Constellium and TARMAC Aerosave have succeeded in completely recycling aluminum from retired aircraft into certified material, ready for take-off again.
After months of joint work with the support of Airbus and ValoER, the two companies have succeeded in remelting complex alloys from airframes into structural components suitable for future aeronautical applications.
In addition to ensuring compliance with aeronautical standards, this process marks a notable environmental improvement. Recycled aluminum requires only 5% of energy compared to primary production and reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 95%.
Aircraft aluminum drives a new circular chain
TARMAC Aerosavespecialist in dismantling and recovery of aircrafthas already exceeded 92% recycling rate per dismantled unit. For its part, Constellium brings its expertise in remelting and production of high value-added materials, opening the way to a new supply chain based on certified reuse.
The next step will be to scale up this model to the industrial level, which will allow for reuse aluminum from any aeronautical alloy. This opens up the possibility that each aircraft, at the end of its useful life, will be the source of the structural materials for the next one. A profound transformation in the sector’s production cycle.
From design conception to final recycling, this alliance proposes a new logic for the industry: that each stage of the aircraft should be designed to close the cycle, rather than generate waste. Designing for disassembly, certifying recycled materials and applying regulatory incentives will be fundamental to consolidate this transition to a truly circular aviation.
Source and photo: Constellium
