This Morning in Metals: Novelis unveils high-strength automotive aluminum

Novelis announces new high-strength automotive aluminum

Atlanta-based Novelis today announced it will offer a new “ultra-high-strength” automotive aluminum solution.
The product, Novelis Advanz^TM 7UHS-s701, offers “lightweighting potential of up to 40% over existing ultra-high strength, hot-formed steel solutions.”
“The s701 technology represents the future of high-strength material in automotive applications and offers a clear alternative to the most advanced high-strength steel products,” said Philippe Meyer, senior vice president and chief technology officer at Novelis. “Aluminum is already the material of choice for lightweighting, and now we are offering a solution that helps automakers design even safer, lighter and better performing vehicles.”
Stop obsessing about the actual forecasted aluminum price. It’s more important to spot the trend. 

USGS updates database entry for niobium

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has updated its database entry for the mineral niobium.
“Niobium is vital to many sectors of our infrastructure and manufacturing economy, and the United States is 100 percent reliant on other countries for it,” said Jeff Mauk, USGS lead scientist for USMIN. “Updates to our database can help weigh the potential for domestic niobium production against the need for future trade agreements.”

Niobium deposits in the US are in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Nebraska and Texas.
As the USGS notes, niobium’s primary use is in high-strength steel alloys for pipelines, transportation infrastructure and structural applications.

Aluminum surplus rises in 2020

Speaking of automotive aluminum but zooming out further, the global aluminum surplus reached 1,546 kt in 2020, the World Bureau of Metal Statistics reported.
Meanwhile, the surplus totaled 462 kt in 2019.
Furthermore, aluminum demand fell by 422 kt in 2020 compared with the previous year.
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