Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have achieved a friction-stir technology milestone by extruding aluminum-based wire in lengths up to 15 feet. Friction-stir, which is also used in welding, is a method that uses the heat from a spinning tool to plasticize metal alloys or composites for reforming, joining or recycling. The ORNL researchers optimized the friction-stir process to extrude the unprecedented long lengths of wire through a die. Along with its energy efficiency benefits through eliminating the need to melt large quantities of metal, the method preserves properties of some solid-phase advanced materials such as oxides or electrical conductors that may otherwise be lost through melting.
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