Additive manufacturing technologies are indubitably the next generation of manufacturing methods in order to align with European ambition to reduce CO2 emission and promote sustainable technologies. In this framework, the new chip-fed Additive Friction Stir Deposition (AFS-D) process (mechanical recycling) is clearly a serious candidate for sustainable aluminum part manufacturing thanks to its ability to build and recycle chips simultaneously. Indeed, this technology subverts the energy consuming, inefficient and down-cycling classical cast-based recycling route. AFS-D has the potential to up-cycle directly the chip wastes of a plant as high-value parts. The part quality will be favored by the oxide and impurities breakage and fine grain size due to the severe plastic deformation of AFS-D. In addition, chip-fed AFS-D requires limited investment, is easy to scale with the company production and avoids the (environmental) cost of waste collection and transportation.
Now, could we take durability even one step further? What if these new parts had also the ability to be healed by applying a local heat treatment, increasing their longevity and reducing the need for further recycling. AFS-D of high strength 7xxx series aluminum alloys will generate fine microstructures that have the potential to exhibit strong healing ability.
Thus, the RESSusCItAM project will aim at developing and adapting the AFS-D process to chip recycling of high-performance and healable 7xxx series aluminum alloys. AFS-D will also allow to manufacture graded components that have the potential to better resist crack propagation.
The newly manufactured healable alloys and graded structures will be characterized by advanced correlative tomography before and after healing. The deformation and damage mechanisms will be unveiled exploiting in-situ mechanical loading and heating techniques inside the Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopes and X-ray Tomograph.
Date: 2023-2025
Funding: FRFS WEL-T INVESTIGATOR PROGRAMME – Advanced
Budget: 1.400.000 €
Coordinator: Prof. Aude Simar