Aluminium International Today Sustainability Supplement April 2018

SUSTAINABILITY HIGHLIGHTS

RECYCLING

SPENT POTLINING

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

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THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT

To renew is to use the existing and make it better.

We know. We have renewed ourselves for more than 100 years and will continue to make infinitely renewable aluminium for another 100 years. The story continues.

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CONTENTS

1

2 THE EDITOR’S COMMENT 4 ASSOCIATION UPDATE

8 LOW CARBON

Digital Edition No.8 – Sustainability supplement Editorial Editor: Nadine Bloxsome Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855115 nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com

Low-carbon aluminium:

COVER SUSTAINABILITY HIGHLIGHTS

RECYCLING

SPENT POTLINING

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Sales Manager: Anne Considine anneconsidine@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855139

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

Advertisement Production

The sustainability benefits of treating spent potlining

15 ENERGY SAVING

Sales Director: Ken Clark kenclark@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855117

Production Executive: Martin Lawrence

An argument that appeals to the heart and mind

12 SPENT POTLINING

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Production Editor: Annie Baker

Sales

Roadmap for the Brazilian Aluminium chain

Energy reduction in aluminium smelting: An overview

17 FOCUS ON: EUROPE

SUSTAINABILITY SUPPLEMENT

Fives years of environmental progress for European primary

aluminium

Circulation/subscriptions Elizabeth Barford Tel +44 (0) 1737 855028 Fax +44 (0) 1737 855034­ email subscriptions@quartzltd.com Printed issues: Annual subscription: UK £235, all other countries £255. For two year subscription: UK £420, all other countries £455. Airmail prices on request.

Single copies £43

SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS 18

Sustainability standards for the aluminium value chain

22

Sustainability for improved performance

PACKAGING

Supporters of Aluminium International Today

24

SIG and Amcor push responsible aluminium sourcing

26

Cans: The most recycled drinks package

28 EMISSIONS CONTROL

Controlling emissions the EGA way

32 AUTOMOTIVE

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

Driving better material choices for automobiles

38 CUSTOMER COLLABORATION

4

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

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Progress through partnership:

Creating sustainable value through customer collaboration

RECYCLING 40

Aluminium recycling - Italian scenario

41

Eriez Europe and Ecohog unite to clean-up the mobile Eddy

Current market

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42 ANALYSIS & TESTING @AluminiumToday

Reak-time feedback of oil film consumption

ISSN1475-455X

Aluminium International Today

Sustainability Supplement - April 2018

FIVES TECH + FIVES TEAM

FIVES’ EXPERTISE IN PROJECT MANAGEMENT COMBINED WITH STATE-OF-ART TECHNOLOGIES FOR ULTIMATE EPC SOLUTIONS FIVES DELIVERS EPC SOLUTIONS FOR BOTH SECONDARY ALUMINIUM CASTHOUSES AND COMPLETE CARBON SECTORS. By combining multi-discipline engineering expertise with process knowledge and a large experience in project management and execution, Fives provides the complete range of Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services, which is necessary to successfully deliver turnkey projects.

Fives experienced experts assist customers from the designing phase of the project to the equipment commissioning and throughout the equipment lifecycle.

With over 60 years of experience, the Aluminium teams have developed pioneering technologies and services to maximize the global performance of the smelter, to reduce its environmental impact and to enhance operators’ safety.

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C0MMENT

3

MATERIAL HANDLING SOLUTIONS FOR YOUR INDUSTRY

Showing off Sustainability Standards Welcome to the first special 2018 digital issue of Aluminium International Today!

Alongside six regular issues of the magazine, we try to publish at least two separate, digital issues a year; mainly because there is usually too much content to try and squeeze in!

It is a positive dilemma and ‘Sustainability’ seems to be one of those topics that never fails to bring in the articles.

→

Suitable for Indoor & Outdoor

→

Improved Storage Utilisation

This year has already seen the launch of greener aluminium products such as Rusal’s ‘ALLOW’ and Hydro’s ‘4.0’, while advancing technology in electric automotive applications offers more opportunities for aluminium to show off its lightweight potential.

→

Safer Product Handling

→

Increased Productivity

This particular issue features an update on the sustainability standards launched by the ASI, a look at the environmental progress of the aluminium industry in Europe and Jerome Lucaes from Rusal gives his opinion on driving better material choices for automobiles.

There is also a focus on emission control, energy saving and recycling, among other green topics! It’s safe to say, this is a packed issue.

Nadine Bloxsome Editor, Aluminium International Today E: nadinebloxsome@quartzltd.com W: www.aluminiumtoday.com

+353 47 80500

combilift.com

4 ASSOCIATION UPDATE

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Roadmap for the Brazilian Aluminum Chain A project conducted by the Brazilian Aluminum Association points to new paths of innovation and sustainability. The next phase is to deploy actions according to their order of priority.

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

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ASSOCIATION UPDATE 5

In partnership with the Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC) and the National Industry Confederation (CNI), the Brazilian Aluminum Association (ABAL) launched in Brasília a “Roadmap for the Brazilian Aluminum Chain 2030”. A result of an ample process of collective building conducted by Observatório Sistema FIEP (Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná), it proposes a long-term plan in a structured and participative manner for this important sector of Brazil’s economy.

The Roadmap addresses specific details of each link in Brazil’s Aluminum Chain – Mining and Primary Transformation; Recycling; Semi-manufactured products and Application of Aluminum Products – and lays the path to growth, innovation and sustainable development for the entire sector. “It is essential to understand the threats and opportunities that are placed before us and what to do to be prepared for them. Aside from the participation of ABAL members, we count on the voices and contributions from government agents, academy, third sector and other links in the nation’s productive chain. The results we present by means of this Roadmap are the collective work of all involved over a period of a year”, highlights Tadeu Nardocci, President of ABAL’s Steering Board.

By project’s end, we reached the following global vision: “A Brazilian Aluminum Chain which is competitive, innovative, sustainable and integrated”.

This vision of the future highlights the need for integration in the chain, from bauxite mining to the manufacturing of end products.

The work that involved 140 specialists and mobilized 75 public and private institutions was consolidated in over 240 strategic actions in connection with the following themes: 1. Articulation of Actors 2. Communication and Marketing 3. Market Expansion 4. Infrastructure and Logistics 5. Quality, Certification and Standardization 6. Human Resources 7. Energy Safety 8. Sustainability 9. Technology and Innovation 10. Taxes and Formalization “Participation in the development of the Roadmap for the aluminum industry will help the government to devise innovative and competitive public policies Aluminium International Today

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

6 ASSOCIATION UPDATE

for the sector”, stated the Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, Marcos Jorge. “MDIC will act directly in the implementation of the actions suggested in the Roadmap, facilitating the dialogue among the different actors of the sector, aside from making spot interventions in defense of the sector’s interests within the sphere of federal government”, Among the proposed actions, are the need of campaigns that value the low carbon footprint of Brazilian metal and the development of incentive policies towards exporting the country’s industrialized goods.

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One of the aspects addressed throughout the document is market expansion – which has been undergoing strong transformations in the last 10 years, especially with regard to losing ground to Chinese competition. Another factor with strong influence in the sector is the drop in the national production of primary aluminum which suffers under the increase in industrialization costs.

Compared to the international market, Brazil maintains its competitiveness at the beginning of the chain, its exports of aluminum ore (bauxite) and aluminum oxide (alumina) continue to grow and

reached significant results in 2017.

According to ABAL, exports of Brazilian aluminum grew 19% last year, while bauxite continues among the most important elements in its exports list in the ores sector.

“The Roadmap proposes to reorient this trend, stimulating integration in the chain in order to add value to our production along all links. It seeks to leverage the creation of environments that attract, retain and develop companies and investments focused on innovation and sustainability”, points out Milton Rego, Executive President for ABAL. �

About ABAL A legitimate forum for the sector since 1970, The Brazilian Aluminum Association upholds the interests of companies that work directly with or depend on the aluminum industry. The entity represents the sector before the government and society, aside from participating in forums and events related to the business of its members. It also maintains a partnership with federations and other associations to widen the dialogue with the entire productive chain. As a knowledge disseminator, ABAL answers for the devising of technical standards for processes and products of the aluminum chain, aside from contributing to professional formation by means of courses, talks and seminars in several areas. It is the entity’s mission to make the aluminum industry more resilient, stronger and more competitive.

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

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ASSOCIATION UPDATE 7

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

8 LOW-CARBON

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Low-carbon aluminium: An argument th How can I come up with a new way to make my product stand out from the rest? This is the question product designers meet in the workplace every day. Reducing carbon footprint is one way, a deepvoiced argument that carries to the heart and to the mind.

By Kevin Widlic*

All responsible industries want their products to have a lower carbon footprint. The aluminium industry boasts that the material aluminium is good in the use-phase of product applications and infinitely recyclable.

But carbon footprint is tricky. It is hard to know exactly how much you are buying.

Most of the major primary aluminium producers around the world offer lowcarbon material. Without an industry standard, however, where carbon footprint is tracked and measured in the same way, consumers can find comparisons difficult.

Hydro is introducing an aluminium product it has called 75R. The metal contains a high content of post-consumer scrap. In fact, the company guarantees that at least 75 percent of the aluminium metal has been used before. This 75 percent is not production scrap that has never been used, but material that has been collected from a product that has been used and scrapped.

Can be recycled infinitely Aluminium can be recycled infinitely, with no loss in quality and with only 5 percent of the original energy. Nearly 75 percent of all aluminum ever produced is still in use today, according to the U.S. Aluminum Association, thanks to the quality of the light metal.

The growing demand for aluminium scrap last year pushed prices higher, reports the World Bureau of Metal Statistics. This was partly due to the shortfall in primary aluminium production.

Most aluminium is reused already, mainly due to the high value of aluminium scrap, particularly process scrap. A large fraction is re-used as secondary foundry alloy, typically in the production of automobile engines, transmission cases and other cast products where a wider specification of Fe, Zn and Cu may be accepted.

Post-consumer scrap is less expensive than process scrap, and has a high variation in properties. This is logical, because recycling the metal into its original quality requires further processing.

Circular economy in practice The automotive industry is asking for new alloys that provide higher strength. All industries want alloys with a lower carbon footprint.

Because Hydro manages in-house every part of its aluminium production, the company has the ability to develop and deliver low-carbon aluminium products – and to have them certified.

Such products go straight to the core of the sustainability challenge the aluminium industry is facing: Meeting the demand for metal that is produced with the lowest

possible footprint. And being positioned to bring it back into the loop. This makes aluminium the circular economy in practice.

The industry already works with customers to achieve CO2 savings through aluminium in use, such as solutions for lighter and more fuel-efficient cars. “But certified low-carbon aluminium provides customers with a new set of tools to help them meet their climate strategies,” says Lars Moen, who is responsible for innovation in Hydro’s Primary Metal business area.

*Senior Digital Editor, Communication & Public Affairs, Norsk Hydro ASA Sustainability supplement - April 2018

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hat appeals to the heart and mind claim. Consequently, Hydro developed and implemented its own internal standard. DNV GL has reviewed and audited the actual use of this standard, and says that it is accurate in describing the necessary logistics, operational and production process to apply and calculate a minimum of 75 percent post-consumer scrap in its production batches.

DNV GL confirmed satisfactory implementation of this standard operating procedure for 75R during its verification process and audit in 2017.

Returning post-consumer scrap to the loop Hydro is the only fully-integrated global aluminium company with an extensive recycling operation. It has the technology to deliver products based on recycled post-consumer scrap.

A key term in Hydro’s 75R product claim concerns the concept of end-oflife aluminium, or post-consumer scrap.

An aluminium product can be said to be post-consumer scrap when it has gone through its full life-cycle. When a used aluminium product is ready for disposal, recycling or reuse.

For instance, an aluminium window frame can be considered post-consumer Aluminium International Today

scrap when the building is demolished and the aluminium is obtained and sent on to be remelted to be applied in a new product. This is different from process scrap, or production waste, which has not been used in a consumer product.

That means that in terms of carbon footprint, the post-consumed scrap has a footprint of 0 kg CO2. Process scrap, on the other hand, does have a footprint due to its sum of production process steps – each generating a footprint.

Any use of process scrap in 75R is considered non-post-consumer scrap and not included in the 75 percent guarantee.

There is no existing recognised standard today that can be used to verify the 75R

In Germany and Luxembourg With 75R, the alloy patent for masking the adverse effects of zinc with copper is combined with innovative process equipment at Hydro facilities in Germany and Luxembourg for sorting, shredding, delaquering and remelting into products that have high quality.

