difference.

The communication programmes will continue, encouraging people to recycle more of their aluminium packaging, more of the time and help meet the challenging circular economy targets.

For more information about MetalMatters visit www.MetalMatters. org.uk and for Every Can Counts www. everycancounts.eu. The main Alupro website is: www.alupro.org.uk.  Aluminium International Today

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Green Building Guide New ‘Green Building Guide’ helps designers innovate with aluminium. By Jinlong Marshall Wang*

Late last year, the Aluminum Association released the industry’s first-ever Aluminum Green Building Guide. The Guide made a big splash in its debut at the US Green Building Council’s GreenBuild 2015 conference in Washington, D.C., helping architects, designers, engineers, builders and others learn how to incorporate sustainable aluminium as a building material to develop and certify green buildings.

The publication is based on key requirements of the most current, commonly-adopted green building certifications and construction codes. The Guide elaborates on how users can meet or exceed green building requirements through aluminium solutions. For example, included in the Guide is a section on using aluminium in renewable energy systems to help qualify for LEED® v4 green building certification credits.

Background Aluminium is one of the most commonly used building materials in modern buildings. The metal has been used for buildings almost since its commercial scale production began. Functional considerations have always been the driving force behind aluminium’s popularity. From this perspective, aluminium is particularly attractive to architects, designers and builders largely due to the inherited unique characteristics of aluminium alloys, which are strong, lightweight and can be formed into endless shapes and designs.

In recent decades, sustainability and environmental considerations of building materials have also come into play.

As a consequence of rising concerns about intensifying global environmental problems such as climate change, resource depletion, and ecosystem degradation, buildings and their environmental performances have increasingly come

under scrutiny. This is because, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), buildings account for about 39% of the total energy use, 68% of electricity consumption, and 12% of the total water consumption in the United States today. As a result, a global green building movement has spread across the world with the creation and adoption of a variety of voluntary green building labelling systems and mandatory green construction codes. Among leading labelling systems and construction codes in North America are the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the Green Globes, and the International Green Construction Code (IgCC). LEED is

among the most recognised and adopted labelling systems.

Green building labelling systems or construction codes focus largely on energy, water, waste, greenhouse gas emissions and indoor environmental quality. Many

systems start with a simple matrix and gradually develop into more complex and holistic assessment mechanisms, e.g. whole building life cycle assessment, health and safety assessment and social responsibility matrix.

Yet linking materials and the “green” matrix of green buildings is not a straightforward task. A single building material like aluminium is often used in combination with other materials to make building components, e,g. windows, roofs, or doors. And to make matters even more complex, a building component is often a small part of a very large and sophisticated system.

The system is not only influenced by materials, individual components and the assembled finishes, but also by numerous “external” factors such as climate zone, weather, surrounding environment, assigned purpose of use and the individual behaviour of building occupants, to name just a few examples.

So what role does a single material play in its contribution to the “greening” of an extremely complex system? And how can one qualify or quantify such roles and attributions? That’s the background of the Aluminum Association’s Green Building Guide Project.

Aluminium and Green Buildings The Aluminum Green Building Guide is based on key requirements of the current, most-commonly adopted green building certifications systems and construction codes. It elaborates how those requirements can potentially be met or exceeded through the use of aluminium products and systemic aluminium solutions.

On this front, the Guide incorporates the most up-to-date understanding of aluminium’s technological solutions to challenges in the building and construction

*Jinlong Marshall Wang is the Senior Sustainability Specialist for the Aluminum Association. He was previously a Project Director at China National Blue Star Corporation and he served as a Director of Project Operations at Beijing Int’l Institute of Economic and Social. Mr Wang obtained his Masters Degree in Environmental Management from Yale University in 2007, where he focused his studies and research on materials management, including aluminium.

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industries, as well as the results of the aluminium industry’s extensive sustainability research and studies.

Most current labelling systems and construction codes addresses the “greening” of buildings from a life cycle perspective, covering building design, construction, use and maintenance and end-of-life management. Major indicators of performance assessment include sustainable sites, energy efficiency, carbon footprint, indoor environmental quality, water efficiency, sustainable materials, product durability, building end-of-life management, whole building life cycle assessment and disclosure. The Guide shows how aluminium products can provide solutions to improve performance and earn credit points for these assessment categories. Some of these attributes are obvious and straightforward while others are subtle and indirect, and thus require explanation as well as information and evidence support.

While its presence in buildings is ubiquitous from the inside-out, the most common uses of aluminium include windows, doors and store fronts, curtain walls, facades, skylights, wall panels, roofs, solar panels, shading devices and shutters, and structures and canopies. In almost all its most common uses, aluminium components are combined with other materials to perform their designated functions. And in all applications, more than one of the aluminium’s unique properties – strength and lightweight, durability and corrosion resistance, formability and flexibility, reflectivity, and safety – are utilised as a consequence.

