Hazards and Optimal Utilization of Iron in Low Carbon Recycled Aluminum Alloys

With the proposal of new goals for circular economy and resource utilization and the implementation of the “dual carbon” strategy (carbon neutrality and carbon peak), aluminum and its alloys have excellent recyclability, and their recycling and secondary utilization have become an important starting point for green and sustainable development. Scrap aluminum produced by manufacturing industries such as automobiles, aerospace, and electronics has become a high-value recycled aluminum resource due to its controllable source, and recycled aluminum will become an important source of aluminum and its alloys in the world. However, a large amount of impurity elements (Fe, Si, Mg, Cu, etc.) will be introduced into scrap aluminum during the recycling process, among which Fe is the most harmful element. This makes most recycled aluminum only usable at a lower grade and difficult to replace primary aluminum in a unified manner. This article takes the harm of high Fe content to aluminum alloys as the starting point, explains several methods for removing Fe and deterioration, and evaluates the feasibility of industrial applications of different methods, in order to provide more comprehensive theoretical guidance for new breakthroughs in Fe-rich phase (FRP) control technology and provide certain reference value for solving the pain points of grade preservation and use of industrial recycled aluminum.