July 2021 Forty years of know-how and the application of the most advanced technological solutions in scrap processing and sorting allow Raffmetal to present to the market a revolutionary range of primary grade aluminium alloys from recycling in continuous casting with performances equal to aluminium alloys produced from bauxite.
In 2018 began the construction of the new production plant, dedicated to the production of new primary alloys from recycling called "Special Alloys".
The scrap, purchased in Europe and worldwide from a dedicated purchasing network, is stored at Raffmetal’s plant which, thanks to the best technologies for selecting, treating and sorting, is able to separate raw material from impurities and organic parts, as well as selecting it on the basis of the specific chemical analysis.
This makes it possible to maximize the percentage of recycled content in the finished product and to reduce the amount of alloying elements for alloy correction, increasing the alloy quality and lowering the carbon footprint of the finished product.
The total control of the entire supply chain makes it possible to cope with seasonality and possible market tensions, ensuring the customer a repeatable alloy.
A state-of-the-art melting process combined with continuous casting technology ensures high quality ingots and metal yields, which are also guaranteed by a traceability system on every single piece.
Why is the Silval range sustainable?
Thanks to the maximization of scrap content, SILVAL alloys meet the needs of different target sectors, especially the Automotive one, which requires more and more recycled aluminium components that guarantee a significant reduction of the carbon footprint along the entire value chain.
The data is derived from an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) study started in 2019 in collaboration with a prestigious Italian University. The life cycle analysis has led to the definition of the product carbon footprint of our 100% recycled alloys, using the database ECOINVENT 3.4, Software SimaPro 8.5.2.0. The PCR (Product Category Rules) phase is now underway for the recycled aluminium sector, which will lead to product EPD certification.
An LCA study has been carried out since the first months of production of the SILVAL range of primary grade recycled alloys and will be further developed with historical production data. The ECOINVENT 3.6 database, SimaPro 9.1.1 software, was used for this study.
The LCA calculations followed the most requested method and are used by OEM and Automotive customers, called "cut off", in order to ensure consistency and transparency along the supply chain.
The results of this study places SILVAL alloys among the best performing alloys in the market.
SILVAL primary alloys have a recycling content between 80 and 100%. This allows to reach performing values of carbon footprint Cradle to Gate up to 0,48 kg CO2eq/kg of aluminium produced.
SILVAL alloys are therefore designed to help our customers to achieve their sustainability goals and to meet the demands of increasingly environmentally conscious consumers.
"In a context characterised by the need to take urgent action to preserve the planet and fight the climate change, thus contributing to the European objectives for decarbonisation, Raffmetal with its core business wants to be a protagonist of this change by offering a quality, sustainable, circular product with a low carbon footprint" says Raffmetal President, Orlando Niboli.
