The Challenge of Effectively Utilizing Trace Elements/Impurities in a Varying Raw Materials Market

As technology and innovation advances, so do the materials which we use, and in turn, the raw material stream is continually impacted. Today, plants are faced with the challenge of ideally capitalizing on the positive benefits of trace elements when they exist, or following in previous paths of tolerating the increased levels of the elements, and in the worst case, removing the elements at a large expense in production costs. Presented are recent trends observed for various elements, their origins within the raw material stream, and discussions of the need to reexamine how trace elements are handled today and in the future. What is tolerable in certain aluminum alloy products and potential benefits in properties will be explored in addition to the challenges required to remove the elements effectively when needed.