The Dormagen site in Germany is the “sorter and shredder” facility and is the only supplier of post-consumer scrap aluminium for 75R production in the remelter in Clervaux, in Luxembourg.

Because 75R guarantees minimum content of 75 percent post-consumer scrap, the starting point in its production process is to ensure that the key ingredient – post-consumer scrap – is properly classified.

Scrap dealers, due to current market practices, may be reluctant to reveal their suppliers of aluminium post-consumer scrap, to protect their business interests.

Based on the EU Waste Directive, however, scrap dealers classify the metal according to its quality, when selling to customers.

For its 75R product, Hydro purchases aluminium under the EU waste code 170402, which is “waste from buildings and constructions.” This code refers to post-consumer aluminium, and all metal deliveries from scrap dealers to Hydro are classified according to the requirements in the EU Waste Directive.

DNV GL has thereby considered the application of code 170402 as a sufficient classification method for determining whether the metal is post-consumer aluminium (PCA) or not.

Strong financial incentive Beyond the need for the scrap dealer to comply with Hydro’s purchasing order, there is a strong financial incentive to Sustainability supplement - April 2018

10 LOW-CARBON

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ensure that post-consumer scrap deliveries only contain PCA and not, for instance, process scrap, since post-consumer metal is considerably cheaper than other metal qualities.

In other words, the scrap dealer would be underpaid if a delivery of PCA was mixed with process scrap, but priced as PCA. As such, the interests of Hydro in ensuring that at least 75 percent post-consumer scrap go into 75R and its supplying scrap dealers are aligned.

Of course, human error could occur.

Hydro addresses this uncertainty by conducting a visual inspection for all scrap deliveries to Dormagen, to confirm that new metal arriving has the PCA quality which is eligible under 75R. This visual inspection is conducted for all deliveries, with photos taken and archived.

Hydro also must ensure that the PCA is segregated and traced through the supply chain. Again, DNV GL has confirmed that the procedures for segregation and full traceability are satisfactory.

Production in Clervaux Each delivery from Dormagen to Clervaux under 75R production is classified with a common ID tag. Upon arrival at the Clervaux site, it is stored in a dedicated storage bin at the yard.

The first step of the production process is to load the PCA from the storage bin and into a dedicated silo. This silo is emptied prior to each 75R production process.

From the silo, the metal is charged into the relevant furnace and then remelted into extrusion ingot.

The 75R products can be delivered as extrusion ingot in 6060, 6005 and 6082 alloys.

Completing the calculations The final key premise is to ensure that the levels of PCA in each production batch are calculated accurately. This is necessary to demonstrate that the minimum percentage of 75 percent is guaranteed in each extrusion ingot and production batch.

The set-up at Clervaux is such that PCA is supplied from a decoating furnace into a casting furnace. Non-PCA is supplied from a melting furnace into the same casting furnace.

Both the decoater furnace and the casting furnace will at any time contain Sustainability supplement - April 2018

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share of post-consumed aluminium in the residual in the furnaces.

Lars Moen

a certain amount of residual metal of an unknown mix of PCA. The exact quantity of the residue metal in each furnace is measured by laser measurement of the “heel” height.

The Clervaux facility has addressed this issue by applying a transfer and heel calculation methodology. This enables an accurate calculation to ensure that the 75R claim of minimum 75 percent PCA is met.

The conservative assumption is that all residual metal in the casting furnace has PCA content equal to 0 percent. Based on this assumption, Clervaux applies a “flush Aluminium International Today

out” approach to increase the level of PCA content in the decoater furnace and the casting furnace.

Here is an example: Residual metal of 10 mt is measured in a furnace. Clervaux loads the same furnace with 10 mt of 100 percent PCA. Based on the “flush out” methodology, this implies that the furnace contains 50 percent PCA. Clervaux repeats these steps until the casting furnace contains minimum 75 percent PCA, at which point 75R production can commence.

DNV GL has confirmed this blending methodology to calculate the percentage

Only logistics and remelting in footprint Hydro can thereby guarantee that at least 75 percent of the content in its 75R products will have a footprint consisting only of the scrap logistics and remelting. This amounts to approximately 0.5 kg CO2 per kg aluminium.

The remaining 25 percent normally consists of aluminium and alloying elements from different sources, such as primary ingot and process scrap, which means the overall carbon footprint will vary.

Typically, the total footprint will be below 2 kg CO2/kg aluminium, due to the use of hydropower-based ingot sources at the Clervaux facility.

To compare, Hydro’s primary aluminium products have an average carbon footprint of 5.8 kg CO2 per kg aluminium.

“More than two-thirds of our primary aluminium is based on renewable energy, giving us already a low carbon footprint metal that we intend to bring back into the loop by taking ever larger shares of the recycling market. With 75R, we are taking our commitment to sustainability even further,” says Moen.

He adds that post-consumer scrap percentages of 85-to-90 percent “might be the maximum possible percentage if we want to assure a high and consistent quality level.”

Same properties as primary metal Stig Tjøtta, who heads the research and development work for Hydro’s new lowcarbon products, says the properties of 75R should be the same as those of the primary metal, including resistance to corrosion and surface quality.

He explains that Hydro’s aluminium building systems organisation has tested 75R on its dedicated extrusion presses and that results confirm high speed and nice surface qualities.

“Right now, the most relevant market for this product is in building and construction,” he says, adding that automotive and the consumer products industries are also showing interest.

Putting low-carbon brands in the market is helping make the aluminium industry greener. And by defining the standards, Hydro gives customers clarity on the carbon content going into their products. But make no mistake, this is still an early phase for low-carbon footprint aluminium. � Sustainability supplement - April 2018

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The sustainability benefits of treating Sustainability has emerged as a powerful influence in the modern world. It is a key factor in changes in community and government expectations which has required aluminium companies to consider and implement more sustainable total solutions.

The modern view of sustainability can be traced to the work of the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development (UN-WCED) which began in 1984 under the leadership of former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Bruntland. In 1987 the WCED issued a report titled “Our Common Future, from One Earth to One World” which defined sustainable development as ”… development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Sustainability was established as a holistic approach that considers ecological, social and economic aspects and to be essential if economic development is to continue without unacceptable ecological degradation.

“The expected growth in basic industries foreshadows rapid increases in pollution and resource degradation unless developing countries take great care to control pollution and waste, to increase recycling and reuse, and to minimize hazardous wastes. These countries do not have the resources to industrialize now and repair the damage later; nor will they have the time, given the rapid pace of technological progress. They can profit from the improvements in resource and environmental management being achieved in industrialized countries, and so avoid the need for expensive clean-ups.

Such technologies can also help them reduce ultimate costs and stretch scarce resources. And they can learn from the mistakes of developed countries.” [UNWCED, Our Common Future, Chapter 8: II. Sustainable Industrial Development in a Global Context].

Spent potlining (SPL) and similar fluoride-contaminated aluminium smelter wastes present a significant sustainability issue for aluminium smelters. SPL is hazardous because of the presence of cyanide, leachable fluorides and a propensity to combine with water and generate explosive gases. These waste Sustainability supplement - April 2018

materials are subject to close regulatory control such as the Basel Convention on the Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wates and their Control (The Basel Convention).

These materials are also rich in substances that have beneficial energy saving and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction properties when used in cement manufacture. This presents an opportunity for the application of Circular Economy principles and the concept of Industrial Ecology where the natural environment provides a model for dealing with waste – i.e. waste from one species is food for other species. The hazards associated with the waste materials and the highly variable nature of the materials have previously prevented realisation of the potential energy savings and GHG emission reduction. However, a new level of industrial sustainability emerges when: 1. The hazards in the SPL and similar waste materials are addressed, and 2. The waste materials are reprocessed into forms that enable predictable and reliable beneficial effects in the complex chemical processes at the heart of cement making.

A popular approach to considering waste disposal options is encapsulated in the waste management hierarchy. This is typically represented in graphic form with various options set out on a scale of decreasing ecological risk and toxicity with corresponding increasing sustainability as shown in Figure 1.

The past practice of disposal of SPL by landfill has resulted in substantial longterm liabilities. The limited effective life of engineered components available for landfills based on current landfill technology means that satisfactory longterm confinement of SPL is not practicably achievable. The aluminium industry has explored a number of other disposal options with mixed success.

The most practical and proven approach to eliminating the toxicity of SPL and the associated risk to the environment and human health is to consume SPL in cement kilns where the fluorides are

converted to non-toxic substances in an irreversible chemical reaction and locked in the cement matrix. Directly injecting SPL as hazardous waste into the cement clinker process is often the most costeffective disposal method where there is a cement plant within close transport distance of an aluminium smelter.

However, this approach requires robust controls to manage the associated safety, environmental and process risks.

Treating the SPL involves detoxification and refining processes that transform the SPL into products that are not classified as hazardous waste nor as dangerous goods for transport. These products are then used in cement manufacture. The sustainability advantages of this approach are: � lower risk and reduced handling and transport costs from the smelter compared with the risks and costs of handling and transport of hazardous waste � higher economic and environmental value from the products manufactured using SPL.

The pragmatic business reality of an aluminium smelter requires rational analysis of all the significant sustainability factors. A typical approach is shown in SPL Management Options Evaluation Framework table with a listing and evaluating of the key factors grouped in the three-part structure (ecological, societal and economic) of the UN-WCED holistic approach to sustainability (see Figure 2).

Sustainability objectives with smelter wastes such as SPL are to maximise the economically valuable usage of expended resources and to minimise or eliminate the adverse impacts of wastes and environmental emissions.

Of particular relevance to cyanide and fluoride-contaminated smelter wastes are the long-term effects of chemical exposure on human populations and the environment. Recent research associates exposure to these substances with cellular and developmental damage and explicitly Aluminium International Today

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spent potlining

recommends close control on the storage and disposal of SPL. Various SPL disposal options should be considered in terms of the effect of each option on the balance of the earth’s environmental systems. Ecological factors associated with SPL disposal include: � solid or liquid residue from processing the SPL and the relative amount of residual materials for which there is no use � the extent to which the SPL management option contributes to or reduces GHG emission

� the amount of material that goes to landfill � the technique for dealing with the cyanide in SPL and the risk of downstream cyanide emission of gases such as hydrogen cyanide � the technique for dealing with fluoride toxicity and the ultimate fate of the fluorides.

Practical sustainability that addresses societal expectations follows the “Precautionary Principle” which is based on two key concepts:

� anticipating harm before it occurs and providing evidence of this by implementing preventative measures � the reasonable balance of the risk and feasibility of a proposed action.

Under the Precautionary Principle, risks are eliminated so far as is reasonably practicable. Where it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate risks, those risks are minimised to the extent that is reasonably practicable. Reasonably practicable means realistic, practical and able to be done after considering:

Fig 1. SPL Disposal and the Waste Management Hierarchy

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� credible hazards and potential harm � the options for preventing or mitigating harm � what the people concerned know or should be expected to know.

total cost along with other sustainability factors demonstrates that treating SPL near the source smelter presents the most sustainable approach. �

Worker health and safety, along with public safety during transport of SPL, are important factors in evaluating SPL management options. The transparency and complexity of the chain of custody of hazardous wastes and derived products are important considerations. A complex and opaque chain of custody obscured, for example, by excuses of commercial confidentiality, is not likely to meet present societal sustainability expectations of a leading aluminium company. Not least of the factors to be considered in societal sustainability is the extent to which an SPL management option complies with current governmental regulation and has the support of regulatory stakeholders if innovation is required.

Economic sustainability factors associated with SPL disposal options include: � costs directly attributable to the recycling of SPL, including recovery, processing and transport � indirect costs such as insurances, corporate administration and management � corporate stakeholder value in the form of satisfying project financier requirements, positive shareholder perception and enhanced corporate reputation � the value proposition for end-users of the SPL or the products derived from SPL which underpins the sustainability of SPL disposal � residual financial liabilities to the smelter such as future landfill cleanup and or long-term toxicity of fluoride exposure � potential for future cost reduction with technological development and relentless focus on reducing costs and increasing value of output.

References UN World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) “Our Common Future, from One Earth to One World.

1987” http://www.un-documents.net/ our-common-future.pdf (accessed on 28 March, 2018).

