Characterization of Cold-Pressed Aluminum Briquettes and Their Behavior During Remelting for Application in Steel Deoxidation

This study presents a comprehensive characterization of recycled aluminum briquettes produced by cold pressing of Al–Si–Mg alloy machining chips, along with an evaluation of their behavior during subsequent remelting. The objective was to assess the density, porosity, chemical composition, and metallurgical yield of the briquettes before and after melting, as well as to determine their suitability for use as deoxidizing additives in steelmaking. The cold-pressed briquette (Sample A) exhibited a low density of 2.29 g.cm-³ and a porosity of 12.1%, resulting from intergranular voids and residual lubricants. After melting and resolidification (Sample B), the density increased to 2.388 g.cm-3 and the porosity decreased to 8.15%. XRF chemical analysis confirmed a high degree of elemental homogeneity after melting with no indication of segregation, while SEM–EDS microstructural analysis verified the absence of significant intermetallic phases and revealed only a thin surface oxide layer. The metallurgical yield reached 94.2% with a low dross content (2.25%). The results demonstrate that, following appropriate preprocessing and optimized compaction, recycled aluminum briquettes constitute a stable and efficient secondary aluminum material suitable for steel deoxidation, and they can significantly reduce the environmental impact of metallurgical production.