Alkemi Recycled Surfaces Made From Aluminum Shavings
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto 
on 05.20.08
When I first saw Alkemi recycled surface material a while back, I questioned its value, thinking that aluminum was more valuable as a recyclable material rather than cast into a countertop. I was wrong; Demir Hamami of Renewed Materials tells us that flake aluminum milling scrap burns before it melts, and has to be expensively compressed before it can be recycled, so it usually goes into landfills. Hamami casts it into a solid surface material that can replace conventional counter materials with an unusual (and attractive) appearance and high recycled content. (35% by weight, 60% by volume). Demer Hamami explains in an video below the fold.
Most of the current line is cast in polyester resin, but they are developing a new version with recycled and recyclable acrylics. More information at ::Renewed Materials. More from ICFF 2008
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