The collaboration establishes the CREATe (Center for Recycling, Extrusion and Aluminum Technology) partnership and aims to strengthen the U.S. supply chain through innovation.
The initiative will focus on developing alloys that retain strength and performance across multiple recycling cycles, addressing key challenges such as iron based impurities. Three research teams will explore innovative approaches including electric current assisted intermetallic refinement, composition enhanced solidification and computational alloy design.
Hydro was founded 120 years ago at the intersection of a commercial visionary and a brilliant researcher. That spirit still defines us. Industrial progress happens when industry and science work together to solve problems and develop new solutions. I look forward to following this collaboration between Hydro and the University of Michigan, and to seeing it drive new advances in aluminium recycling and alloy innovation – says Eivind Kallevik, President and CEO of Hydro.
Research and development to improve circularity
Hydro’s technical teams in Cassopolis and Troy, Michigan, work closely with customers to develop specialized alloys designed for crash management and structural applications for the automotive industry. By combining deep materials expertise with next generation recycling technology, Hydro is helping customers across sectors reduce emissions, improve circularity and future proof their supply chains.
Tracy Berman, research scientist in the University of Michigan Department of Materials Science and Engineering, demonstrates state-of-the-art microscopy equipment while Eivind Kallevik, president and CEO of Hydro, looks on. Photo: Brenda Ahearn / University of Michigan
This collaborative approach and commitment to innovation is also recognized by Hydro’s academic partners.
This partnership brings together top minds in materials science and manufacturing to expand what's possible in recycling aluminium, a metal that packs incredible strength into a lightweight form and has become one of the world's most widely used engineering materials. Both Michigan Engineering and Hydro see tremendous potential in this research and this region to shape a more resilient future together – says Karen A. Thole, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering at the University of Michigan.
Hydro’s expanding U.S. presence and global network
Hydro’s research partnership with the University of Michigan builds on the company’s expanding U.S. footprint and commitment to innovation. Over the past five years, Hydro has invested more than USD 1 billion to strengthen domestic manufacturing in the U.S., including a new recycling plant and R&D center in Cassopolis, Michigan, and a modern and advanced extrusion press with strengthened recycling capacity in Cressona, Pennsylvania, enhancing recycling, extrusion, and R&D capabilities.
From left: Chris Devadas, Director of Technology, Hydro Aluminum Metals; Edward Cole, Director – Research, Extrusion North America; Duncan Pitchford, President Hydro Aluminum Metals and Head of Commercial Americas; Eivind Kallevik, President and CEO of Hydro; Karen A. Thole, the Robert J. Vlasic Dean of Engineering at University of Michigan; Trude Sundset, Chief Technology Officer, Hydro; Jeff Lehman, Business Unit President, Extrusion North America; Michael Williams, Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations, University of Michigan; Alex Poznak, Team Manager R&D North America. Photo: Brenda Ahearn / University of Michigan
Hydro’s R&D network is global and includes in house scientists, university collaborations and R&D institutes. This integrated model ensures that innovation is rapidly translated from lab to production, enabling customers in automotive, transportation, consumer goods, and building systems to meet increasingly demanding performance and sustainability targets.
Source: hydro.com