Aluminium’s durability, recyclability, high-recycled content, and end-of-life recycling rates are the obvious ”green” attributes of aluminium.

What’s less obvious, but nonetheless fundamentally important, is the combined force of the other properties that have been utilised. These combined forces enable aluminium to play a key role in the final building components to help improve energy efficiency, boost indoor environmental quality and reduce the overall life cycle environmental footprint.

From this perspective, the key role of aluminium is to enable architects, engineers and builders to provide coordinated solutions through a balanced and optimised system to satisfy what are often considered the contradicting demands between heating, cooling, lighting and

ventilation tasks to ensure energy is saved and building occupants’ comfort, health, happiness and productivity are optimally achieved.

The Guide uses LEED v4 as an example to elaborate on the role that aluminium plays in achieving a balanced and optimised energy efficiency and functionality profile for a building. These include:  Aluminium fenestration systems (windows, curtain walls, etc.) can help strike an ideal balance among energy efficiency indicators such U-factor, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient and Air Leakage.  Aluminium renewable energy devices such as PV panels, solar thermal devices, micro wind turbines and integrated aluminium-glass-PV curtain walls and facades help generate renewable energy and make it possible for buildings to achieve “Net Zero” energy status.  Aluminium cool roofs help save energy and prevent urban heat island effects.  Aluminium fenestration systems help maximise natural daylight and views, and can be made to provide fresh air and thermal comfort. Aluminium tubular daylighting devices help deliver daylight to the inner core of buildings where daylight is often blocked.  The versatility of aluminium products in terms of their form, shape, curvature, size, appearance and assemblability provide endless possibilities for building innovations.

In addition to elaborating on these attributes, the Guide also emphasises aluminium’s sustainability characteristics including:  Raw material made with renewable energy  Significant content of recycled raw material  Prefabricated and easy to assemble  Durable and low maintenance  Responsibly manufactured  Transparent in environmental disclosure  Recycled at the end-of-life More to Come Given the complexity of environmental and sustainability issues in the building and construction market, the Aluminum Green Building Guide is just the first step of the Aluminum Association’s effort to educate key stakeholders on the metal’s role in making buildings greener. Following

the release of the Guide, the Aluminum Association plans address specific technical issues and to publish additional guidelines on how environmental assessment can be appropriately done for aluminium products, particularly regarding to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA).

This is due to the fact that LCA is relatively new to the building and construction sector and that some of the commonly misunderstood or hotly debated topics in LCA could lead to unfair assessments of aluminium or metal materials. In addition, existing standards and rules of LCA allow for flexibility in making personal choices based on individual value judgements when conducting life cycle assessment.

Those individual value judgements, when misused, could potentially cause environmental degradation instead of improvement.

It is the industry’s responsibility to explain its positions and provide appropriate guidance so that the individual value judgements can truly reflect the unique sustainability properties of aluminium as a material, and thus provide the largest environmental benefit.

Another area of focus of the Aluminum Association is to collect real world outstanding building cases to inspire stakeholders to think big and bold in their building innovation processes.

Green building labelling systems and green construction codes are largely about building design and construction.

Assessment indicators such as energy and indoor environmental quality are largely based on computer models to simulate the building use phase situation. This, of course, does not truly reflect the real world performance of buildings due to the numerous external factors and anomalies during the lifetime of buildings.

This underscores the importance of case studies, which will help present a true picture of the role aluminium plays during building operations and thus inspire more innovative applications.

Aluminium is an essential building material. As an industry that makes aluminium products, it is our responsibility to help society understand the characteristics and potential of the material so that it can be utilised in a smart way to maximise sustainability benefits. Providing this research and education is one of the key roles of the Aluminum Association and something we plan to continue well into the future. 

You can download a copy of the Guide here. (http://www.aluminum.org/sustainability/aluminum-green-buildings) Aluminium International Today

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Towards sustainable cities The in use benefits of aluminium in architecture, by Chris Bayliss*, Professor Michael Stacey** & Stephanie Carlisle*** On 24 October 1946, Oxford’s New Bodleian Library was officially opened by King George VI. It was not a particularly auspicious occasion – the ceremonial key broke in the lock and the King and Queen effectively had to break in to the University’s latest (and much needed) asset1. The silver key has sat in the Library’s treasury ever since, its (not very) useful life over with almost as soon as it began.

The Giles Gilbert Scott designed building, however, has remained a protective and productive centre of learning for over 70 years and, as of March 2015, has started a second life as the Weston Library, following an £80 million refurbishment by architects Wilkinson Eyre2.

