Russian and Swedish aluminum producers Rusal and Granges plan to jointly develop new aluminum alloys and production methods.
Rusal indicated in a media statement today that it will work on new alloys, slab casting methods and heat treatment processes to advance the technology available at hand. Meanwhile, Granges will work on new methods of rolling and fabricating flat-rolled products for the automotive industry, in which, the role of aluminum is constantly growing. Both companies will share their learnings from these new projects to strengthen their position in the global markets.
Kent Schollin, senior vice president, technology and innovation at Granges said that the new alloys have significant market potential and that aluminum could possibly replace copper-based materials for use in electric conduction and workability.
Together, these two firms hold around 10pc of the overall global aluminum market.