Sustainability through recycling: SecMag project – first insights

Kurzfassung

The SecMag project aims to develop systematic recycling routes for magnesium sourcing from end-of-life materials. The contribution highlights initial findings towards creating high-quality secondary magnesium (Mg) alloys. Especially automotive components and steering wheels, primarily composed of AM50 magnesium alloy, emerged as a promising source. First investigations revealed that steering wheels exhibit varying degrees recyclability and resulting material purity, influenced by design and attachments. The contact with polyurethane (PU), and metallic inserts highly influence the recycling possibilities.

One of the key challenges identified was the presence of copper (Cu) enrichments in secondary Mg-alloys. Copper, even in small quantities, significantly influences the corrosive properties which was investigated up to 1 wt.%. Alloying elements play a pivotal role in controlling the influence of Cu to enable high mechanical properties promising ductility and acceptable corrosion rates. Microstructural characterization provides valuable insights into the fine-grained microstructure and present phases in the recycled alloys which helped to refine the alloy compositions, ensuring mechanical performance and optimizing corrosion resistance.

Furthermore, various cleaning methods to remove PU-attachments and oxides from the end-of-life steering wheel scrap are investigated. It is possible to enhance the quality and processability of recycled material.

Building upon these initial findings, our next steps in-depth investigations, property optimization, life-cycle assessments (LCA) and application.