Jawahir, I.S.; Dillon, O.W. Jnr; Rouch, K.E.; Kunal, J.J.; Venkatachalam, A.; Jaafa, I.H. (2006). “Total Life-Cycle

The treatment of SPL and its transformation into a valuable product for use in cement making is mature and well proven. Regain has successfully disposed of more than 350,000 tonnes of hazardous waste for its smelter Clients since 1981. The benefits of the technology learning curve, continuous improvement and economies of scale for large modern smelters are such that the costs of treating SPL at or near the smelter are comparable to other SPL management options when the total cost is taken into account. For many smelters, a comprehensive sustainability evaluation that takes balanced consideration of Sustainability supplement - April 2018

Considerations in Product Design for Sustainability: A Framework for Comprehensive Evaluation”.

10th International Research/Expert Conference “Trends in the Development of Machinery and Associated Technology’ TMT 2006, Barcelona-Lloret de Mar, Spain, 11-15 September, 2006.

Palmieri, M.J.; Andrade-Vieria, L.F.; Davide, L.F.; de Faria, Eleutério, M. W.; Luber, J.; Davide, L. C.; Marcussi, S. (2016). “Cytogenotoxic effects of spent pot liner (SPL) and its main components on human leukocytes and meristematic cells of Allium cepa”. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution: 1-10.

Fig 2. Typical SPL Management Options Evaluation Framework

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ENERGY SAVING 15

Energy reduction in aluminium smelting: An overview

By Sagnik Banerjee and Manishankar Ray* The world’s aluminium smelters consume about 3.5% of the total global electric power. Globally, the aluminium industry emits around 450 MT of CO2-equivalents annually (around 1% of world’s total emission). These numbers are growing because an increasing share of the aluminium production is derived from electricity from fossil fuel. With the global demand for energy increasing steadily, and also with rising energy cost and increasing greenhouse gas emissions, energy saving in all parts of the production process will continue to be an important task for aluminium smelters in the coming years.

Power being the single most important differentiator of cost position, due to the volatile LME prices of aluminium, cost cutting in aluminium smelting has been a major area of research.

There are reasons to why Aluminium Smelting is not a very energy efficient process. The cell resistance is high due to ohmic electrolyte and gas bubble resistances, plus ohmic resistances in the anodes and cathodes. The AnodeCathode-Distance (ACD) must be kept above a certain minimum distance to avoid the back reaction of aluminium with CO2. Heat losses are necessary to maintain a frozen side ledge to protect the side walls, so extra heat has to be wasted.

In spite of the technical challenges, the process can be fine-tuned to optimum levels by reducing the cell specific energy Aluminium International Today

BATH NOISE VOLTAGE AL2O3 ALF3 TEMP LEVEL DEVIATION FEEDING FEEDING

METAL BATH LEVEL LEVEL

Table 1

Bath temperature

Work voltage

Metal quantity

Superheat

Current efficiency

Liquidus temperature

Cryolite ratio

Alumina concentration

Ca, Mg & Li etc

Computer software control

consumption. It is necessary to significantly lower the heat losses dissipated by the cell’s external surface, viz., anode cover, anode conductors, shell sides and cathode conductors. Apart from these, there are several ways to reduce the cell voltage by design changes: � Larger anodes and/or larger and modified anode stubs and yoke � Slotted anodes for better gas bubble

drainage, reducing the anode effect Better anode rodding procedures to minimise external voltage drops � Changes in current collector bar design and larger dimension (use of copper in the bars) � Casting of cathode bus bars instead of ramming to obtain better contact resistance � Modification of side lining from carbon to SiC Sustainability supplement - April 2018

16 ENERGY SAVING

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� Better side lining and steel shell ventilation � Improved magnetic field compensation � Conductor redesign and making a trade-off between voltage reduction and heat dissipation decrease Many of the world’s leading smelters have already anticipated and signed up for the same. China, being the leading producer of Aluminium, is playing a substantial role in Energy Reduction Technologies.

China Aluminium International Engineering Corporation Limited, also referred to as CHALIECO, is making significant contributions in energy reductions in leading smelters worldwide.

The whole subject of energy reduction encompasses the culmination of many entities. Simulations of these entities vary with every pot, and they need to be customised accordingly. Work is being carried out on simulation of the pot operation to fine-tune it to optimum levels. The lining design of bottom and side of the cell is being revamped based on expected temperature distribution models to obtain ideal techno-economic

index. Cathode assembly and collector bars are being redesigned to account for horizontal current reduction, hence establishing pot stability.

Addition to this, an Integrated and Intelligent Control System for promoting energy efficiency in aluminium smelters is also being incorporated. The new generation MPPIC System and its supporting energy saving technology

by CHALIECO has allowed to obtain substantially energy saving benefits and saved the cost of production along with automation improvements. It establishes a dynamic equilibrium between Superheat, Bath Temperature, Liquidus Temperature, Alumina Concentration, Noise Level, tapping quantity and AlF3 measurements.

The following relationship exists between the parameters as depicted below: (Table 1) Technologically, the present aluminium production process can be a close-to-zero greenhouse gas producer. The first step, which is actually ongoing, is to focus on lower specific energy consumption as already discussed, and also to eliminate the occurrence of anode effects. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the inherent

Molten Metal Level Control

production of CO2 by reducing the net carbon anode consumption, although this reduction can only be perhaps 10% or even less with the existing carbon anode technology. Here, an inert anode, if such a material can be developed for use in industrial aluminium production, would represent a remarkable technological breakthrough, because then oxygen is formed at the anodes instead of CO2. On the contrary, another alternative process, carbothermic production of aluminium, would increase the CO2 emissions if the produced CO is not captured and stored.

A natural step to save energy in the present electrolysis process would be to recover energy from the main heat loss sources of the cells, the cathode sidewalls and the anode gas exhaust systems. A future step may be CO2 gas capture and sequestration related to the electric power generation. Finally, collection and cleaning of the CO2 from the electrolysis process itself may perhaps be a technical possible scenario in the future. � Contact www.alcircle.com

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FOCUS ON: EUROPE 17

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Five years of environmental progress for European primary aluminium The European Aluminium Association has published its five yearly assessment of the environmental performance of the aluminium industry. The progress made in Europe is not matched by imported aluminium. By Melanie Williams, Sustainability Consultant

The report compares primary aluminium produced by smelters in Europe with all primary aluminium processed in Europe.

While the primary aluminium produced

by European smelters has a significantly lower environmental impact in 2015, compared with 2010, the opposite is true for primary aluminium imported into Europe. The carbon intensity of imported primary aluminium has increased over the same period. This is largely due to a decrease in imports produced from hydroelectricity and an increase in imports based on natural gas. The improvement in domestically produced aluminium is counteracted by the poorer performance of imported aluminium. Taken together the two changes cancel each other out.

So the overall environmental impact of the primary aluminium used in Europe remains relatively stable at 8.6 kg CO2e/kg.

The performance of European smelters, taken overall, has improved significantly with a decrease in the average carbon intensity of the primary aluminium of 21 per cent to 6.7 kg CO2e/kg in 2015. In comparison with 2010 data, the energy mix of the primary aluminium in Europe contains more hydro and geothermal electricity (67% in 2015 vs 54% in 2010) and less coal (9% in 2015 vs 17% in 2010). This is attributed in the report to plant closures in Europe, shifting more production to plants using renewable energy.

European Aluminium has carefully modelled the energy mix for alumina smelting in Europe and the countries from where imports originate. This is particularly important, as this step is so

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energy intensive that it dominates the carbon intensity of primary aluminium.

The methodology used in the report and calculation has been externally reviewed by independent experts.

To put these figures in context, the 6.7 kg CO2e/kg average figure for Europe covers a range of values with the lowest carbon producers selling aluminium with an audited carbon intensity of below 4 kg CO2e/kg. This compares with an industry average worldwide quoted anywhere between of 11.5 – 18 kg CO2e/kg. And a value of about 20 kg CO2e/kg for China, with its reliance on coal as a power source . The new sustainability scheme launched by the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) requires members to achieve 8 kg CO2e/kg of primary aluminium.

An important conclusion from the study is that Europe is producing some of the most sustainable aluminium in the world, but on average it is importing less sustainable, higher carbon intensity aluminium from other countries. Europe is also increasing it imports of primary aluminium. In 2015, imports of primary metal represented around 49 per cent of European consumption up from 44 per cent in 2010.1 This concept of importing less sustainable material than the counterpart made in Europe is known as ‘carbon leakage’ or importing ‘embedded carbon’.

It is common to a number of energy intensive industries, and is related to both lower standards of environmental care and lower costs of fossil energy in some parts of the world. Europe has recognised that the problem needs to be tackled

if European industry is to both reduce its environmental impact and remain competitive.

One way of tackling carbon leakage is to tax embedded carbon in imports similarly to how the EU ETS (emissions trading scheme) impacts local producers.

Measures were proposed in 2017 for the EU’s first such border tax on carbon, to be levied on cement imports. In the end, the European Parliament failed to adopt the carbon border tax, because to do so would have disadvantaged less efficient producers in Europe. The problem hasn’t gone away though, so it is likely to return to the regulatory agenda.

At present the aluminium market is supporting a growing niche requirement for low carbon material in certain applications. Passenger vehicles, which take advantage of the lightweighting properties of aluminium to reduce tailpipe emissions, are increasingly using low carbon aluminium to appeal to consumers wanting sustainable products. But for low carbon aluminium to become mainstream, trade measures to discourage the importation of aluminium with high embedded carbon must also be implemented.

Tariffs on aluminium to protect jobs are grabbing the headlines at the moment. A tariff or border tax based on the carbon intensity of primary aluminium would not only help protect jobs in Europe, but it would also protect the environment. � Contact Melanie Williams Consultant and ASI registered specialist

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

18 SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS

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Sustainability standards for the aluminium value chain The Aluminium Stewardship Initiative’s (ASI) certification program was developed through an extensive multi-stakeholder consultation process and is the only comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative for the aluminium value chain. It is designed to drive responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium through uptake of the standards throughout the industry. Dr. Fiona Solomon, CEO, ASI What is ASI? The ASI is a global, multi-stakeholder, nonprofit standards setting and certification organisation. It works toward responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of aluminium following an entire value chain approach. To this end, ASI launched its new certification program covering a Performance Standard and a Chain of Custody Standard in December 2017.

ASI’s 60 members include leading civil society organisations, companies with activities in bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminium smelting, semifabrication, product and component manufacturing, as well as consumer and commercial goods, including the automotive industry, construction and packaging, as well as industry associations and other supporters.

Why sustainability standards?

Sustainability standards address many of the world’s biggest environmental and social challenges, and research has found that these standards programs have real impact. Businesses and governments increasingly recognise that sustainability standards deliver better social and environmental outcomes and long-term commercial results.

While programs like ASI in the metals sector are more recent, voluntary standards programs have been operating in the agriculture sector for up to two decades, and a wide range of studies have been carried out to evaluate what kind of impact they have had on the ground. A March 2018 report by 3keel and the University of Oxford carried out a meta-review of over 13,000 studies plus an analysis of standards’ monitoring and compliance data in the agricultural sector.

The findings showed that sustainability

standards not only impact the full triple bottom line of sustainability but they also provide economic benefits to the companies that implement them. The report found that the same factors that motivate individuals and organisation to seek certification are reported to drive the adoption of improved sustainability practices. These include market access, price premiums, gaining an advantage over competitors, managing reputational risks, and responding to demands from customers.

Fig 1. Indigenous Peoples Advisory Forum Meeting – Suriname, March 2018

What makes ASI State of the Art among sustainability standards?

Credible sustainability standards continue to be the leading tools for driving sustainability at scale. The ISEAL Alliance represents the global movement of sustainability standards and aims to drive best practice. ISEAL‘s Codes of Good Practice promote measurable change through open, rigorous and accessible certification systems. ASI plans to attain ISEAL membership in 2018 by demonstrating how it meets these Codes of Good Practice.

So how has the design of ASI’s program worked to create a ‘state-ofthe-art’ program tailor made for the aluminium sector?

A) Multi-stakeholder standards setting From its inception, ASI has had a strong commitment to multi-stakeholder involvement during the development of its standards. This has involved both a Standards Committee with a balance of interests (i.e., from industry and civil society) as well as broader consultation opportunities for all interested stakeholders. ASI has also convened an Indigenous Peoples Advisory Forum to create a dialogue platform for directly affected communities and rights experts.

Stakeholder consultation processes were carried out first in 2009-2010 to establish the concept of ASI, in 2013-2014 under the process convened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and most recently, in 2016-2017 under ASI itself, following its incorporation as a formal entity. The latter resulted in the full certification program as a comprehensive voluntary sustainability standard initiative for the aluminium value chain that was

*Thad Mermer, Communications Manager, ASI Sustainability supplement - April 2018

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SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS 19

Fig 2. elementAl user interface

launched in late 2017.

