This program seeks to fund transformative new technologies for the primary processing of light metals (Al, Mg, and Ti) and for their cost effective, domestic recycling. These metals are widely viewed as essential to achieving substantial energy savings and reduced carbon emissions through lightweighting in both automotive and aircraft applications; however their widespread adoption will only be realized when they are produced with lower costs, less energy consumption, and reduced carbon emissions so that they are competitive with incumbent structural metals - steel and stainless steel. Of particular interest to primary light metal production are integrated system approaches that allow for one or more of the following operational characteristics: variable energy inputs (including renewable energy), high temperature heat recovery, high temperature thermal storage, and use of domestically abundant ores. Of particular interest to light metal recycling are transformative technologies and processes that enable rapid, high precision, and automated sorting of metals and alloys that are or can be integrated with high efficiency secondary light metal production. Innovative concepts focused on energy intensive and/or high cost stages of both the primary and secondary production processes will also be considered.
The impact of technologies successfully emerging from the program will be to provide substantial benefits germane to the ARPA-E mission, including reduced domestic energy consumption, reduced emissions, and a technological lead in advanced light metal production technologies. These technologies could have both a transformative and disruptive impact on the global structural metals market.
METALS FOA Modification 001 was released on 3/27/13
METALS FOA Modification 002 was released on 5/21/13