Many elements of Sir Giles’ original building remain, however, and among these – integral to the design and function of the original, and the upgraded Library – are the windows. Aluminium windows.

Anodised aluminium windows, installed in 1939, and which are expected to have a service life of at least another half century.

Sixty years after the opening of the original Bodleian Library and three and a half thousand miles away in New York, an architectural project with a much shorter lifespan, but with an equally critical role for aluminium, was underway. In 2008, 500 architects were asked to submit proposals for full-scale designs reflecting the current state and future potential of prefabricated architecture to be evaluated for exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan. One of five selected for construction on a site adjacent to the museum, the Cellophane House™ was a five-story home with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, living and dining space, a roof terrace and a carport. Its assembly was more like that of a car than a traditional building. The whole construction was broken down into integrated assemblies, called “chunks,” that were fabricated off site, then delivered via trailers to the site and stacked on top of each other with a crane. Eighty per cent of the construction

Photograph courtesy of Adrian Toon a2n©

was completed in six days3.

Materials were selected to be lightweight, minimising embodied energy, and reusable within existing recycling streams. A light, adaptable, five storey aluminium frame, strengthened

by custom-designed steel connectors, formed the skeleton of the building, with a SmartWrap™ skin enveloping the structure and interior floors, ceilings, and partitions made of structural plastic.

Cellophane House™ was designed for

*Deputy Secretary Generay, International Aluminium Institute, **Architect and Conveyor of Products, Michael Stacey Architects’ ***Associate and Researcher, KieranTimberlake Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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adaptability, able to respond to a range of climatic factors, solar orientations, slopes and adjacencies, which differ from site to site. The skin was envisioned as a filter, selectively letting in daylight and seasonal heat and keeping out UV light and hot or cold air, depending on the season, with the narrow profile of the aluminium frame enabling this functionality.

The final experiment for this adaptable, lightweight home was its disassembly.

The house was deglazed, un-stacked, and disassembled at ground level using basic handheld tools. Parts were organised on pallets and removed from the site in two days. Virtually no waste was generated, and 100% of the energy embodied in materials was recovered. The only remnant was a patch of gravel in an asphalt lot.

Aluminium and green buildings These examples of aluminium’s durability, lightness and strength, adaptability and reusability/recyclability in the building and construction sector, along with other demonstrations of the metal’s unique combination of properties, led the International Aluminium Institute to begin to document case studies of aluminium usage in architecture in its Aluminium & Green Building website (part of The Aluminium Story4) and subsequently to develop a three year research programme on aluminium and the built environment: Towards Sustainable Cities. About to launch the fourth report in a series of five, Towards Sustainable Cities is being undertaken by Michael Stacey Architects5 (whose portfolio includes a number of award winning, aluminium-intensive designs), with KieranTimberlake6 (the designers of the Cellophane House and architect of the forthcoming US Embassy in London) and the Architecture and Tectonic Research Group of the University of Nottingham7.

A primary aim of this research is to quantify the in use benefits arising from the specification of aluminium in architecture and the built environment, to complement the relatively well understood energy (and associated emissions and waste) savings from the use of aluminium applications in transport lightweighting8 and through the recycling of aluminium scrap. A vital goal of this research is to quantify the potential contribution of aluminium towards the creation of sustainable cities; a key task as now over half of humanity lives in urban areas.

Buildings account for up to 40% of global energy consumption and thus improving the overall systemic efficiency of buildings and their contents, while maintaining their value as living and working spaces, is a key aspect of sustainability. Given the ongoing growth Aluminium International Today

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Photos courtesy of Stephanie Carlisle

The Alcoa Building – the world’s first aluminium skyscraper This thirty storey office tower in downtown Pittsburgh was designed for the aluminium giant Alcoa by architects Harrison & Abramovitz and was opened in 1953. In December of that year Popular Mechanics described it as “the world’s first aluminum skyscraper”. It is clad in unitised pressed aluminium units measuring 1829mm by 3658mm (6’ by 12’), which were pre-glazed.

The curved corner aluminium windows rotate for internal cleaning and are sealed by an inflatable gasket.

Aluminium is also used extensively in the construction of these offices, from aluminium air handling ducts to plaster lathes.

Inspected by Stephanie Carlisle of KieranTimberlake, in the summer of 2013, this project is described as being in remarkably good condition, with the original windows still intact. The possibility of testing the finish on the aluminium is under investigation by the research team.

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in urban populations globally, the potential for emerging economies to design and realise “green cities” from the bottom up is a positive opportunity for decoupling human wellbeing from environmental impact.

The most energy efficient buildings start with aluminium – 25% of global aluminium demand is from the construction sector.