By taking this comprehensive approach to standards-setting, ASI aims to ensure that the implementation of the standards results in measurable progress towards our objectives.

Since the launch of the Standards, ASI’s Working Groups – open to all interested stakeholders to participate – continue to work on issues such as biodiversity, human rights, material stewardship and benchmarking, and harmonisation across other standards programs.

Translations of ASI’s new standards are underway, with an initial focus on Chinese and French, with other languages to follow.

B) Cloud-based Certification workflow: state-of-the-art, for efficiency and data security A second critical component of the design of ASI’s program is the use of cloudbased systems to support efficiencies and effectiveness of the certification process. Developed in-house with a deep understanding of the needs of companies, auditors and oversight responsibilities of ASI, elementAl is ASI’s custom-built online assurance platform. elementAl underpins the entire certification workflow for both the ASI Performance Standard and Chain of Custody Standard. First, elementAl’s user-oriented interface and workflows support the prospective company during an initial self-assessment phase and data is protected by a secure firewall. With a Aluminium International Today

click, the company can make their relevant elementAl information accessible to their chosen auditor. Auditors use elementAl to support audit planning, on-site verification and reporting. ASI reviews submitted audit reports for conformity with ASI’s assurance procedures as a final control, before the certification approval and certificate(s) are issued. Full ASI certification is valid for three years, usually with a surveillance audit at approximately 18 months.

C) Standards requirements: driving impact on the ground Of course, the content of voluntary standards is a critical component of if and how impact will be achieved through their implementation. ASI’s standards aim to drive best practice on a range of key sustainability issues – both general, such as health and safety, labour, and environmental management, as well as issues specific to the aluminium sector such as bauxite residue, SPL, mine site rehabilitation and greenhouse gas emissions.

Companies that already work on sustainability issues in their operations will find the content of the standards covers issues that they are probably already working on. The goal is for the standards to be achievable, so that implementation will drive positive impacts through improvements and change on the ground where needed.

Extensive guidance documents provide practical tips and examples to help companies identify how

they are doing with their current practices and ideas for continual improvement.

A particular area ASI has focused on is benchmarking and harmonising with similar standards and initiatives that are relevant to ASI’s standards. Examples include ISO standards on environmental management, energy management, recycling and so on. This helps to build on the efforts that companies already make in these areas and avoid duplication or double-work in terms of demonstrating conformance with requirements.

ASI’s standards undergo review at least every 5 years, and lessons learned from implementation and arising from discussion of key issues – such as biodiversity – will form key inputs to those processes.

D) Supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals In the bigger picture, the efforts of ASI and the aluminium industry are within a much broader context of global action on sustainable development. There is a significant amount of cross-over with the United Nations’ Global Sustainable Development Goals, which are the current reference for international efforts to achieve sustainable development and eliminate poverty. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations. The broad goals are interrelated though each has its own targets to achieve. The SDGs cover a broad range of social and economic development issues.

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20 SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS

The ASI Performance Standard addresses 10 of the 17 goals, including such issues as climate action, responsible production and consumption, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, clean water and sanitation, and good health and wellbeing, among others. Through support of ASI’s work, the aluminium industry can play an exemplary role and make a vital contribution to global sustainability development.

E) Capacity building and continuous improvement The launch of ASI’s program in 2017 is just the first step in a long-term commitment to build and develop the initiative in terms of uptake, outcomes and impact.

A key part of ASI’s strategy is to support capacity building of both members and auditors as part of the roll-out of the certification program. To this end, ASI has recently launched an online webinar

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series called educationAl, which supports learning by members, auditors and stakeholders via informative content from three different perspectives: � The fundamentAl series provides a solid overview, while also delving into some essential details of the core elements of the ASI Standards and supporting normative documentation. � The inspirationAl webinars dig deeper into specific topics to reveal

Fig 3. UN Sustainable Development Goals

How to get involved Interested readers are invited to: -

Find out more about ASI Certification: https://aluminium-stewardship.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ASI-Certification-Overview-Feb2018.pdf

- Download the ASI standards and guidance: https://aluminium-stewardship.org/asi-standards/ - Consult educationAl for more in-depth information: https://aluminium-stewardship.org/educational-asi-learning-centre/ -

Consider joining ASI as a member: https://aluminium-stewardship.org/join-asi/

- Join us at ASI’s Annual General Meetings in May 2018 in Perth, Australia: https://aluminium-stewardship.org/event/2018-asi-annual-general-meeting/ -

Sign up to the newsletter: https://aluminium-stewardship.org/mailing-list/

-

Follow ASI on twitter: @Aluminium_S_I

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

Aluminium International Today

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how the ASI Standards are applied and addressing the relevant issues along the aluminium value chain, or on specific functional elements of the certification program. � In the conversationAl videos, we will be talking with ASI members and stakeholders, auditors and specialists in order to shed light on their experiences and perspectives working within the ASI Standards system.

The ASI membership ASI’s membership has been built from leading organisations in their sectors coming together to build an innovative forum to drive sustainability. Members not only support the operation of ASI

SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS 21

through a membership fee scaled to the size and type of their business, they also contribute significant time, energy and knowledge to ASI’s processes.

ASI has benefited from the full support of all membership classes to move the work program forward. Upstream producers of bauxite, alumina and aluminium are as committed to drive sustainability issues as downstream users of the metal to support responsible production. Civil society members bring passion and expertise to key sustainability topics, and associations and other supporters bring deep policy knowledge. ASI is also gaining membership from small- and medium-sized enterprises, demonstrating that sustainability efforts are not just for

multi-nationals. All types of organisations have a role to play.

Broader partnerships and outreach ASI’s work does not take place in a vacuum and partnerships with organisations like the International Aluminium Institute aim to build on the work of decades and enhance collaborations in areas of mutual interest.

From 2018, ASI will also be focusing on outreach and engagement in China, which is a key part of the global aluminium industry, and also with downstream users of aluminium in sectors such as automotive, construction, packaging and other industrial applications. �

More information: 1. https://youtu.be/8W-g-nv14eQ 2. http://www.standardsimpacts.org/resources-reports/iseal-report-effectiveness-standards-driving-adoption-sustainability-practices 3. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/sdgs 4. https://aluminium-stewardship.org/about-asi/asi-member-listing/

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Sustainability supplement - April 2018

22 SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS

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Sustainability for improved performance Partnering with your aluminium material supplier to achieve certifiable sustainability improvements

Automotive manufacturers are faced with increasingly stringent emissions standards, and one of their greatest challenges is how to effectively track and measure life-cycle carbon footprint reductions, and leverage that data as a marketing advantage.

The use of aluminium sheet in vehicle design is an important lever to reduce the overall CO2e footprint of new vehicle production and in-life usage. This is due in part to the lower amount of emissions it takes to produce aluminium, but also the important role aluminium can play in lightweight design to reduce emissions during the life of the vehicle on the road.

Aluminium suppliers experienced in complying with standards that have been historically stricter, usually in the European market, offer technical experience, as well as an array of analytical and material development processes to meet that challenge. Processes include the ability to drive multidisciplinary improvement from original vehicle design (involving alloy selection) and production through the collection and separation of OEM scrap for dedicated OEM-specific reuse and predictable future emissions reductions.

Sustainability as part of the performance equation Only when sustainability is considered as one of the main performance goals in an integrated, multidisciplinary process from cradle to grave can OEMs achieve stepby-step sustainability improvement. As a certifiable emissions target baseline is set for each vehicle model, an experienced aluminium supply partner will define with the OEM specific initiatives and projects to achieve the OEM-sustainability goals.

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

Multidisciplinary process for sustainability at work Step 1: In partnership with the OEM automotive design team, the multidisciplinary process for sustainability begins by identifying specific performance goals — from strength, appearance and machinability to carbon reduction objectives — for current and successive generations of vehicles. What are the current CO2e emissions, and what is the partnership setting as goals for the new generation vehicles? In this step, the aluminium supply partner works with the OEM design team to carefully weigh the performance variables of the design geometry, the joining methods chosen, the vast number of available aluminium alloys ranging from 5000 and 6000 series alloys and others to find the optimum solution that meets the performance goals and cost targets, as well as the carbon emission reduction objectives.

Step 2: Partnering with the OEM part pressing/assembly team allows for identification of areas for further reductions, including scrap reduction, yield improvements and improved coordination of external logistics.

Step 3: Partnering with the material supplier’s manufacturing team to identify areas within casting, rolling and finishing operations that may reduce carbon footprint — where green energy can be harvested and used, where waste can be reduced and yield improved, and identifying what logistical efficiencies exist between operations — can further optimise the most efficient use of the labour force.

Step 4: Through a closed loop concept — the aluminium supply partner accepts the OEM’s scrap metal, separating its alloys, then reprocesses them for use in future models, improving supply security and reducing OEM dependence on primary aluminium sourcing while reducing its overall carbon emissions footprint.

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� Reduce the total car production CO2e kg/vehicle emissions � Reduce the in-use CO2e g/km emissions for the new fleet This can involve initiatives focused on selecting the appropriate aluminium alloys and optimising the design for outer panels, inner panels and a variety of medium- to high-strength structural applications to significantly reduce the overall CO2e footprint, not only during new vehicle production, but also in service use. In fact, experience has shown that an opportunity exists to further reduce the vehicle production accumulated emissions due to aluminium sheet by 20 to 25 per cent from today’s aluminium vehicle level, while at the same time achieving an additional 6 to 8 per cent CO2e per km emission savings due to the further vehicle weight reduction of circa 10 per cent.

Aluminium International Today

SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS 23

Independent certification enables ‘sustainability improvements’ promotion messages with credibility Perhaps the greatest advantage to partnering with an experienced aluminium supply partner is its high level of expertise at life-cycle analysis and a geographically appropriate certification process. The wider the data sampling availability of existing applications, the more accurate the predictions, as the partner monitors CO2e of its existing alloys annually.

OEMs can use the partner’s field-proven software add-ins for life-cycle analysis simulations. Best of all, every analysis provided is independently certified by a third party with authority, often approved by the OEM partner.

This transparent process is helping global automotive OEMs chart their path toward a more sustainable future. �

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

24 PACKAGING

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SIG and Amcor push responsible aluminium sourcing Following its responsibility approach entitled WAY BEYOND GOOD, SIG is committed to sourcing 100% of its direct materials from only certified sources.

Working together with value chain partner Amcor, the partnership aims to assure that the aluminium foil supply chain is working towards the performance standard of the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI).

Amcor, a global leader in responsible packaging, is one of SIG’s main suppliers for aluminium in Europe.

A razor-thin aluminium layer is used in most of SIG’s carton packs to protect the food from light, oxygen and external odours.

The new ASI performance standard reveals principles that must be met along the supply chain of aluminium and covers the main sustainability risks and potential impacts such as significant energy use and the release of greenhouse gases in the process to converting bauxite ore into aluminium, impacts on local communities and natural habitats from mining, and the potential for water pollution from production waste.

ASI has recently launched a new Certification programme for the aluminium value chain, which focuses on responsible production, sourcing and stewardship of this important industrial metal. The new program aims at addressing and reducing the impacts of aluminium production: from mines, smelters and casting to semifabrication and manufacture of products containing aluminium.

Both SIG and Amcor support ASI’s initiative as very effective in creating long-term consensus on standards. Such initiatives often take considerable time to be adopted throughout the industry, however, so to start this important work as early as possible SIG and Amcor engaged Sustainability supplement - April 2018

the trusted third party verification body DNV GL to conduct pilot assessments.

Collaborative approach Dr Christian Bauer, Manager Environmental Affairs and Product related Sustainability, of SIG said: “Our aim is clear. This is not a pass/fail exercise, but a collaborative approach to share industry best practices and ensure we are at the forefront of sourcing aluminium foil that will meet or surpass the ASI performance standards, ensuring continuous environmental improvement as well as best in class ethical practices.”

The pilot looks at the value chain of aluminium foil all the way to the bauxite mines and is intended to provide a snapshot of performance against the ASI Performance Standard. Dr Colin Morgan, Principal Consultant at DNV GL, said: “Engaging suppliers on improving sustainability performance from mine to manufacturing is a challenging task.

We are proud to work together with SIG and Amcor to bring visibility over their supply chains, build capacity and help all stakeholders to get ready for ASI through our pilot audits. This is a pioneering approach to multi-tier engagement that delivers value and benefits for all involved.”

