Metal packaging provider Ball Corporation has announced a metal technology breakthrough, ReAl, that enables the use of recycled aluminum in the manufacture of extruded aluminum packaging for aerosols.
The resulting new metal alloy exhibits increased strength and allows lightweighting of the container without affecting package integrity.
Germany-based Ball says its technology breakthrough will allow the company to lightweight its extruded aluminum aerosol packaging by as much as 10%, and forecasts further lightweighting in the future.
Currently, almost all extruded aluminum aerosol packaging is made from virgin aluminum ‘slugs’ – metal disks that are impact extruded to produce packaging for everyday aerosol products.
As the world’s largest producer of aluminum slugs and of recyclable aluminum beverage cans, Ball will now use aluminum recycled from its own global beverage can operations to produce the company’s new slugs.
“This breakthrough comes after months of collaboration between our global metal technology experts and innovation teams,” says Raymond J. Seabrook, the company’s chief operating officer global packaging.
“It brings additional value to the supply chain by adding recycled aluminum from our beverage can plants into our slug manufacturing processes and by lightweighting our extruded aluminum packaging.”
Ball will begin producing cans made with ReAl slugs initially in Europe at Ball Aerocan, and has applied for patents on its ReAl packaging.
Enables the use of recycled aluminum in the manufacture of extruded aluminum packaging for aerosols ReAl, a metal lightweighting innovation from Ball