I must be a little slow on the uptake because my first thought when I read this was that they were planning to manufacture aluminum with a reduced carbon content as in contaminant. A little research uncovered the real target is to make aluminum with a reduced carbon footprint on the environment. This makes more sense.
Refining aluminum from bauxite ore requires a huge amount of energy (electrical) which explains why the major refiners are in Canada which happens to have abundant hydroelectric power. Hydroelectric power is non polluting hence the “low carbon” label. Additionally, more than 75% of aluminum is recycled (an added plus) and recycling reduces the energy requirements by 75-80% so a double plus.
This all ties in with the long term goal of making Apple “carbon neutral” by something like 2030.
Slightly related...the world has just come to the realization that every pound of vehicle weight has a continuing cost in terms of fossil fuel consumption. The numbers are 1-2% MPG impact for each 100 pounds of weight reduction. Doesn’t sound like much but Ford just reduced the curb weight of the F-150 by 700 pounds by substituting aluminum for steel on some of their parts. If a vehicle goes 12,000 miles a year, and gets 20 MPG the fuel usage is 600 gallons per year. Ten percent improvement in MPG doesn’t sound that big (a few tanks) but it amounts to 3,000 pounds of CO2 emissions per vehicle per year. For electric vehicles, it translates into miles per charge...a critical parameter. Tesla knows.
Professor Li is on the right track to pursue high strength, lightweight alloys in the automotive arena. Ultimately the redesign will happen and steel will be replaced with strong, lightweight alloys and bodies will morph to carbon fiber composites. Vehicle weight will go from 4,000 pounds to 2400 within the next 15 years.
I always rant on the weekends.
