TMS2025 welcomes the eighth installment of the REWAS conference series, which will focus on the Circular Economy for the Energy Transition. This unique, transdisciplinary conference covers the latest technical and societal developments enabling sustainability within our global economy with a special focus on Recycling and Waste management. This year’s conference, co-located with TMS2025, will feature five technical symposia. Browse the listing of planned symposia below.
REWAS 2025 is sponsored by the TMS Recycling & Environmental Technologies Committee
Planned REWAS 2025 Symposia
Digitalization and automation are constantly changing the scene of material processing. In this symposium, particular emphasis is given to the role of modeling approaches in improving the recycling processes. Digital approaches can enhance process control, evaluate processing parameters and the quality of final products. More specifically, the role of process models and simulation tools for the optimization and development of metallurgical processing will be explored. Particular focus will be given to monitoring minor elements. Further, modeling approaches, such as machine learning algorithms, and thermodynamic, kinetic, and multiphase modeling tools for integrating secondary sources into the production lines, will be highlighted.
With the electrification of society in general, and mobility and industry sectors in particular, the volume of discarded batteries and energy materials are rising. The pathways towards the end-of-life management of clean energy technologies are essential for the more sustainable future. These encompass, among others, design for R approaches, lifetime extension, and recycling solutions for current and future technology components. This symposium covers the key aspects and advancements in, including but not limited to: the recycling of lithium-ion batteries with a special focus on the recovery of lithium, aluminum, and graphite; recycling approaches for alternative battery chemistries and types, recycling approaches for wind turbines (REE magnets, carbon fibers, etc.) and photovoltaic systems (silicon, perovskite, etc.), as well as systemic perspectives on end-of-life management and recycling, including metrics and value chain models.
Technological and societal advancements require the use of advanced materials and the development of special alloys. Usually critical and strategic raw materials including metals, minerals, and natural materials are required. Strategic critical raw materials have economic importance, potential supply risk, complex production requirements, and a fast growth in demand. Therefore, alternative sources are exploited, often called urban mining, to satisfy the need of critical metals, to reduce the risk of supply interference, facilitate industrial symbiosis, and increase resource efficiency. This symposium seeks to highlight the exploitation of secondary sources for materials production and the utilization of those streams into production lines while meeting process and product requirements. Research focusing on understanding the fundamental mechanisms as well as the engineering aspects for the integration of secondary sources is encouraged. Special focus will be given to advanced extractive metallurgy methodologies, including sorting and separation. Presentations focusing on life cycle analysis, materials flow, and supply chain resilience analysis are encouraged.
A joint REWAS–Light Metals Division symposium, Decarbonization and Sustainability in Aluminum Primary Processing will be organized as a joint session with Aluminum Reduction Technology. This session covers decarbonization efforts across the primary and secondary industries via implementation of alternative, renewable energy sources, and the optimization of fuel consumption. Recent technologies or policies used for the purpose of reducing CO2 emissions—in particular, hydrogen reduction, inert anode smelting, and alternative sources of energy for production plants—are of interest. Beyond the technologies described, emphasis should be placed on the metrics used for the quantification of carbon reduction.
A joint REWAS–Light Metals Division symposium on Recycling and Sustainability will be organized as a joint session with Cast Shop Technology. The use of light metals in the aerospace, automotive, and packaging industries has been rising due to their outstanding properties. The importance of recycling and sustainable metal casting has risen in the last decades dramatically due to the increasing demand on primary resources and environmental concerns. Innovative solutions are needed to increase the efficiency in metal processing and treatment for complex scraps. This joint session within the Cast Shop Technology symposium explores novel and improved recycling technologies for complex scraps, mechanical and thermal pre-treatment of scraps, new recycling and refining processes, and economic and environmental impacts of recycling, including life cycle assessment.