LOW CARBON FOOTPRINT ALUMINIUM COMPONENTS FOR E-MOBILITY

In the fast -evolving E-mobility transformation, the circular economy is one of the key factors to make Europe carbon neutral by 2050, together with sustainability, achievable only with a synergic approach, from raw material choice to recycling, through product design for re-purposing. Secondary aluminium alloys have a twenty times lower carbon footprint than primary metals, leading to significant CO2 savings. Their properties can satisfy engineering targets through optimized product design. Adopting a smart system layout, in which functions are assigned to assemblies, some of the low-end mechanical properties of secondary alloys can be offset. Design for easy disassembling can then guarantee a selective re-purposing and, finally, an environmentally friendly recycling of components. Innovative products in this field have been developed and successfully produced by means of an optimized high-pressure die casting (HPDC) technology, adopting low carbon footprint raw materials supplied in alternative to ingot format. In this study, a housing component for an e -mobility module battery was manufactured using EN AC 46000 alloy (AlSi9Cu3(Fe)), sourced from automotive industry scraps. The selected scraps were melted and cast to form the battery housing. Consequently, both the initial scraps and the resulting components underwent comprehensive analysis to evaluate the alloy's quality. Chemical analyses, hardness tests, and microstructural observations were performed. The findings confirm a refined and high -quality microstructure in the casting, affirming the viability of producing battery housing through High -Pressure Die Casting (HPDC) using exclusively recycled alloy.