Preliminary Characterization of Al-Mg/Al-12B Alloy from Al-Mg Found in Soda Cans

Aluminum beverage cans are typically dispensed at the end of their life cycle, contributing to an accumulation of waste. Al-Mg alloys are part of the cap of this product; they have unique charactristics: lightweight and hard. However, they lack characteristic properties that would make them a viable material for other applications. By forming a composite consisting of an Al-Mg alloy as matrix and AlB12 particles as reinforcement the materials properties can be optimized and their usable life, extended. This study seeks to characterize the Al-Mg/AlB12 composite mechanical properties by bulk indentatio and microindentation tests in order to determine the effect of chemical composition in the materials hardness. Understanding these properties would help optimize costs and fabrication processes in industries where aluminum alloys are vastly used. Some of industries with interest in alternative use of recycled aluminum can alloys are automotive, aerospace, gas and other transportation industries. The understanding of this material can yield cheaper raw material from where the manufacturers can derive their products while maintaining the same level of reliability on their products. Apart from reducing operation costs, recycling those alloys would help reduce their environmental impact