ENERGY-ORIENTED ALUMINIUM RECYCLING: A FOCUSED REVIEW ON PROCESS EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABLE APPLICATIONS

Aluminium recycling has gained significant importance as an effective approach for improving energy efficiency and promoting sustainable material utilization in modern engineering applications. This paper presents a focused review of aluminium recycling from an energy-oriented perspective, with particular emphasis on the interrelationship between recycling processes, energy consumption, and application performance.It is well established that secondary aluminium production requires only a small fraction of the energy compared to primary production, leading to substantial reductions in energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions.The study examines various sources of aluminium waste and provides a comparative assessment of conventional remelting and advanced solid state recycling techniques. Furthermore,the application of recycled aluminium in sectors such as transportation, construction, and renewable energy systems highlights its critical role in sustainable development. Key challenges, including contamination, oxidation losses, and variability in scrap composition, are also discussed.The paper concludes that continued advancements in recycling technologies and process optimization are essential for maximizing energy efficiency and enabling the broader adoption of sustainable engineering practices.