Aluminium components and designs optimise natural lighting and shade, enhance energy management and support designs that make the most of the physical environment. Being durable and corrosion resistant, aluminium components in buildings contribute to reduced maintenance over time, while the metal’s unmatched recyclability gives architects a key sustainability design tool.

Aluminium’s high strength-to-weight ratio makes it possible to design light structures with exceptional stability allowing for narrow window and curtain wall frames, maximising solar gains for given outer dimensions. Aluminium’s light weight also makes it cheaper and easier to transport and handle safely on site. In Europe, around 95% of architectural aluminium is collected and recycled. Globally, buildings contain over 200 million tonnes of aluminium, which will be available for recycling by future generations time after time - an energy bank for the future.

The research programme has been structured as a series of studies based on the properties that aluminium brings to construction applications – durability, recyclability, flexibility, lightness/strength and the potential for energy saving (and energy producing) buildings that are sympathetic to their environment. The first report, Aluminium and Durability (Stacey, 2014)9, amasses case study buildings that pioneered aluminium’s use, alongside exemplary historical and contemporary examples, to evidence life expectancy and service life for aluminium building components.

The second report, Aluminium Recyclability and Recycling (Stacey, 2015)9, documents current building demolition protocols that include the collection, reuse and recycling of building materials and components. It gathers case study buildings that demonstrate re-glazing/refenestration, over cladding, retrofit, deepretrofit, and short-life building techniques – all dependent upon aluminium’s economic value and ability to be collected and continuously recycled.

Aluminium and Life Cycle Thinking (Carlisle, Friedlander & Faircloth, 2015)9, the third report in the series, explores the environmental impact of durability and recyclability by investigating an aluminium building product’s life cycle, or the stages through which it passes during its Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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lifetime. Raw materials extraction, product manufacturing, use and maintenance, and processing at the end of a product’s useful life constitute stages that may be examined in-depth to understand the environmental benefits attributable to an aluminium building product.

The forthcoming Aluminium: Flexible and Light will explore the lightweight potential of aluminium structures – including bridges and formwork – as well as the flexibility that the material offers architects to design adaptable, energysaving buildings, that can be constructed (and demolished) more quickly, safely and cost effectively than traditional designs.

A final report, Aluminium: Powerful and Sympathetic is planned for later in 2016.

significance and all over 25 years old.

During 2012 and 2013 all twelve projects, including the Alcoa Building, were the subject of a literature review, visual inspection and photographic survey.

From these projects, three were selected for in situ non-destructive testing of their finishes, including the windows of the Bodleian Library10.

The timescales for the durability of aluminium established by the research, including physical testing, demonstrate that the service life of aluminium applications (in particular windows), used by organisations including building research establishments, should be revised upwards from 40 years to at least 80 years.

Site or programme specific issues may limit these life expectancies, such as the use of aluminium within a swimming pool or an aggressive industrial interior. For polyester powder coating the recoating methods need to be well specified, but the oldest polyester powder coating still in service in this study is 43 years old and has not been recoated, while the guarantees offered in 1973 were only 10 years. The oldest example of PVDF coated aluminium in this study is 28 years old and looks very similar in appearance to when it was first inspected in 1988.

The interim conclusion of this part of the research suggests that well specified and well-detailed aluminium architecture should be considered to be very durable and have a very long life expectancy.

Aluminium components within a maintained interior, such as a church or library, appear to have an infinite life expectancy, while those exposed to the elements have a life expectancy of over 120 years.

Service Life The durability research stream began with a global survey of the last 120 years’ use of aluminium in architecture and infrastructure, identifying over fifty aluminium pioneers from the 1897 dome of San Gioacchino in Prati Church, Rome, the late 19th/early 20th century English parish churches of St Mary’s Great Warley and St Edmund, King and Martyr Fenny Bentley and the imposing 1906 Postparkasse of Otto Wagner in Vienna to the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank

by Foster Associates, completed in 1985.

The following research question was formulated out of the results of this survey: “are there aluminium based projects that are fit and forgotten; functioning well for the owners and users, whilst out-performing the contract guarantees provided when they were assembled”.

To answer this question, twelve projects were selected as case studies, each of them award winning and/or of historical

Life Cycle Assessment Life cycle thinking encourages actors across the entire value chain – manufacturers, professional architects and engineers, contractors and building owners – to be mindful of the life history of any manufactured product, and more specifically, to understand the inputs (including resources such as energy and water) and outputs (emissions to the environment) that result from the transformation of materials into product, from product to service, and from service to disposal.

If life cycle thinking is a framework through which a building product’s life history is given consideration, Life Cycle Assessment, or LCA, is the modelling method used to quantify a product’s environmental impacts. LCA models may be used to study specific questions regarding the environmental impacts of a given building product across selected stages of product life. Increasingly, LCA Aluminium International Today

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is a modelling practice being adopted by, or mandated to, architects and engineers during the design process in order to give consideration to environmental impact information during the selection of materials, components and assemblies.

