A new approach to reusing automotive steel could see old vehicles given a new lease of life as road signs and agricultural tools. Around 1.8 million vehicles reach the end of their lives in the UK each year, with the scrap steel traditionally shredded, melted down and recycled into new products.
This is an energy-intensive process and can carry a significant carbon footprint, and a
Coventry University researcher is examining whether a different approach could open up new economic opportunities for end-of-life vehicle processing, potentially extending the material service life and reducing negative environmental impacts.
Ebilayefa Gbakena, a doctoral student at the Institute of Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering at Coventry University’s Research Centre for Manufacturing and Materials, is leading a project examining whether some of this steel can be processed differently, instead of being sent straight to the furnace.
Mr Gbakena’s work examines whether high-quality end of life vehicle (ELV) strip steels can be cleaned, flattened and machined to become new products, rather than being melted down. The project also looks into the potential commercial impacts, assessing the operational and economic viability of the processes involved.
Such products, which would be produced from car body panels, could potentially include surgical blades, road signs, agricultural tools and a range of industrial components — with higher-spec applications explored only where performance can be demonstrated against relevant standards.
Low-carbon alternativeThe study will involve detailed material testing and microstructural analysis to examine if the steel can be used with confidence and whether it truly is a low-carbon alternative to the current preferred materials produced through traditional recycling processes.
Mr Gbakena said: “This research is still in an experimental stage and we are looking to collect data to show that this is a viable low-carbon product — this type of repurposing is intended to augment traditional recycling, not replace it.
“Through micro-structural testing we hope to be able to show that this steel can be repurposed to industry standards and we will be closely examining the material to see if it can maintain its mechanical properties and looking into the best ways to process the steel.
“There have been articles to say it is economically viable to repurpose steel in this way, as opposed to recycling, but introducing this could potentially disrupt the way the industry currently operates and we are seeking views from those within the industry about the potential challenges and the benefits of this. We need to show that this repurposed steel really is a low-carbon alternative to recycling.”
Stephen Spooner,professor of sustainable manufacturing and materials and theme lead for sSustainable manufacturing at Coventry University, said: “Ebilayefa’s project shows how Coventry University’s translational research connects scientific rigour with real-world impact. By embedding systems thinking and implementation into research, it tackles the dominance of linear production models and helps make circular economy solutions practical and competitive in today’s supply chains.”
Ebilayefa is looking for participants to take part in the study and anyone interested can take part
here.