Researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) have received the 2026 ASM International Henry Marion Howe Medal for pioneering research on ultrasonic processing during aluminum solidification. Using in-situ synchrotron X-ray analysis, the study revealed how ultrasound refines the microstructure of Al-Si-Mg alloys, providing new insights to support advanced aluminum manufacturing and greater use of recycled aluminum in automotive applications.

Enicor Executive Chairman Tom Bird urged governments to maintain free and fair trade in recycled aluminum, warning that export restrictions and protectionist policies could disrupt global supply chains, reduce investment and increase costs. He said open trade is essential to ensure high-quality recycled aluminum supply, strengthen circular economy development and meet rising demand from key manufacturing industries.

[SMM Aluminum Express News] Aluminum Dynamics will invest more than US$200 million to build a recycled aluminum slab facility in Lowndes County, Mississippi, creating 100 jobs. The new plant will recycle aluminum-bearing materials, primarily used beverage cans, into 180,000 tonnes per year of aluminum slabs for the automotive, packaging and flat-rolled aluminum markets, with operations scheduled to begin in the first half of 2027. The project expands Aluminum Dynamics' recycling footprint in Mississippi and will support its nearby flat-rolled aluminum mill, strengthening domestic secondary aluminum supply in the United States. State and local authorities will support the investment through infrastructure improvements and tax incentives.

The overseas secondary aluminum market shifted from supply-driven gains to demand-led corrections in H1 as geopolitical risks eased and downstream demand remained weak. At the same time, the UAE, the EU and the US introduced measures to strengthen domestic scrap resource management, reinforcing aluminum scrap's strategic role in global supply chains. In H2, SMM expects demand recovery to be the key driver of prices, while policy will continue to shape trade flows and premium scrap availability.

[Weekly Review of Aluminum Scrap and Secondary Aluminum]Primary-Scrap Spread Narrows Sharply as ADC12-A00 Premium Hits a Record High: Has the Window Opened for Primary Aluminum to Replace Scrap?

Aluminum scrap is rapidly becoming a strategic resource as the global aluminum industry shifts toward low-carbon production. Europe, China, India and the Middle East are all strengthening efforts to secure recycled aluminum through increased imports, new recycling capacity and policy measures. Growing demand, tightening scrap supply, CBAM implementation and clean energy development are making recycled aluminum a key pillar of future competitiveness, transforming scrap from a sustainability issue into a strategic supply chain resource.