The third report in the Towards Sustainable Cities contains a series of modelling studies, using comparative LCA to explore key issues in the environmental impacts of building materials: Recycled Content and End-of-Life Recycling scenarios; service life, maintenance and durability; manufacturing inputs and service life sensitivity analysis. All three LCAs make use of a simple and common architectural component, window framing, as the object of comparison, allowing for exploration of multiple materials and assembly techniques. The results and outcomes of the study of service life, maintenance and durability are presented here.

annual cleaning of the external frames.

The use scenario also considers regular replacement and repair of hardware, weather stripping, or sealants as would be expected over time per assembly type to maintain thermal and moisture performance.

All assemblies were modelled using endof-life disposal scenarios tuned to present construction and demolition waste diversion and recycling rates. Aluminium, steel, paper and plastics received credits associated with materials diverted from the waste stream and recycled at end of life, while wood products received credit from energy recovery associated with incineration.

Modelling Durability Aluminium, wood, aluminium-clad wood and PVCu windows were examined using three different use scenarios associated with different maintenance regimes.

Scenario 1 represents the most conservative estimate of window life; it assumes that no significant repair or replacement activities are conducted and that the entire frame assembly is disposed of or recycled and replaced at the end of a typical manufacturer guarantee. As there is presently little consensus on true service lives for architectural products, guarantees are commonly used in published comparative LCAs of window frames, even though they do not represent a realistic portrayal of in-situ circumstance.

Scenario 2 describes a basic maintenance regime in which a typical building manager or owner follows commonly prescribed maintenance practices aimed at reaching a longer life span for the window while maintaining a high level of window performance. Depending on the frame type, maintenance practices may include periodic replacement of damaged or worn components or hardware at regular intervals, and refinishing of the framing material.

Scenario 3 describes a highmaintenance regime in which a building manager or owner follows best practices aimed at extending the lifespan of a high-quality window through regular and frequent maintenance practices. For wood assemblies, this includes regular recoating and refinishing of frames, while for aluminium, maintenance includes Aluminium International Today

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Results of the LCA indicate that the full cradle-to-grave impacts of aluminium window framing are far less than previously reported by other studies.

When the true lifespan of aluminium products are considered across the building’s life, the global warming potential of a moderately maintained aluminium window assembly is 68% less than PVCu and 50% less than the best case scenario for aluminium-clad wood. Well maintained wood windows were found to have a 7% lower impact from a carbon perspective than the long-life scenario for aluminium-clad wood framing, and to have a nearly 30% lower impact than aluminium-clad wood windows, when the manufacturer guarantee period is used as an estimation of actual life cycle. However, when considering fossil fuel depletion impacts, moderately and well-maintained aluminium windows (scenarios 2 and 3) required less energy to produce and maintain over their lifetime than any of

the wood scenarios.

Well maintained aluminium window framing proved to be the least impactful option across all categories, in large part due to the credits delivered at end of life from recycling aluminium into future building products. Therefore, while this model was initially built to measure the importance of durability and maintenance in the use stage of the life cycle, it is clear that material reclamation and recycling at end of life is a significant contributor to reducing the embodied environmental burdens of window framing products.

Towards sustainable cities The second decade of the twenty first century began with an estimated seven billion people on the planet and the United Nations currently expects the global population to reach 10 billion by 2100.

The sustainability challenge shared by all is to provide not only basic needs, but to meet expectations for an improving quality of life. Crucially, this socio-economic progress must be achieved while ensuring the environment remains ecologically and economically viable and able to meet the needs of future generations.

The products of human ingenuity, including the versatile metal aluminium in its many applications, have a vital role to play in successfully addressing this sustainability challenge. Long life, durable, recyclable aluminium applications – which, across their full lifecycle (production, use including maintenance and at end of life), have the potential to save more resources and have a lower environmental impact than alternative materials – in well designed, well specified, well maintained buildings are critical to the 8 billion people who will be living in cities in the year 2100.

And perhaps some of those people might still be seeing Sir Giles’ original windows, a century and a half after they were first conceived.  References 1. https://youtu.be/QBTu1kpKZoQ 2. https://youtu.be/JaK810MbsQc 3. https://vimeo.com/76278529 4. www.thealuminiumstory.com 5. www.s4aa.co.uk 6. http://www.kierantimberlake.com 7. https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/research/ groups/architecture-culture-and-tectonics/ index.aspx 8. h t t p : / / w w w. w o r l d - a l u m i n i u m . o r g / publications/tagged/light%20weighting/ 9. h t t p : / / w w w. w o r l d - a l u m i n i u m . o r g / publications/tagged/green%20buildings/ 10. M. Stacey and C. Bayliss (2015) Aluminium and Durability: reviewed by inspection and testing, Materials Today: Proceedings Vol.2 Issue 10, Part A, Elservier, pp. 5088–5095.

