Apple to use carbon-free aluminium from Elysis in iPhone SE (2022)

Apple has announced that it has purchased Aluminium made using carbon-free smelting technology for use in the iPhone SE. The technology creates oxygen during the smelting process instead of greenhouse gases according to the company.
Apple has invested $4.7 billion in Green bonds which have also helped kickstart the development of these low-carbon manufacturing and recycling technologies. Apple has issued three Green Bonds since 2016, investing in projects that help reduce global emissions and produce clean power.
Its first two bonds in 2016 and 2017 are fully allocated and the 2019 Green Bond is supporting 50 projects including the low-carbon aluminium technology. According to the Cupertino-based tech giant, these 50 projects will help offset 2,883,000 metric tons of C)2 emissions, install renewable energy capacity of 700 megawatts around the world and promote new research and development in recycling.

As part of this work, Apple is purchasing aluminium that it claims is the first to be the first carbon-free aluminium produced outside of a laboratory at an industrial scale. This material will be first introduced in the iPhone SE.
Montreal-based Elysis is the company behind this new smelting technology. The aluminium that apple will purchase was produced Elysis at its Industrial Research and Development Centre in Quebec, Canada, using hydropower.
“This is the first time aluminium has been produced at this commercial purity, without any greenhouse gas emission and at industrial scale. The sale to Apple confirms the market’s interest in aluminium produced using our breakthrough Elysis carbon-free smelting technology. Today’s announcement proves that Elysis, a joint venture between Alcoa and Rio Tinto, was able to turn an idea into reality,” said Vincent Chr, CEO of Elysius, in a press statement.
This large container — called a crucible — contains molten, commercial-purity aluminum tapped from the ELYSIS reactor. From there it is delivered to the ingot casting operation. (Image credit: Apple)
After being poured into a mold, the molten aluminum is skimmed for impurities, known as dross. (Image credit: Apple)
In the casting process, molten commercial-purity aluminum is poured into a mold to solidify as an ingot. (Image credit: Apple)