Circular A356.2: Low-Carbon Aluminum from Recycled Wheels
Same alloy. Same specification. A fraction of the carbon footprint.
Cast aluminum wheels are made almost entirely from the A356/A356.2 (AlSi7Mg) alloy. That makes an end-of-life wheel an exceptional feedstock: clean, single-chemistry scrap, low in iron and copper, that —once sorted and verified— is remelted back into A356.2. This is not "downcycling" into a lesser alloy — it is a true closed loop, from wheel to A356.2 ingot.
At Transformación Puebla we use that circularity to offer a recycled-content A356.2 with a dramatically lower carbon footprint than primary aluminum, without compromising specification: every heat is verified on our Thermo Scientific ARL 3460 spectrometer and adjusted to meet the A356.2 range (Fe ≤0.12%), with a certificate of chemical analysis on every batch.
For automakers and tier suppliers with recycled-content goals and Scope 3 reduction targets, it is the most direct way to lower the footprint of your cast aluminum parts without redesigning the component or requalifying the alloy.
Why the recycled base matters
Recycling aluminum uses roughly 5% of the energy required to produce primary aluminum from bauxite, with a proportional — order-of-magnitude — reduction in embodied CO₂ emissions. Source: International Aluminium Institute / European Aluminium. Exact figures depend on each plant’s electricity mix and process.
The closed wheel → A356.2 loop
Unlike mixed scrap, an aluminum wheel is a near-pure source of A356.2. The loop is direct:
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1 · The wheel IS A356.2
Cast aluminum wheels are poured in A356/A356.2 (AlSi7Mg) for its excellent castability, structural integrity, and response to T6 heat treatment. Recovering them starts from the right chemistry, not a mix to be corrected.
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2 · Sorting and cleaning
Material is sorted to keep a single chemistry (Al-Si-Mg), separating steel, valves, weights, and coatings. The result is clean, homogeneous scrap — not a multi-alloy jumble.
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3 · Remelting and treatment
We melt in reverberatory/rotary furnaces with fluxing, rotary nitrogen degassing, and molten-metal filtration — the same metallurgical treatment as any of our primary heats.
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4 · A356.2 verification
Every heat is analyzed by optical emission spectrometry (ARL 3460) and adjusted — with primary additions when needed — to meet the A356.2 range, including Fe ≤0.12%. Shipped with a certificate.
Benefits for your supply chain
No requalification
It is in-spec A356.2: the same alloy you already use. No part redesign, no mechanical-property revalidation — just a lower carbon footprint on the input material.
Recycled content for ESG
We document the recycled origin for your recycled-content and Scope 3 reduction reporting, increasingly required by OEMs and their audits.
Clean chemistry at source
Because it starts from wheels (a low-Fe/Cu primary casting), the recycled base keeps the purity A356.2 demands — impossible with mixed scrap.
Domestic supply
Produced in San Pedro Cholula, at the heart of the Puebla-Tlaxcala automotive cluster: less logistics, less inventory, and flexible deliveries within Mexico.
Applications
Circular A356.2 serves the same high-integrity parts as conventional A356.2, now with a low-carbon credential:
- Automotive structural and chassis components
- Aluminum wheels (closed wheel → wheel loop)
- Transmission housings, brackets, and engine parts
- Electric-vehicle components where recycled content is a purchasing criterion
- Safety-critical castings requiring T6 heat treatment
Want to lower the footprint of your aluminum parts?
Request a quote for recycled-content A356.2 with a certificate of chemical analysis and recycled-content documentation for your sustainability reporting.