In 2017, collaborative assessments with value chain partners were completed in Europe and Asia for the manufacturing of aluminium foil and foil stock. The pilots provided a readiness check to close gaps against ASI standard requirements, and acknowledged any existing certifications the sites already have – ensuring a streamlined approach and value creation

PACKAGING 25

for everyone.

Dr Gerald Rebitzer, Sustainability Director at Amcor said: “What we found was that the performance of the assessed sites generally aligns very well with the requirements of the ASI performance standard, and we are already working with the suppliers to close any gaps. The results are very encouraging.”

At the forefront In 2018, SIG and Amcor will go further down the value chain. With this on-going program and the subsequent planned ASI certification, both SIG and Amcor are confident that they will be well prepared to be at the forefront of offering packaging with responsibly sourced aluminium foil. SIG has already been at the forefront of sourcing from responsibly managed forests with 100% of its liquid packaging board from paper mills with the FSCTM Chain of Custody certification and 89% made with wood from FSCTM certified forests. Since 2017 SIG is also certified according to ISCC PLUS in view of sourcing of renewable feedstock for polymers.

This new collaboration with Amcor to push responsible aluminium sourcing further is another important step on SIG’s net-positive journey of going WAY BEYOND GOOD. The company is focusing on three core areas in which it can do the most for society and the environment, with responsibility at the centre of this: how SIG runs the company, sources its materials, and manufactures its products. � Sustainability supplement - April 2018

26 PACKAGING

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Cans: The most recycled drinks package Aluminium beverage cans are the most recycled drinks package in the world, according to a new analysis by Resource Recycling Systems (RRS).

Commissioned by the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), Beverage Can Makers Europe (BCME) and Abralatas in Brazil, the study used global recycling data to calculate and validate the global recyclability rates for aluminium, PET and glass beverage containers. The study established a global weighted average recycling rate for aluminium at 69 per cent, compared to PET at 43 per cent and glass at 46 per cent.

The study prioritised markets with accessible recycling data and then verified and validated the data for 82 per cent of the aluminium can global market (representing 21 countries), 79

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

per cent of the PET bottle global market (representing 23 countries), and 79 per cent of the glass bottle global market (representing 22 countries). The study identified aluminium recycling rates at 98 per cent in Brazil, 79 per cent in Poland, 77 per cent in Japan, 72 per cent in Italy and 55 per cent in the United States.

Speaking on the results of the study, RRS Vice President Anne Johnson said, “Data on beverage container recycling rates for 25 countries, representing 80 per cent of the global market, were reviewed and validated by the RRS Data Analytics Team. Even with factoring in the data reliability for each container

type by comparing high and low error ranges, RRS determined that aluminium beverage containers remain the most recycled container globally. A key finding of the RRS data review is that much could be done to improve the reporting of recycling data in most markets, through more harmonised definitions of recycling and reporting methods.”

“Aluminium beverage cans are, by far, the leader of beverage container recycling in the United States,” said CMI President Robert Budway. “Although we have always felt confident about making a global claim, we wanted third-party certification. We hope that beverage

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PACKAGING 27

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companies and consumers around the globe will recognize the importance of continuing to recycle this valuable material.”

Gordon Shade, CEO of Metal Packaging Europe, the association created through the merger of BCME and Empac, said, “This is a welcome confirmation of the aluminium can’s premium status in recycling. It is especially good news for consumers as, through their conscientious and responsible behaviour, they ensure the preservation of the material for future use.”

Renault Castro, CEO of Abralatas in Brazil, noted, “It comes as no surprise that this important study confirms this outstanding feature of the can, certifying that our packaging has a true competitive and environmental advantage over our competitors. In times of global warming this is a huge benefit to society.”

Aluminium is recycled again and again.

In fact, nearly 75 per cent of all aluminium ever produced is still in use today, which is a testament to its characteristic as a permanent material and its legacy as a commodity that is actually recycled into new products. While this report is extremely encouraging, there remains work to further consolidate our leadership

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position and enhance our environmental credentials. This includes being fully recognised by consumers as the model for real recycling.

About the Can Manufacturers Institute Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI) CMI is the national trade association of the metal can manufacturing industry and its suppliers in the United States. The can industry accounts for the annual domestic production of approximately 124 billion food, beverage and other metal cans; which employs more than 28,000 people with plants in 33 states, Puerto Rico and American Samoa; and generates about $17.8 billion in direct economic activity.

Our members are committed to providing safe, nutritious and refreshing canned food and beverages to consumers.

About Metal Packaging Europe Metal Packaging Europe gives Europe’s rigid metal packaging industry a unified voice, by bringing together manufacturers, suppliers, and national associations. We proactively position and support the attributes and image of metal packaging through joint marketing, environmental and technical initiatives. We represent

the industry’s views and voice opinions so that stakeholders understand how metal packaging contributes to the Circular Economy.

Our goal is to make metal the preferred choice for consumer and industrial packaging.

About Abralatas The Brazilian Aluminium Can Manufacturers Association (ABRALATAS) is the national trade association of the Brazilian aluminium beverage can industry, which accounts for an annual production of 25 billion units. Founded in 2003, Abralatas brings together three of the most important can makers of the world: Ardagh, Ball and Crown.

ABRALATAS also participates in the exchange of ideas influencing legislative, regulatory and administrative policies of common interest to can makers and is responsible for the promotion and communication of overall can benefits, specially as to the social, economic and environmental qualities deriving from the aluminium can’s recyclability. Recycling rates in Brazil have been above 90% of shipments since 2004 and reached 98% in 2015, benefiting a large population of waste pickers. �

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Controlling emissions the EGA way EGA reaches record low level of perfluorocarbon emissions, signs agreement with Australian university for research on further reductions Controlling emissions of PFCs, a group of greenhouse gases, is a global aluminium industry goal.

EGA’s PFC emissions in 2017 were 22kg CO2 equivalent/tonne of aluminium produced, compared to global average of 380kg CO2 equivalent/tonne in 2016 Emirates Global Aluminium has announced that its emissions of perfluorocarbons were a record low for the company in 2017, and that EGA has signed an agreement with the University of New South Wales to research further reductions.

Perfluorocarbons, known as PFCs, are a group of greenhouse gases which have thousands of times more global warming potential of carbon dioxide. Reducing PFC emissions is an important environmental goal of the global aluminium industry.

EGA’s emissions of PFCs were 22 kilogrammes per tonne of aluminium produced in 2017 compared to a global average of 380 kilogrames per tonne in 2016, the most recent year for which figures are available from the International Aluminium Institute.

At EGA’s newer Al Taweelah smelter, PFC emissions in 2017 were seven kilogrammes per tonne of aluminium produced.

In the aluminium industry reported PFC emissions are known to be associated with momentary process imbalances known as Anode Effects. These occur when the alumina concentration falls in the reduction cells in which aluminium is smelted.

Through technology development and operational improvements, EGA has reduced the frequency of Anode Effects Sustainability supplement - April 2018

in its operations from an average of once every three days in each reduction cell in 2009 to less than once every 12 days in each reduction cell in 2017. The average duration of each Anode Effect has similarly decreased, from 44 seconds in 2009 to below 21 seconds in 2017.

The new research that EGA will conduct with scientists from the University of New South Wales aims to reduce what the industry terms ‘background’ PFC emissions – those that are from variations in reduction cell conditions that are too small to be detected and remedied by the control technology available today.

The research will focus on developing sophisticated technology to continuously monitor conditions inside reduction cells in great detail and semi-autonomously feed alumina in response to minute changes.

More accurate feeding of alumina in response to changing conditions is also expected to lower energy consumption, reducing emissions of CO2 created through power generation.

EGA’s work to reduce PFC emissions is led by Executive Vice President Dr Ali Al Zarouni, who is in charge of the company’s aluminium smelters in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and EGA’s technology development.

Dr Al Zarouni said: “Reducing PFC emissions in the aluminium industry is a matter of fundamental environmental responsibility. Unfortunately no single factor provides the solution. Rather we have achieved our reductions through Aluminium International Today

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EMISSIONS CONTROL 29

developing our own smelting and pot control technology, continuously improving our operational processes, and rigorously monitoring the quality of our raw materials.

“We believe our new research is the first of its kind as it aims to tackle emissions from minute changes rather than just reducing Anode Effects that we can all detect today. Working with the University of New South Wales enables us to combine our own technology expertise with the latest academic thinking to tackle this particularly difficult challenge.”

Dr Al Zarouni holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the University of New South Wales and wrote his doctoral thesis on the subject of “PFC emissions in the aluminium industry”.

The new project is the third research partnership between EGA and the University of New South Wales. Previous research with the university has focused on developing more sophisticated measurements within reduction cells and the findings will be used in the new research work.

EGA is a member of the global International Aluminium Institute and supports the Institute’s voluntary target of a 93% reduction in perfluorocarbon emissions at older smelters by 2020 (using 1990 as the baseline). EGA Jebel Ali achieved this reduction by 2015 - five years early.

EGA has developed its own technology in the UAE for over 25 years. The company’s latest technology is amongst the most efficient and competitive in the global aluminium industry.

EGA has used its own technology for every smelter expansion since the 1990s, including the construction of Al Taweelah, which was the world’s largest single-site smelter when it was completed. EGA has also retrofitted all its older production lines with its UAEdeveloped technology.

EGA’s technology development has focused both on the reduction cells themselves, and the software to manage their performance.

EGA has reduced its total greenhouse gas emissions produced per tonne of aluminium by 10% since 2011. �

Aluminium International Today

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

ADVERTORIAL - DANIELI FROHLING

Automotive applications drive cutting technology After aluminium became the major casting material for chassis frames or motor parts, today we are also facing a change within the material application of aluminum in car body construction.

Analysts expect that aluminium sheet demand for auto body and closures parts will double within the coming seven years. Both additional production capacities and adapted technologies are required to cope with the increasing demand and rising quality requirements. Based on the unique Danieli Fröhling high-speed trimming and precision pit slitting line technology, sophisticated solutions for the aluminum automotive industry have been developed and introduced into the market.

For the final customer, the slitting process may still be considered as the finishing part of the cold rolling process, but it can also be seen as the first downstream step after cold rolling and levelling where the “virgin” material has to be converted and tailored for the next stage. Wherever you want to situate the slitting process it is definitely the point where all the efforts of the upstream production process concentrated on achieving the perfect strip material condition should be finished and not downgraded.

One main category of technological requirements for slitting lines depends on the condition of the material entering the slitting process, and the goal is to maintain these material features. For automotive applications we can point out the following two issues in this category, both of which are essential to consistently produce the complex geometry of auto body panels with the highest tolerances: The strip quality (includes scratch free surfaces and closest strip tolerances) and the strip formability to preserve the desired material microstructure received in upstream processes. All this has to go along with increase of line production, energy efficiency and reduction of scrap.

Several new lines dedicated to automotive strip production have been supplied by Danieli Fröhling recently and all are characterized by an optimized line layout maintaining the formation behavior of the aluminum strip for the downstream forming process steps. Clearly, there are also benefits for associated industries such as the aviation and shipbuilding industries.

But there are no “one-size-fits-all solutions” in this new growth field either. Danieli Fröhling’s know-how and capability to customise line concepts and designs are important to fulfill individual product mixes and the material flow requirements of aluminium producers, as well as provide both economical and sustainable technologies.

THERE IS MORE TO IT

THAN MEETS THE EYE Sophisticated and innovative technological solutions to improve your competitiveness:

• Slitting lines • Cut-to-length equipment • Trimming lines • Modernizations • Technological support • Spare parts and services CONTACT NOW:

+49 (0)2354-7082-222 contact@danieli-froehling.de Sustainability supplement - April 2018

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Limited delegate spaces remaining – register for your pass now

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Applying Industry 4.0 to the aluminium industry Taking place on 8-9 May 2018 at the Hotel Michelangelo in Milan, Italy, this global aluminium technology conference will draw upon the unrivalled expertise of industry professionals, production technologists and academics to create an event designed specifically for those seeking a greater understanding of ‘smart manufacturing’.

Commercial packages to promote your brand, products and services

Subjects include: The Digital Revolution Plant Security and Safety Striking a Balance with Automation and Productivity The Innovation Hub: European Aluminium Panel Smarter Manufacturing for a Streamlined Supply Chain The Smelter of the Future Key Market Opportunities

There are very limited opportunities available and these will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Please note bespoke packages can also be created for you if you have something specific you want to achieve.

Register online to subscribe to the Future Aluminium Forum membership package which will include subscription to Aluminium International Today, the Aluminium International Today Directory, relevant news alerts and admission to the Future Aluminium Forum, 8-9 May, Hotel Michelangelo, Milan, Italy.

