SDU grant backs metal waste recycling for Additive Manufacturing
A researcher from the University of Southern Denmark has received a grant from the Independent Research Fund Denmark to investigate whether contaminated metal waste from industry can be reused directly in advanced Additive Manufacturing. Mohammad Malekan’s project could, if successful, help reduce waste, strengthen Europe’s supply security and support more sustainable manufacturing.
European companies generate large quantities of metal chips and metal scraps as by-products of manufacturing processes. Associate Professor Mohammad Malekan from the Institute of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at the University of Southern Denmark will explore how metal waste from industry can be transformed into metal powder and used directly in advanced metal AM after receiving a Sapere Aude Research Leader grant from Independent Research Fund Denmark.
“Europe has limited access to raw materials, while at the same time producing large amounts of metal waste. We need to become better at viewing waste as a resource. If we can reuse materials that already exist within our industrial value chains, we can both reduce waste and decrease our dependence on imported raw materials,” said Malekan.
While methods for recycling metal waste already exist, they typically require extensive cleaning processes because the materials are often contaminated with oils, lubricants and other residues from manufacturing.
“What makes this project unique is that we are investigating whether these materials can be used without first cleaning them with large quantities of chemicals. If that proves possible, recycling could become simpler, cheaper and more environmentally friendly,” Malekan shared.
The project focuses on metal chips generated through processes such as CNC machining, where large metal blocks are shaped into finished components. Although the leftover material often consists of valuable metals, it is typically treated as waste and sent to external recycling facilities.
The researchers will investigate how these so-called “dirty powders” affect the quality and performance of components produced through metal AM.
The project comes at a time when access to raw materials and resilient supply chains has become a strategic priority across Europe. Many of the metals required by European industry are imported from outside the continent. At the same time, interest is growing in creating more local and resilient manufacturing ecosystems. If companies can increasingly reuse their own materials, it could contribute to both greater supply security and a more circular economy.
“Many companies are already working actively to improve sustainability and circular production. If we can develop solutions that transform waste into a valuable resource instead of a problem, the impact could extend far beyond the laboratory,” Malekan commented.
The project combines materials science, advanced AM, numerical simulations and artificial intelligence. The researchers will investigate how impurities affect material properties and how defects in finished AM components can be predicted using machine learning. The goal is to build a fundamental understanding of how recycled materials behave in advanced manufacturing processes and, ultimately, make them easier for industry to adopt.
The Sapere Aude programme is awarded to researchers who are ready to establish and lead their own independent research groups. For Malekan, the grant provides an opportunity to bring together a team of researchers and pursue questions that would otherwise be difficult to investigate.
“I am both proud and grateful. The Sapere Aude grant gives me the opportunity to build my own research environment and pursue an idea that involves significant scientific risk, but also considerable potential. It is a unique opportunity to generate new knowledge that can benefit both research and industry,” he said.
The grant will help fund a postdoctoral researcher, a PhD student and a research assistant, who will work together to develop and test the new methods.
