On October 14th, the "2025 Central Plains Aluminum Industry Chain Innovation and Development - Casting Aluminum Alloy Futures and Options Empowering High-Quality Development of the Aluminum Industry Exchange Conference" hosted by China International Futures Co., Ltd. was successfully held in Zhengzhou. The Suzhou Branch of Yuefeng Aluminum Materials Application Research Institute Co., Ltd. delivered a keynote speech titled "Innovation of Casting Aluminum Alloy Materials and Process Upgrading - Empowering High-Quality Development of the Aluminum Industry Chain" at the conference, systematically expounding the latest progress in material research and development and process innovation of casting aluminum alloys, as well as their key role in promoting the development of the aluminum industry chain towards high-end, green and intensive directions.
At present, China's casting aluminum alloy industry is confronted with the "three high" demands of high performance, high efficiency and high environmental protection. Traditional materials and processes are no longer able to meet the strict requirements for lightweight, high strength and toughness, high thermal conductivity and other properties in fields such as new energy vehicles, 5G communications and rail transit. He introduced that in 2024, the output of casting aluminum alloys in China will reach 10.05 million tons, among which recycled aluminum accounts for more than 70%. Green recycling and material upgrading have become the main themes of the industry's development.
In terms of material innovation, the research and development progress of new materials such as high-strength and high-toughness die-casting aluminum alloys, high-thermal conductivity die-casting aluminum alloys, anodizable die-casting aluminum alloys and ultra-high-strength and high-toughness die-casting aluminum alloys was mainly introduced. Take the ZL-HT3 high thermal conductivity alloy independently developed by Yuefeng Aluminum as an example. Its thermal conductivity has been increased to 173W/m·K, which is about 8% higher than that of conventional alloys. It performs outstandingly in fields such as 5G base station heat dissipation, achieving an integrated breakthrough in "material - structure - performance".
In terms of process upgrading, he conducted a detailed analysis of the technical advantages and application scenarios of advanced processes such as integrated vacuum die casting, semi-solid forming, low-pressure casting, and extrusion casting. He pointed out that the integrated die-casting technology can reduce the production time of traditional body structural parts from 1 to 2 hours to 2 to 3 minutes, significantly decrease the number of weld points, and greatly improve production efficiency and integration. It has become a key technical path for the lightweighting of new energy vehicles.
The collaborative innovation of processes and materials is the core driving force for promoting the high-quality development of the industrial chain. Through means such as digital simulation, intelligent transformation and remote monitoring, enterprises can make a leap from "experience-based casting" to "precise intelligent manufacturing", comprehensively enhancing product consistency, qualification rate and energy utilization efficiency.
He further stated that as the aluminum industry accelerates its transition towards green and low-carbon development, the efficient utilization of recycled aluminum and the control technology for iron impurities have also become the focus of industry attention. The new iron removal technology and alloy design concept are gradually solving the quality bottleneck of recycled aluminum, providing support for building a full-chain green circular system of "bauxite - alumina - electrolytic aluminum - recycled aluminum".