Included in the delegate fee is the Networking Dinner which will take place on Tuesday 8 May. This intimate gathering provides a perfect opportunity to interact with all delegates, speakers and exhibitors attending the event.

If you are interested in promoting your services and products to an audience interested in increasing efficiencies within their aluminium manufacturing facilities, then this is a unique opportunity to position your brand alongside leading experts in this field.

Sponsorship opportunities include: Delegate Bags Badges & Lanyards Conference Programme Delegate Lunch Networking Dinner Coffee Breaks GET IN TOUCH TO FIND OUT MORE: Ken Clark International Sales Director +44 (0) 1737 855 117 kenclark@quartzltd.com John Lane Business Development Manager (Europe) +44 (0) 1737 855 014 johnlane@quartzltd.com

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Driving better material choices for automobiles

By Jerome Lucaes*

RUSAL, a leading global aluminium producer and the owner of the lowcarbon aluminium brand ALLOW, has presented its latest study that examines the impact of the aluminium with the low CO2 footprint on the life cycle emissions in automotive sector.

Lightweight aluminium-intensive vehicles have 12.6% lower life cycle CO2 emissions compared to steel vehicles, achieving a carbon emissions payback of 63,000 km when materials with higher emissions are offset with improved fuel economy. Yet, according to the RUSAL’s study, low-carbon aluminium further reduces life cycle emissions to17% compared to the steel vehicle, with a carbon payback of just 8,400 km or in less than one year of driving. That makes metal produced with hydropower a material of choice in the carbon-constrained world.

This article outlines key findings of the study.

Carbon Footprints of Raw Materials Matter The passenger automobile market is changing faster than ever with digital innovation, vehicle electrification, and improved design. Automobile manufacturers are facing increased pressure by corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) targets and greenhouse gas standards (g CO2eq / km) to reduce the mass of their vehicles, develop more efficient technologies, and incorporate alternative vehicles in their fleets. Many of these ambitious goals by 2025 are below 100g CO2 eq / km globally, but vary per country.

One of the most effective ways to meet these environmental and efficiency goals is to reduce vehicle weight, primarily through substituting a ‘baseline’ steel body-in-white (BIW), with lighter materials, without compromising safety or quality.

The BIW including closures is one of

the primary contributors to the vehicle’s weight, approximately 30% for passenger vehicles. Aluminium (Al), advanced highstrength steel (AHSS), magnesium, and carbon fiber are currently on top of the list to reduce BIW weight (Ducker Worldwide 2016). Practical experience shows that 1 kg of aluminium replaces typically 1.6 kg of steel, depending on if in a BIW or closure.

Out of all of the BIW material substitutes for steel, aluminium has the highest capacity to reduce life cycle emissions through vehicle lightweighting (LW).

Lightweighting (LW) initiatives typically necessitate the use of materials which have higher carbon footprint than the historically baseline BIW metal, steel, due to higher production energy demands. The subsequent weight reduction will improve the vehicle’s use-phase emissions, creating a ‘’carbon payback’’ sometime during its life. This is particularly important for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) due to the weight of additional battery capacity - a typical BEV weighs more than an internal combustion engine vehicle (ICEV) of the same segment.

Not all aluminium is created equal.

Global primary Al production carbon intensities range from 2 to over 17 T CO2 / T Al per smelter.

RUSAL conducted a comprehensive literature review of 24 automotive life cycle analyses focusing on vehicle LW, in order to determine the most effective material substitute for steel in passenger vehicles from a life cycle perspective. The CO2 impacts differ over various powertrains (internal combustion engines, battery electric, and plug-in hybrid vehicles) and segments (A - small, C - medium, E - large).

Research made by the company should guide car manufacturers to incorporate raw material carbon footprints in vehicle design, especially with low CO2 aluminium.

The use of the alternative materials from substitution indicates there is a need to

think holistically and look at the total life cycle emissions of the car.

As fuel efficiency regulations are implemented by 2025, most vehicles will see a significant reduction in the usephase life cycle emissions and smaller increases in material production and manufacturing.

Many design constraints and tradeoffs such as cost, functionality, safety, and durability determine the material of choice. Automotive designers must be cognizant of these trade-offs to determine the amount of material which can be substituted per part, as the life cycle impacts for the entire vehicle will change if just one part is materially substituted.

Life cycle carbon accounting is a necessary method to assess the true impact of material substitution. It is well known that total vehicle life cycle emissions (CO2eq) have to be evaluated through the 4 major components of the vehicle life: (1) material production, (2) manufacturing, (3) use, and (4) end of life - EOL. Low Carbon for Climate-conscious Driving Primary aluminium producers commonly communicate CO2 emissions in smelter Scope 1 & 2. For full scope figures, this study used IAI averages for bauxite and alumina production CO2 emissions in order to develop full scope primary aluminium CO2 emissions due to traceability challenges.

This added 2.4 T CO2 / T Al from bauxite and alumina production to define low CO2 Al as 6.4 T CO2 / T Al, full scope. The primary aluminium world average is 15.8 T CO2 / T Al, full scope (IAI 2016).

The global primary steel / AHSS production carbon intensity average is 2.4 T CO2 / T steel, full scope, with far less deviation from the average compared to Al. Low CO2 Al is produced with hydropower - 27% of worldwide production - with a minimal amount being produced with

*Marketing Director, UC RUSAL Sustainability supplement - April 2018

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Material production

Manufacturing

Use-phase

End of life

Fig 1. Life Cycle Assessment Components for Vehicles

nuclear and other renewable energies.

Over half (35.7 million Tons, MT) of global capacity is based in China, where 90% of primary aluminium production is coal powered. The other 27.3 MT is distributed among the other regions (CRU 2017).

It is interesting to note from Figure 3 that hydro-powered smelters have dramatically lower emissions than coal based smelters.

How Aluminium is Used to Reduce Vehicle Weight A ‘rule of thumb’ is that a 10% weight reduction results in a lifetime fuel consumption reduction of 3-7% without regenerative braking, and 1-5% with – but this tells only part of the vehicle life cycle emissions story.

All original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are driven by fuel efficiency regulations, but they are not regulated for the manufacturing or raw material fabrication emissions.

Direct mass reduction makes it possible to reduce vehicle weight by downsizing other components (ex. powertrain, BIW, closures, fuel tank), given the inherently higher efficiency of lighter vehicles. A range of 19-31% weight reduction for an ICEV (270 to 460 kg) is possible with intensive use of aluminium, resulting in a fuel economy savings of 12-20% over steel. This subsequent weight reduction is defined as indirect mass reduction. Several literature sources claim a 2:1 ratio for the direct to the indirect weight saving.

Steel is the most basic and cheapest option. Aluminium is often regarded as a better alternative, allowing 40% LW on average. While aluminium tends to be widely used in upper segment vehicles, the advantages of LW are undeniable across all segments and powertrains.

Currently, many studies highlight how aluminium usage is a growing trend: Ducker forecasts a growth in the average aluminium content in European cars (150.6 kg in 2016) of 27.6 - 45.6 kg Aluminium International Today

(18-30%) by 2025.

This growth is going to be driven mainly by the greater use of flat rolled product, as the closures are increasingly moving towards aluminium (Ducker Worldwide 2016). Specifically, the hood is often the first element of a car that moves from steel to aluminium, due to both low technical complexity and ideal effects on the center of mass (moved backwards and downwards) desirable for handling.

It must be stated that due to aluminium’s high recyclability emissions savings versus steel, there are significant life cycle impacts upon crediting the recycled aluminium (EOL phase), as it would avoid future use of primary aluminium. In RUSAL’s life cycle analysis, the recycling credit methodology was not used. This removed the recyclability benefits of these metals and recovered scrap during processing as outside the scope of this study. Also,

the study solely focused on the global warming potential (CO2eq) aspect of life cycle analysis.

Life Cycle Emissions Over Various Powertrains RUSAL standardized the data from the 24 life cycle analyses with a unified methodology to deliver a comprehensive review of life cycle emissions different powertrains, varied by car segment. This standardized data could then be used to study the implications of Al material substitution.

The distance driven over the course of the vehicle life was assumed to be 230,000 km, an average between the EU (180,000 km) and US (280,000 km) numbers and close to the average.

As a baseline, an Al-Intensive vehicle with half the BIW and all closures made of Al reduces weight and overall life

Fig 2. from (CRU 2017) data World Primary Aluminium Capacity by Electricity Source

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

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Aluminium Production Carbon Footprint (T CO2/T - smelter Scope 1 & 2)

Fig 3. from RUSAL analysis based on (IAI 2017) data

cycle emissions by 12.6% for internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs), compared to a baseline steel ICEV, C-segment. The carbon payback occurs at 63,300 km due to the initial increase in raw material emissions, and further usephase fuel economy improvements. An Al-Intensive vehicle hereby is defined as having all closures and half the BIW made of Al, like the Audi A8 2017.

From a fuel regulation standards perspective (g CO2eq / km), the impacts of the electricity mix carbon intensity and of substitutive materials can be seen in Fig 4. The use-phase values were scaled from the T CO2eq life cycle.

Note that for BEVs, battery production is included in the manufacturing component in many studies. The BEV Europe use-phase emissions are based on the average European electricity mix in 2015 based on a mix of 29% renewables, 28% nuclear, 25% coal, 16% natural gas, 2% oil.

A wind-powered BEV’s use-phase drops to 36% of its total emissions, leaving materials and manufacturing (inc. battery) as the majority of environmental impact (60% of total).

production and manufacturing emissions.

With the European grid, BEVs have 11.2% lower life cycle emissions compared to the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). However, the payback period is longer for the BEV (108,700 km) than the PHEV (63,900 km) because the BEV requires use of materials which require energy-intensive production.

A detailed part-by-part configuration of Al and steel components was done based on real vehicle data for segments A, and E. Segment C results are used in this article.

Although the vehicles were all ICEVs, their BIW and powertrain material compositions were modeled to characterize the life cycle GWP impact of substituting ‘world average’ carbon intensity aluminium (15.8 T CO2 / T Al) for full scope low CO2 aluminium (6.4 T CO2 / T Al) for characteristic features of BEVs and PHEVs. Advantages of Low Carbon Aluminium A low CO2 Al-Int ICEV can have a 17%

The carbon paybacks to an Al-Intensive vehicle (and Baseline steel) is as follows: � BEV renewable - 79,200 km (75,300 km) � BEV European – 108,700 km (94,700 km) � PHEV (European) – 63,900 km (63,600 km) Materials and vehicle production, along with battery production, play a much larger role in a BEV’s life cycle contributions compared to ICEVs. A coal powered BEV would be 18% worse than the baseline steel ICEV. If BEVs are entirely powered by renewable sources during their use, nearly their entire footprint will be from material Sustainability supplement - April 2018

Fig 4. Life Cycle Emissions in g CO2eq / km driven, C-segment Normalized from T CO2eq and 230,000 km lifetime

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Fig 5. Carbon Payback of Al-Intensive ICEV, BEVs, and PHEV

lower carbon footprint through its life cycle (10.3 T CO2) versus the baseline steel vehicle, as shown in Figure 6. The carbon payback for the slightly higher material production emissions (0.4 T CO2) is just 8,400 km, a significant improvement to the worldwide average Al-Int vehicle payback vs. baseline steel of 63,300 km, a difference in carbon payback of 54,900 km.

In order to reach a payback of 0 km (equal material production emissions for a functional unit of steel vs. lighter aluminium) the primary aluminium material production emissions would need to be below 3.4 T CO2 / T Al, full scope. This assumes the same material replacement ratio and full scope production footprints for both materials.

OEMs already consider LW as a way to reduce the use-phase emissions of their vehicles (g CO2eq / km) in order to meet each country’s stringent fuel economy goals by 2025. RUSAL’s study shows that OEMs must also use low CO2 materials in

order to achieve greater CO2 reductions.

OEMs and consumers have the option to choose the most effective LW material possible - a low CO2 Al-Intensive vehicle - on any powertrain. This is necessary to avoid ‘shifting’ the environmental burden from the vehicle’s use-phase to other sectors.

Fig 8 demonstrates the opportunity for a low carbon footprint primary aluminium to benefit Al-Intensive vehicles by powertrain. Using low CO2 Al can significantly impact the life cycle emissions of Al-Intensive vehicles from 4.7 to 6.2% depending on the powertrain.