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Aluminium is playing its part Nadine Firth* spoke to Matthew RowlandJones** about the role of aluminium in sustainable packaging.

Q. In what ways does aluminium contribute to Rexam’s sustainability standards?

A. As a leading global can maker, manufacturing over 60 billion cans a year for some of the world’s largest drinks brands; Rexam has a responsibility to minimalise the impact of its products on the environment in pursuit of zero waste.

The majority of Rexam’s cans are made from aluminium with steel making up the remainder. In January 2015, Rexam converted its La Selva plant from steel to aluminium in a bid to reduce costs in materials as well as transport costs and emissions through lighter weight material. Rexam is following suit with its second plant in Spain, Valdemorillo, with conversion set to be complete by April 2016, resulting in 100% of Rexam’s cans being manufactured in aluminium.

As a supplier of aluminium products, Rexam plays a key role in the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), which is working to develop a standard for ‘sustainable aluminium’ and seeking to reduce the impact of aluminium production in a number different of areas.

The global recycling rate for beverage cans currently stands at around 70% making cans the most recycled packaging format in the world. A key part of Rexam’s sustainability strategy is to further improve recycling rates and in doing so, deliver on its carbon reduction commitments.

Q. Are there any research and development projects in place to focus on

light weighting aluminium cans further?

A. As a leading global can maker, Rexam has a strong track record of improving its raw material efficiency through lightweighting and downgauging activities across its plants. Over the past 40 years the beverage can has been lighweighted by around 40% and Rexam now supplies cans with a midwall thickness of less than 100 microns; thinner than a human hair whilst not compromising on the quality, strength or efficiency of the packaging.

Rexam is committed to an ongoing programme of lightweighting and continues to invest in new equipment, research and development, whilst working

with customers to ensure that the cans are fit for purpose.

Lightweighting not only plays a critical

role for Rexam in ensuring its carbon reduction targets are met, but also plays an important role further down the supply chain in reduced emissions and transport costs.

Q. Can you give examples of how your plants are looking to improve their sustainability credentials?

A. In November 2015, Rexam opened a new plant in Widnau (Switzerland), designed to high environmental specifications. The wall-to-wall operation is situated alongside the Rauch Trading can filling plant, with a connecting bridge transporting empty cans directly to the filling area. Transport is therefore substantially reduced, with an estimated 7.5 tonnes of CO2 saved compared to other plants and is equivalent to taking 10,000 trucks off the road annually. Emissions are also well below current emission limits, with various systems such as exhaust neutralisers in place. Heat exchangers ensure that heat energy is fed back into the production process and all water is recovered, cleaned and continuously recycled. To restrict noise pollution and vibrations from machinery and the plant, both the cupper and bodymaker have been placed on 120 tonne blocks of concrete, supported by large springs.

In 2015, Rexam released its second Sustainability Report, whose framework is comprised of 12 specific commitments and 15 measures; touching upon areas such as innovation, material, waste and safety. This enables Rexam to continuously improve

*Editor, Aluminium International Today **European Sustainability Manager, Rexam Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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performance in three main areas of focus: products, operations and people and ensure its plants are running as efficiently as possible. In 2014 Rexam refreshed its targets and commitments, aligning them to its latest materiality assessment. For full details of Rexam’s Sustainability Report and its measurements, please visit: http://www.rexam.com/assets/files/ cms/2015_Rexam_Sust_Report_final.pdf Q. How are you working with your customers to improve behavioural attitudes to sustainability among consumers?

A. In November 2014, Metal Packaging Europe (MPE) introduced a new initiative to develop a Recycling Mark to be used on and off-pack, with the idea of encouraging consumers to better understand their role in recycling. The initiative, ‘Metal Recycles Forever’ (MRF), aims to provide new and clearer information for the end consumer on keeping metal in a “forever” loop.

Rexam Europe worked closely with MPE to develop the logo and continues to work closely with customers to incorporate it into their designs.

As the can maker, rather than the end vendor of the can to the consumer, Rexam is not normally in a position to influence messaging on-pack. However, MPE provides Rexam with an opportunity to play a role in communicating the importance of recycling to the end consumer. Customers who have collaborated on ‘Metal Recycles Forever’ with Rexam include Metalman, Concrete Cow Brewery and Magic Rock.

Rexam has worked with customers on the consumer facing ‘Every Can Counts’ initiative, which aims to make it easier Aluminium International Today

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for consumers to recycle their drink cans. The partnership between drink can manufacturers and the recycling industry, aims to encourage recycling amongst consumers ‘on-the-go’ and close the material loop.

