Rio Tinto and Capral combine to utilise recycled aluminium

Aluminium extruder Capral has successfully trialled an aluminium billet with 20 percent recycled content produced by Rio Tinto at Boyne Smelters Limited (BSL).

Utilising 50 to 100 tonnes of post-production aluminium scrap from Capral's Bremer Park extrusion plant in Southeast Queensland, Rio Tinto remelted the metal and cast it into billets, resulting in a new product with a minimum of 20 percent recycled content.

This creates a new era of environmentally conscious local aluminium production, with Capral exploring options for incorporating the more sustainable material into its product offer.

Capral Divisional General Manager of Industrial Solutions and Supply Luke Hawkins said: “Whilst Capral recycles the vast majority of our scrap, it must be sent offshore for processing and typically ends up in different types of products than what we would normally produce.

“We are excited to be working with Rio Tinto, our main domestic supplier, on this project; hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, we can recycle all of our scrap locally and use it to support circularity within the Australian aluminium industry.”

The companies' closed-loop approach not only minimises waste but also reduces carbon intensity of extrusions produced from such billets, according to a statement.

“The trial has successfully demonstrated the potential of a Made in Australia closed loop aluminium solution, in line with the Australian Government’s Future Made in Australia policy.

“The entire production process has been done entirely in Australia, from raw materials of bauxite and alumina to primary aluminium production, to Capral’s extrusion process, to Rio Tinto’s remelting of scrap into finished recycled billet product.”

By supplying post-production scrap to Rio Tinto, Capral closes the loop.

Blending post-production recycled content with virgin material results in a billet that meets high-quality standards required by various industries such as construction and transport.

Picture: Capral