For the C-segment ICEV (4.7%) decrease, this accounts for a 2.6 T CO2 difference over the life time of the vehicle reflected in the primary aluminium contribution reduction. Using this vehicle’s usephase emissions, this would equate to approximately 13,500 km ‘not driven’ during the lifetime.

This truly is a ‘Gigaton solution’ – that it will take slightly over 4 years of current

light duty vehicle production levels to reach a one billion tonnes CO2 impact.

For reference, that equates to 385 million passenger cars going Al-intensive with low CO2 aluminium. There were ~90 million light duty vehicles produced in 2016 alone (IHS 2015).

For BEVs, this reduction can be even more dramatic (6.2%) as raw materials emissions make up a larger part of the life cycle picture, especially if powered by renewables.

Note that secondary aluminium contribution is not shown on the graph, with a value < 0.2 T CO2 over the lifetime for each vehicle segment due to the EOL accounting method used.

Conclusion The future of passenger vehicles on any powertrain necessitates rapid improvements in fuel efficiencies and use-phase emissions (g CO2eq / km) to meet the aggressive national targets across many industrialised nations. Future

Fig 6. Low CO2 Primary Al-Int ICEV in Comparison to Baseline Steel ICEV (C-segment)

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Sustainability supplement - April 2018

36 AUTOMOTIVE

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Fig 7. Carbon Payback of Baseline Steel ICEV and Low CO2 Primary Al-Int ICEV (C-segment)

environmental and efficiency standards relating to vehicle emissions should also discern the raw material production carbon footprints – what matters is the overall life cycle carbon footprint of the vehicle in terms of T CO2eq, not simply the use-phase as currently regulated.

As ICEVs become lighter and more fuel efficient, the share of BEVs and PHEVs grows, and renewable electricity production increases - the overall life

cycle footprint of passenger vehicles will dramatically decrease and the CO2 emissions embedded in raw materials will become more prominent in proportion.

The results shown here conclude that (compared to baseline steel BIW C-segment): Life cycle analyses play an important role in guiding car manufacturers to develop the fleet of the future. With this knowledge, car manufacturers and

Fig 8. Low CO2 Primary Aluminium Life Cycle Value in Comparison to Al-Int Vehicles (C-segment)

regulators will be able to holistically address the need for initiating regulations which take into account the carbon emissions of raw materials in passenger vehicles.

Low CO2 aluminium presents the most attractive life cycle CO2 savings of any vehicle BIW or closure raw material, amplifying the benefits of lightweighting with aluminium.

For more information, please consult RUSAL’s white paper “Driving better material choices for automobiles: The impact of low CO2 footprint aluminium on life cycle emissions” published on the ALLOW website.

The use of aluminium in BIWs and closures (Al-Intensive) reduces life cycle emissions by 12.6% (7.8 T CO2) for ICEVs – the carbon payback occurring at 63,300 km.

Low CO2 Al produced with hydropower further reduces raw material emissions with a total savings of 17% (10.3 T CO2) for ICEVs – the carbon payback is dramatically reduced to just 8,400 km.

BEVs are more sensitive to the carbon footprint of their raw materials compared to ICEVs. Low CO2 Al further reduces the carbon payback of a European energy mix BEV by 16,900 km.

Lightweighting with low CO2 Al is a Gigaton CO2 reduction solution – 4.7%, 5.5% , 6.2% decreases in life cycle emissions compared to an Al-Intensive vehicle on all powertrains (ICEV, PHEV, BEV). �

Background information: ALLOW by RUSAL - Low Carbon Aluminium for a Better Future RUSAL is the largest producer of hydro-powered aluminium worldwide, with over 90% of its production covered by this renewable resource and a goal of 95% by 2025.

ALLOW, the low CO2 aluminium brand of RUSAL launched in 2017, offers independently verified carbon emissions certificates for each tonne of aluminium, guaranteed to be < 4 T CO2/ T Al, smelter Scope 1 & 2. The primary aluminium world average is 13.4 T CO2/ T Al, smelter Scope 1 & 2 from (IAI 2017).

In a carbon-constrained world, low CO2 aluminium enables customers to contribute to their climate change strategy. We are firmly convinced that, as an industry leader, we are responsible for supporting our customers and partners transition to a low carbon future.

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

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38 CUSTOMER COLLABORATION

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Progress through partnership:

Creating sustainable value through customer collaboration

By Jessica Sanderson* Driving progress and making a significant impact requires collaboration. This is especially true regarding corporate sustainability efforts. While individual companies can often make an impact on their own, that impact can be amplified significantly through partnerships with customers and other stakeholders.

As the world leader in rolled aluminium products and aluminium recycling, Novelis understands the power of collaboration first hand and is making progress with automakers who are adopting more lightweight, infinitely recyclable aluminium.

Driving sustainability with EVs and recycling The automotive industry is a key industry of growth and potential for aluminium and Novelis. The rapid urbanisation taking place throughout the globe highlights new needs and opportunities in infrastructure and transportation. As the energy market shifts to a more sustainable, cleaner and environmentally friendly manufacturing model, electric vehicles (EVs) are emerging as the solution to help the automotive industry meet governments’ stricter fuel economy standards, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve natural resources.

Given the lightweighting attributes of aluminium, it is an ideal material for EV applications as lighter weight vehicles can travel longer distances on a single battery charge. In 2017, Novelis reached an agreement to provide innovative aluminium solutions to next-generation car company, NIO, for its fleet of smart, high-performance, premium electric vehicles. The partnership marks Novelis’ first major commitment in the premium electric vehicle space and reinforces the

Ford recycles and reuses more than 90% of the scrap generated during the stamping process - enough to produce 30,000 additional F-150 truck bodies each month.

sustainable value aluminium brings to the EV market.

But the benefits don’t stop at EVs. The sustainable value of aluminium spans across all vehicle types. Through closedloop recycling, a process that recycles excess aluminium and puts it back into the same product, Novelis is helping its customers maximize resources and meet environmental goals. Closing the loop preserves the value of the alloy, reduces transportation costs, minimises environmental impact and establishes a secure supply chain.

In 2017, the aluminium sheet provider reclaimed roughly 50,000 tons of aluminium scrap in partnership with sustainability-driven automaker Jaguar Land Rover - which is equivalent to 200,000 Jaguar XE body shells - preventing 500,000 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

And in partnership with Ford Motor Company, 90 percent of its scrap aluminium was collected and recycled during production of the F-150 pick-up truck.

Sustainability in the new world of mobility As mobility trends shift and consumers embrace ride-sharing and eventually the arrival of autonomous vehicles, Novelis is also partnering with traditional and startup automakers to identify sustainable solutions to new mobility challenges.

Historically, most cars are only driven five percent of the time they exist and remain idle 95 percent. However, as ridesharing continues to gain popularity and autonomous vehicles emerge as new mobility solutions, the time of use may leap to 70 percent. The significant increase in time on the road will impact how vehicles are produced, maintained and ultimately retired – underscoring the importance of aluminium as it creates lighter weight cars and can be infinitely recycled.

To help automakers make more informed decisions about the full lifecycle impacts of material choices, Novelis collaborates with the industry to produce high-quality lifecycle data. This data is then used to conduct Lifecycle Assessments (LCA), which is a process that enables automakers

*Director of Sustainability, Novelis Inc Sustainability supplement - April 2018

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to address environmental effects across the whole life of a product â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from production to retirement. For example, a leader in this space, Jaguar Land Rover, used LCA to confirm the benefits of using aluminium to reduce the carbon footprint of the 2013 Range Rover. The use of aluminium lowered the vehicleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body mass by 420 kilograms, which combined with improved aerodynamics, resulted in a 20 percent increase in fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions by 320kg of CO2.1 As mobility pushes manufacturers to adopt more sustainable methods, positive outcomes are likely to follow.

Post-consumer automotive recycling presents an opportunity to collaborate with automakers and their suppliers to bring more aluminium scrap back in to the system and further reduce the impact on the environment.

Reaching sustainable bbjectives In addition to creating partnerships with its customers to create more sustainable solutions, Novelis is continuing to make strong progress against its objectives

Aluminium International Today

CUSTOMER COLLABORATION 39 5

Jaguar Land Rover r eclaimed 50,000 tons of aluminium scrap, which is equivalent to 200,000 Jaguar XE body shells that ultimately prevented 500,000 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

as reported in its fiscal year 2017 Sustainability Report. By leveraging the technical expertise of its employees across 24 facilities in 10 countries, Novelis increased its use of high-recycled metal content inputs from 53 percent to 55 percent year-over-year. This significantly reduces environmental impacts as recycling aluminium produces 95 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions and uses just five percent of the energy required to

produce primary aluminium; it also reveals new material options for sustainabilityfocused automotive manufacturers.

By entrenching sustainability at the core of its business, leveraging its deep industry knowledge and working closely with its customers, Novelis is not only achieving its sustainability goals, but also driving continued sustainable progress for its customers and communities in which it operates. ďż˝

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

40 RECYCLING

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Aluminium recycling - Italian scenario With the Future Aluminium Forum taking place in Italy, this article looks at the country’s sustainability efforts.

Below is more detailed information on the Italian scenario of aluminium waste recycling, i.e. aluminium of all kinds (not just packaging) that has reached the end of its useful life.

Recycled aluminium is obtained from processed and melted pre-consumer scraps (mainly production waste) and post-consumer waste (i.e. items that have reached the end of their useful life).

It is relatively easy to recycle preconsumer aluminium scraps because they are relatively clean and their composition relatively certain. On the contrary, recycling post-consumer aluminium requires special processes and technologies. Often a careful selection phase is necessary before recycling.

The total quantity of aluminium waste recycled in 2016 was 927 tons.

The total quantities were assessed according to:

� Their origin, considering the aluminium from Italy and imported materials; � Their belonging to the preconsumer category (scraps from the production system) or post-consumer category (packaging, demolition material, cars, WEEE etc).

With regard to the origin of the processed scraps, data shows that in 2016 the quota from Italy decreased (in terms of percentage as well) compared to the year before, whereas the absolute value of the imported quota was stable (increasing in percentage).

Essentially there has been a decrease in the availability of pre-consumer scraps produced in Italy (with stable exports) whereas imported amounts increased.

This scenario is increasingly characterised by the gradual rationalisation of industrial

1,000 909

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productions, which tend to reduce the amount of scrap material, combined with the delocalisation of production processes.

The stabilisation of exports is in line with the dynamics described above.

Fig 3 below shows the types of scraps materials recycled in 2016, classified according to the waste classes listed in Italian and European legislation.

Considering that the aims of aluminium packaging recycling are referred to packaging waste generated in Italy, the quantities and types of scraps of Italian origin have been monitored. Special attention was paid to the class of only post-consumer packaging (and declared as such) and the classes of mixed scraps, which contain post-consumer packaging as well.

The results of that analysis on the materials processed in 2016 are shown in fig 4 below. �

927

895

46%

48%

45%

54%

52%

55%

2014 Post consumer

2015

500

250

0

52%

48%

44%

2014

2015

2016

Imported

250

0

National

Fig 1. Place of origin of aluminium scraps 2014/2016

2016 Pre consumer

Fig 2. Place of origin of treated aluminium scraps in 2014/2016

grains/dripping turnings 4% 7%

packaging crushed material

23% 19%

cranckcases/ radiators

sheets/dishware

26%

other 0

10000

30000

50000

70000

90000

100000

130000

4%

22%

Other Packaging Crankcases/radiators Dishware/sheets Turning Crushed material Grains/driping

packaging non packaging

Fig 3. Recycled aluminium scraps and relative packaging content place of origin Italy

Sustainability supplement - April 2018

Fig 4. Types of treated aluminium scraps 2016

Aluminium International Today

RECYCLING 41

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Eriez Europe and Ecohog unite

Increasing maintenance costs and strict health and safety regulations faced by companies in the recycling and waste industry has resulted in a greater demand for more transportable separation equipment, which offers on-site flexibility and reduces risk hazards.

In response, Eriez Europe has collaborated with equipment manufacturer Ecohog based in Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland to provide an innovative, adaptable and robust solution in order to meet customer demand, legislation and variable changes in the market place.

In 2015, Ecohog carried out systematic market research into Eddy Current Separation (ECS) units to combine with their mobile Hogmag unit to produce a mobile separation machine. With over 20 years’ experience manufacturing ECS units delivering high performance rates; Eriez Europe was the ideal collaboration Aluminium International Today

for providing the magnetic systems for the HogMag Metal Separation unit.