During the course of 2015, two of Rexam’s customers, Coca-Cola Enterprises and AG Barr’s, incorporated ‘Every Can Counts’ activities into their promotional events.

Q. Collaboration is a key pillar for you; have there been any recent collaborations that have looked to improve the recyclability of the beverage can?

A. In 2015, Rexam collaborated with long valued customer Carlsberg, to achieve the first ever Cradle-to-Cradle

(C2C) certification for a beverage can.

The bronze level certification was a result of Rexam’s founding involvement in Carlsberg’s Circular Community initiative, first established in 2013. The innovative Community is made up of supplier partnerships forged with the aim of rethinking the design and production of packaging material, in the pursuit of zero waste. It works to optimise materials for high quality reuse and recycling.

C2C is the only certification available to validate products according to the circular economy’s Biological or Technical cycles. The certification supports Rexam’s and Carlsberg’s shared aspiration that all beverage cans are recycled again and again, be it back into a fresh beverage can or any other aluminium product.  Sustainability Supplement April 2016

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The power of solar Sapa Profiles supports award-winning SBC Renewables in developing UK’s largest single-span PV roof Sapa Profiles UK has recently supported solar PV consultancy SBC Renewables in the development of what is thought to be the largest single-span roof site of photovoltaics in the UK. SBC Renewables won the Solar Power Portal Award in the Commercial-scale rooftop 250kw+ category for their PV roof at Marks & Spencer’s Castle Donington Distribution Centre.

Judges looked at all aspects of the project’s development from planning and client engagement, to design, construction and financing.

The benefits delivered to the client and the impact on their business during and after connection were considered during judging.

The awards ceremony took place at The Vox, Resort World in Birmingham, UK where Dave Murphy, Design Manager and Amanda Brown, Sales Manager, who provided the design and commercial support from Sapa Profiles on this project, joined SBC to collect the award.

Nearly all of the award-winning, 900,000sq ft. roof is covered in solar panels, making the installation the largest singlespan PV roof in the country. Sapa Profiles

worked closely with SBC Renewables to create a completely bespoke designed support framing system. The framework, created with Sapa’s aluminium extrusions, is used to clamp the solar modules and to facilitate their connection to the metal sheet roofing.

Sapa’s designers worked with the technical team at SBC Renewables to transform ideas into practical tooling designs.

Sapa carried out rigorous stress analysis on the designs, giving all parties confidence that the end product is safe and compliant with all current and proposed legislation and quality standards.

The project used approximately 50km or 60 tonnes of extruded aluminium rail in total. Aluminium was the obvious material of choice for this application, as it has the best strength to weight ratio.

One of the challenges of the project was mounting the rail over areas of the roof where additional loads were not possible.

The solution reached by Sapa and SBC Renewables used cantilever beams to span these areas, making this a truly unique rail system.

The project utilises both north and

south facing aspects of the five-apex roof and has a capacity of 6.068MWp (megawatt peak). The power generated by the installation will be used by the already environmentally-efficient, automated distribution centre directly below.

Sapa first worked with SBC Renewables just over two years ago and recently collaborated on their PV OverRoof™ product.

Dave Murphy, Design Manager at Sapa Profiles UK said: “We have worked successfully with SBC Renewables before and were delighted when they chose Sapa Profiles again for this project. This award stands testament to what can be achieved when specialist expertise, teamwork and precision planning are brought together and put into practice.”

When Clive Weatherby, Technical Director at SBC was asked how he found the working relationship with Sapa Profiles on this project, he said “there was never any doubt in my mind that the product would pass the rigorous testing we undertook at BRE as the technical analysis at SAPA was of the highest caliber.

Technical assistance was always at hand whenever required.” 

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Rigaku answers A. Rigaku has recently been working with the aluminium industry to look at how the scrap recycling industry can benefit from handheld analyser technology.

Q. How are things going at Rigaku?

These are exciting times for Rigaku Analytical Devices. In less than two years we have successfully developed and launched three new purpose-built devices that are at the forefront of technological advancement in handheld-based instrumentation.

Our rugged devices have a simple user interface, yet are advanced enough to be operated by users of all skill and education levels. This year we achieved MIL-STD-810G and IP-54 certification for KT-100 Katana, making it the world’s only commercial handheld metal analyser to earn such approvals for its extreme testing limits.

For the scrap and metal alloy customer, this means a purpose build analyser designed and tested to withstand the harshest of environments while also identifying alloy grades and compositions rapidly and accurately.

