From Scrap to Powder: Recycled Materials for Additive Manufacturing

ReMAT aims to demonstrate that recycled high-strength steel scrap can become a reliable and competitive feedstock for additive manufacturing (AM). Sweden has a strong position in advanced steel recycling and AM, but these capabilities have not yet been fully connected. By integrating them, ReMAT upgrades scrap into high-value AM powders rather than downcycling it into low-value products. The project will benchmark recycled and reused powders against virgin feedstock and validate their performance across Powder Bed Fusion Laser Beam (PBF-LB), Metal Binder Jetting (MBJ), and Directed Energy Deposition (DED), enabling industry to move from cautious interest to confident adoption.

ReMAT directly supports the Swedish Metals & Minerals Programme mission by securing material supply resilience and enabling circular value chains. It reduces reliance on virgin alloys linked to fragile global supply chains by converting local scrap into high-quality feedstock (“urban mining”). Closed-loop use of all powder fractions ensures minimal waste: fine powders for MBJ, medium for PBF-LB, and coarse for DED repair. Powder reuse studies reduce material costs and emissions, extending powder lifetime and enabling repair-based circularity. Using recycled steel can reduce CO₂ emissions by 70–80% compared to virgin production, contributing to Sweden’s Net-Zero 2040 target and the UN’s Agenda 2030 Goals 9, 12, and 13.

Industry-relevant datasets, demonstrator parts, and guidelines will be produced within five years, allowing rapid integration into existing workflows without major equipment changes. Long-term, the project supports new qualification pathways, expands AM’s competitiveness in demanding applications, and strengthens Swedish leadership in sustainable metals and manufacturing.

ReMAT is carried out through two integrated workstreams:

1. Scrap-to-powder routes for AM feedstock, ensuring chemical quality and correct distribution of powder fractions to MBJ, PBF-LB, and DED.
2. Powder-reusability studies defining safe reuse limits through systematic characterization and printing trials.