The HogMag unit incorporates an Eriez magnetic drum separator in order to remove ferrous metals such as iron and steel from all waste streams and prevent potential damage to downstream equipment. Additionally, the Eriez premium RevX-E ST22 ECS unit, which has been refined through Eriez’ extensive research development and material testing, offers unprecedented recovery of non-ferrous metals such as aluminium, copper and brass as small as 1-2mm.

Gareth Meese, Sales Director at Eriez Europe commented: “Our collaboration with Ecohog has been highly rewarding, not only in terms of sale volumes and customer feedback but in recognising the diversity of ECS machines. Eriez Europe looks forward to continuing the successful collaboration with Ecohog and developing

our products to meet the growing demands of the recycling market.”

Tracey McNally, Managing Director at Ecohog commented, “Ecohog are delighted with our continued collaboration with Eriez Europe, in our view they are the market leader in terms of their magnetic separators, technical support and customer care.

Our ongoing relationship has seen us provide Eriez eddy currents and other magnetic separators into a range of recycling applications globally including wood waste, incinerator ash, landfill reclaim, MRF glass clean up and automotive frag.

We have exciting plans for us both in terms of the development of a new mobile product for the scrap metal sector; this will build on the outstanding success of our THM ECS-2000 introduced to the market last year”. � Sustainability supplement - April 2018

42 ANALYSIS & TESTING

Real-time feedback of oil ďŹ lm consumption

By Christopher Burnett*

Aluminium sheet is bent and formed into a wide variety of shapes, and is the material of choice for manufacturing beverage cans and many other consumer goods. As mechanical engineers design these products and their subcomponents, they focus not only on the mechanical properties of the final part, but consider the stresses associated with the fabrication of the parts themselves. The stamping and punching operations of aluminium sheet require a specific coefficient of friction as the sheet is drawn and formed to its final Absorbance 100%

shape. Lubrication oils are commonly used to assure the surface of the aluminium behaves consistently during this process.

When the oils are applied in excess, they can pool in the die and cause problems in the stamping operation. If they are not present, the sheet may tear, heat up too much, or cause the punch press to jam.

Each of these scenarios is undesirable and can lead to production delays. Therefore, measurement of the oil becomes critical to the process.

Aluminium is truly one of the most

versatile materials available to modern designers. It is used in nearly every aspect of our world, all manner of engineers across transportation, housing, communication, food and beverage, defense and recreation all use aluminium in their products. As the applications for aluminium increase, the forming, bending and shaping of raw aluminium products expands as well. For example, a flat sheet of aluminium could literally end up in over a million end uses, and as it is recycled, a million more.

Fig 1. Schematic of IR absorbance by CH molecules CH- absorption

More oil

Less oil Clean surface

Wavelength

Fig 2. Thermo Scientificâ&#x201E;˘ PROSIS measuring head

Measurement channels

*Marketing Manager, Flat Sheet Gauging, Thermo Fisher Scientific Sustainability supplement - April 2018

Aluminium International Today

ANALYSIS & TESTING 43 5

Noise in coating weight measurement (averaging time: 0.1 s)

Scanning from left to right

2 second integration time:

Scanning from right to left

Scanning from left to right

0.1 second integration time

Scanning from right to left

Mean: -0.06, Std-DevP 0.008

0.06

Measurement deviation from mean value

Coating profile with oil gap

0.04 0.02 0 -0.02 -0.04 -0.06 0 1000

Fig 3. Impact of integration time on determining the location of a clogged nozzle

9000 10000

Fig 4. Typical statistical noise observed for IR sensor measurement of oil coatings

Light intensity change with distance

1

3000 7000 5000 No of measurement

14

0.9

Correlation of measurement to LabValue for model 2

12 10

0.7 Measured value

Relavitve light intensity

0.8

0.6 0.5 0.4 0.3

8 6 4

0.2 0 0

Dist. 45mm

2

0.1

Dist. 29mm 5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

0

0

2

4

Distance to sensor in mm

Fig 5a. IR light intensity as a function of sample position

Component manufacturing lines that produce hundreds of thousands of stamped parts per day rely on uniform distribution of oil across the strip. The presses and stamping operations that transform the flat sheet would overheat and bind up without the benefit of a thin layer of lubricant on the aluminium.

To prevent these unplanned line stoppages, lubricants are often applied in excess, reducing profitability, creating slip hazards in the coil storage areas and generating an additional waste stream to manage. Traditional methods developed to measure the amount of oil require cutting samples, punching out coupons of exact diameters and precisely weighing the sample before and after stripping the oil from the surface.

While generally accepted, this process reduces yield by taking from the finished coil and takes place after the components have been made, too late to make any changes.

A robust sensor that employs infrared light to determine the amount of oil online is essential, thereby allowing sheet suppliers to provide assurances to component manufacturers that the critical oil layer is thick enough to guarantee consistent production, but not too excessively thick to cause waste or pooling in their dies.

Aluminium International Today

6 8 Lab value

10

12

14

Fig 5b. Accuracy at 29mm and 45mm of height

Oil weight measurements Oil is applied in very thin coatings ranging from 50 to 1500 mg per square meter, or 0.055 to 1.65 microns in thickness assuming an oil density near 0.9. Traditional destructive techniques based on the Weigh-Strip-Weigh (W-S-W) process described in ASTM A90 or ISO 1460 to verify coating thickness require hyper-precise scales to achieve accurate results. Sample coupons that are roughly 75cm in diameter will have less than 1 mg of coating on them. If a scale is accurate to +/-0.1 mg this could result in an error that is 20 % or more of the coating amount. To counter this dilemma, larger coupons can be used, but this too has its drawbacks.

Infrared spectrum based sensor overview Infrared (IR) light is ideal for measuring hydrocarbon based lubricants. Just below the energy of visible light, IR light is defined as light with wavelengths between 0.7 and 1000 microns. Subdivided into three sections based on wavelength, IR light has many practical applications outside of the coil coating line. The sensor presented here primarily uses light in the Near IR range to take advantage of the fact that the molecular bonds of most hydrocarbons absorb specific wavelengths of infrared light in that range. (See Fig

1) By positioning an IR light source and detector on the same side of the coated product, a system of optics can be used to measure the intensity of a specific wavelength of reflected light relative to a reference wavelength. By comparing the ratio of the two intensities, a relative measurement of the coating thickness can be made. In general terms, the thicker the coating, the more absorption will occur at the measured wavelength in relation to the reference wavelength and the larger the observed ratio.

Rudimentary sensors designed to measure only two channels can provide erroneous measurements when certain production parameters change. Therefore, the most appropriate sensor is one that measures a wide spectrum of infrared light. When configured to measure wavelengths associated with an entire range of hydrocarbon bonds, an infrared sensor can accurately measure coating weights for nearly every type of coating.

Additionally, by using optical light, the sensor is immune to background interference due to air temperature changes between the sensor and the strip. By synchronising the source lamp emissions with detector sampling, the sensor will eliminate background light variations and sheet flutter. (See Fig 2).

For example, as the light intensity varies Sustainability supplement - April 2018

44 ANALYSIS & TESTING

1.8

www.aluminiumtoday.com

consumed into heat, so often less than 5% is converted to light. Additionally, higher power lamps cost more and have a reduced lifetime.

The use of reflectors, lenses and light guides are more effective at reducing signal noise. Again, like the incandescent light bulb, the source of the IR light emits in all directions. For the IR spectrum sensor, the IR light is only needed on the strip side, so a parabolic reflector can be used to direct all the light forward on to the coated strip. The net result will significantly multiply the number of photons used in the measurement without the need for temperature control and complex cooling circuits.

For the IR spectrum sensor, typical noise observed on the oil measurement over an averaging time of 100 milliseconds is less than +/- 0.02 gram per square metre (See Figure 4). When compared to the W-S-W coupon this is less than 0.09 milligrams of oil mass on the sample, which is only possible with expensive high precision scales mounted on special vibration limiting tables with enclosed measuring environments.

precision of the laboratory method used.

In order to minimise the random errors of the W-S-W process, multiple samples are required. As the number of samples used in the calibration increases, the overall error of least squares fit through the samples decreases. As stated earlier, the laboratory method directly measures the oil weight using a scale. The list of possible sources of error in this process extends well beyond the precision of the scale. Oil coatings can be accidentally wiped off during handling, or residual oil can stick to the balance surface. Determining a repeatability and reproducibility test is difficult as samples are destroyed during the process and sample-to-sample consistency is not guaranteed. With care and disciplined laboratory practices, adequate samples can be collected. The process will take time, but the time investment will be rewarded with an accurate, reliable calibration that will last the lifetime of the sensor and beyond. Additionally, in order to cover the full production range of minimum to maximum oil thickness, samples should be provided from at least 10% below the minimum coating to 10% above the maximum coating. Extending the calibrated measuring range beyond the normal production range will prevent extrapolation and assure meaningful measured values that will guide out of control situations back to normal production processes.

Typical IR spectrum based sensor accuracy is depicted in Figure 6. This data was collected on seven oil-coated samples, plus one sample of the bare substrate, ranging from 0.13 to 1.6 gsm (0.14 micron to 1.8 micron at a density of 0.9). Nine measurements were made on each sample, over an area of 100 square centimetres. A simple least squares fit through the data resulted in a two-sigma accuracy of less than +/- 0.03 gsm.

Passline variation As discussed above, well-designed optics can decrease the statistical noise on the measurement. They can also be positioned and focused to direct the light in a manner that minimises sensitivity to passline.

The sensor response can be virtually immune to typical variations in passline, maintaining accurate measurements over a span of +/- 8 mm (Figs 5a and 5b).

The intensity of the detected IR light will vary by a factor of 3 across this range, but by considering the relative absorption of wavelengths across the whole spectrum, the system is still able to provide accurate measurements.

Summary Online measurement of oil coatings is becoming essential as metals component manufacturers work to eliminate costly delays in their process, save raw materials, reduce rework and improve product quality. The infrared spectrum technology described in this article addresses the typical influences present in a rolling mill and provides reliable measurements for oil coating thickness in real-time. This method results in significant benefits associated with improved coating uniformity, reduced re-work and elimination of delays while destructive tests are made by sheet suppliers. ďż˝

Observed accuracy of oil coatings The accuracy of any non-contact sensor will depend heavily on the accuracy and

Contact Thermo Fisher Scientific www.thermofisher.com/gauging

Regression: RV = (-0.0011) * MV2 + (1.0019) * MV + (-0.0004) Correlation: R= 0.99954; R2 = 0.99907

1.6 Measured and corrected value

1.4 1.2 1 0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 Fig 6: Predicted versus actual lab measurements

0

0

0.4

across the spangle of a zinc coating, older sensor design would falsely interpret that as a coating change, whereas the spectrum based detector monitors the influence on the entire spectrum in one single measurement location and is thereby immune to any variation.

Technical performance Statistical noise As with all measurements, there is a base level of sensitivity or ultimate limit to the precision of any single measurement. In the case of infrared light, the detector signal is proportional to the number of light photons collected in a unit time. For any consecutive measurements on a single sample, the number of photons detected will vary in a statistical distribution and result in slightly different measurements even though the sample is exactly the same. This variation is called statistical noise. To minimise the noise, the unit time over which the data is collected can be increased. This will decrease the per cent of variation and result in a more precise measurement. However, when considering an online sensor, it is preferable to collect the data as quickly as possible to allow for process control actions as changes are observed. In Figure 3, the impact of increasing the averaging time is seen. As a sensor is scanning across an area on the sheet where a spray nozzle might be clogged, the location of the gap will erroneously be skewed depending on the direction of scan.

As an alternative to increasing the averaging time, the number of photons for the same unit time can be increased.

This can be accomplished by using a higher power IR Lamp, or optimising the geometry between the source and detector to capture the most light. While using a higher power lamp seems to be an obvious solution, there are limitations due to heat build-up and thermal stability. IR lamps, like incandescent light bulbs, convert the majority of the energy Sustainability supplement - April 2018

0.8 LabValue

1.2

1.6

1.8

Aluminium International Today

Savings not losses More choice. More control.

Thermo Scientific™ PROSIS™ coating weight sensor is the ideal non-contact online solution to measure thin oil coatings.

It provides precise measurements, allowing metals producers to correctly lubricate their metal sheet and put an end to costly oil spillages on the warehouse floor. Take control of your process and of your strip.

PROSIS coating weight sensor Highly sophisticated technology for thin and ultra thin coatings

Find out more at thermofisher.com/metals © 2018 Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. All rights reserved. All trademarks are the property of Thermo Fisher Scientific and its subsidiaries unless otherwise specified.

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