A. How does Rigaku work with the aluminium industry?

Q. It is well known throughout the aluminium industry that there are gaps in available handheld and portable technologies that meet the unique material identification and validation needs of those involved in different facets of the manufacturing and recycling of aluminium-based products. Rigaku Analytical Devices’ team of hand-held metal alloy experts collaborated with aluminium industry professionals on the development of our newest handheld analyser, KT-100 Katana.

KT-100 Katana utilizes the latest technology for materials identification, Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy or LIBS. For the aluminium industry, the real strength of the KT-100 LIBS analyser is its ability to identify light alloying elements like magnesium and silicon, which are critical to the positive identification and separation of the most popular aluminium grades and other common alloys. Our KT-100 was purpose-built to overcome known analysis limitations and durability issues in order to provide the metals industry with the means to quickly and accurately identify metal alloy grades.

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We are committed to continuing our work with the aluminium industry.

Recently, we performed a study for the aluminium scrap recycling industry using KT-100.

The study demonstrated the analyser’s precision in measuring various light elements in aluminium alloys.

The following plot shows Magnesium repeatability in a cast 356 standard over 40 one-second long tests.

We have also recently announced that the KT-100 handheld LIBS has successfully passed rigorous durability tests proving its best in class capabilities for meeting the needs of those who require a rugged handheld analyser to rapidly and accurately identify alloy grades in the harshest environments.

A. Why is it important to identify and classify metals?

Q. Accurate verification of alloy grades is essential throughout the life-cycle of alloy based products. Manufacturers in all industries rely upon correctly specified materials. For some, an incorrect identification of metal alloy used in mission critical applications can lead to a catastrophic failure that may harm citizens and can lead to irreparable environmental damage.

For the environment and the economy, metal recycling promotes environmental and economic sustainability. Recycling efforts aid in decreasing the amount of waste generated.

The repurposing of recycled metals helps reduce the demand for raw materials and energy. Additionally, the recycling industry provides sustainable employment for a large number of people.

A. Are there any research and development projects in place to develop sorting/analysis technology?

Q. Rigaku’s foundation is based on research and development of products.

Following the launch of KT-100 Katana, we will continue to build on our existing product capabilities to meet the continually evolving needs of our customers. Our focus when we developed the KT-100 was to provide a rugged solution for superior light element identification that overcame current analysis and usability gaps. By enabling rapid alloy grade identification, regardless of location or environment,

we continue to deliver cutting edge technological advancements to our customers in the metals industry.

Rigaku Analytical Devices’ core goal is to be recognized globally for quality, reliability and expertise in all aspects of our business through our commitment to exceed our customer’s expectations by providing technologically advanced products.

The foundation of our company is our talented team, dedicated to continual product development efforts, which improve performance and functionality, resulting in reliable, cost-effective solutions for the end user.

A. Does Rigaku follow or adopt any sustainability initiatives?

Q. Unlike other handheld metals analysers, Rigaku’s Katana does not require the use of compressed gas, like argon. As is well understood and documented in the industry, compressed gas bottle can be dangerous in a waste stream. Also, the product is certified to the most stringent durability standards as well as IP-54 rated for protection against dust and moisture.

Because of our devices’ durability, service related requirements are greatly reduced, making our products more sustainable and economical over its lifetime. Rigaku Analytical Devices has obtained ISO 9001:2008 certified manufacturing and lean manufacturing.

Within our manufacturing floor workflow, materials are moved efficiently through the process to reduce waste, time and also energy consumption.

A. Can any Rigaku products effectively assist the aluminium industry in its drive to become more environmentally aware?

Q. The KT-100 promotes and supports more efficient scrap sorting and also ensures the disposal of less aluminium scrap. This means that more aluminium scrap can be reused.

It has been proven that secondary production of aluminium requires only 5% of the energy required to create aluminium from naturally occurring raw material. Rigaku’s KT-100 handheld LIBS promotes more efficient secondary production efforts which helps make the manufacturing of aluminium-based products to be more cost-effective and sustainable.

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G We hope you’ve enjoyed this free ‘Sustainability Supplement’ Aluminium International Today is an English language journal dedicated to the production and processing of aluminium.

It contains a digest of global news, events, and statistics as well as more detailed technical articles, company and country profiles, conference reports and regular regional economic briefings.

Keep up-to-date with the aluminium industry and ensure you receive every copy, by subscribing via the link below: http://quartzmedia.circdata-solutions.co.uk/Microsites/Quartz/Cart/ Store/BrowseCategory/22 If you’d like anymore information about the magazine or the upcoming AluSolutions event, please contact the team today: Nadine Firth, Editor T: +441737855115 E: nadinefirth@quartzltd.com Anne Considine, Sales Manager T: +441737855139 E: anneconsidine@quartzlt.com Ken Clark, Sales Director T: +441737855117 E: kenclark@quartzltd.com

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