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2023
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Under the global energy transition, can aluminum replace a large amount of copper demand?
With the global energy transformation, can aluminum replace a large amount of newly-increased demand for copper? At present, many companies and industry scholars are exploring how to better "replace copper with aluminum", and propose that adjusting the molecular structure of aluminum can improve its conductivity .
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With the global energy transformation, can aluminum replace a large amount of newly-increased demand for copper? At present, many companies and industry scholars are exploring how to better "replace copper with aluminum", and propose that adjusting the molecular structure of aluminum can improve its conductivity .
Due to its excellent electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and ductility, copper is widely used in various industries, especially in electric power, construction, home appliances, transportation and other industries. But demand for copper is soaring as the world shifts to greener energy sources, such as electric vehicles and renewable energy, and the source of supply has become increasingly problematic. An electric car, for example, uses roughly four times as much copper as a conventional car, and electrical components used in renewable energy power plants and the wires that connect them to the grid require even greater amounts of copper.
Analysts at energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie estimate that offshore wind farms will need 5.5 million tonnes of copper over the next decade, mainly for the large cable systems inside the generators and to transport the electricity generated by the turbines to shore. With the soaring price of copper in recent years, some analysts predict that the gap of copper will become bigger and bigger. Some industry analysts even called copper the "new oil". The market is facing a tight supply of copper, which is crucial in decarbonizing and using renewable energy, which could push copper prices up more than 60% within four years.
In contrast, aluminum is the most abundant metal element in the earth's crust, and its reserves are about a thousand times that of copper. Since aluminum is much lighter than copper, it is more economical and convenient to mine. In recent years, some companies have used aluminum to replace rare earth metals through technological innovation. Manufacturers of everything from electricity to air conditioning to auto parts have saved hundreds of millions of dollars by switching to aluminum instead of copper. Saudi Electricity Company has said it has saved the company 2.4 billion Saudi riyals ($640 million) by substituting aluminum for copper in its medium-voltage distribution network. In addition, high-voltage wires can achieve longer distances by using economical and lightweight aluminum wires.
However, Jonathan Barnes, chief analyst for copper markets at Wood Mackenzie, said that this "aluminum-for-copper" situation has slowed down. In broader electrical applications, aluminum's electrical conductivity is the main limitation, with only two-thirds the conductivity of copper.
Currently, researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are working to improve aluminum's electrical conductivity, making it more marketable than copper. The researchers believe that changing the structure of the metal and introducing suitable additives can indeed affect the conductivity of the metal. The experimental technique, if fully realized, could lead to superconducting aluminum, which could play a role in markets beyond power lines, transforming cars, electronics and power grids.
"If you can make aluminum more conductive, even 80% or 90% of the conductivity of copper, aluminum can replace copper, which will bring about a huge transformation. Because such aluminum is better conductive, lighter in weight, Cheaper and more abundant." PNNL materials scientist Keerti Kappagantula believes conductivity is key. With the same conductivity as copper, lighter aluminum wires could be used to design lighter motors and other electrical components, allowing cars to travel longer distances. "Anything that runs on electricity can be made more efficient, from automotive electronics to energy production to transmitting energy through the grid to your home to charge car batteries."
The PNNL researchers used a process known as solid-phase fabrication, which uses shear and friction at lower temperatures to place new carbon materials into metals. At the same time, aluminum becomes more elastic at this temperature, which allows the researchers to control the distribution of the material and verify the distribution of the material with computer simulations of the atomic structure of the new aluminum alloy. Kappagantula said it was worth reinventing the two-century-old process of making aluminum.
In the future, the aforementioned research team will use the new aluminum alloy to make wires, as well as rods, sheets, etc., and pass a series of tests to ensure that it has stronger conductivity and is strong and flexible enough for industrial use. If those tests pass, the team says it will work with manufacturers to produce more of the aluminum alloy.
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