Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
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We operate in 35 countries where our 60,000 employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs
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Continuous improvement and innovation are part of our DNA
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The need for innovation is greater than ever
We supply the metals and minerals used to help the world grow and decarbonise
Iron Ore
The primary raw material used to make steel, which is strong, long-lasting and cost-efficient
Lithium
The lightest of all metals, it is a key element needed for low-carbon technologies
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Tough but malleable, corrosion-resistant and recyclable, and an excellent conductor of heat and transmitter of electricity
Bringing to market materials critical to urbanisation and the transition to a low-carbon economy
Oyu Tolgoi
One of the most modern, safe and sustainable operations in the world
Rincon Project
A long-life, low-cost and low-carbon lithium source
Simandou Project
The world’s largest untapped high-grade iron ore deposit
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We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
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Our nature-based solutions projects complement the work we're doing to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions
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Our START™ initiative tracks traceability and responsible production of Rio Tinto materials.
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
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Our podcast discussing what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on
Refuelling the mining industry
How can we power the world’s biggest machines with new fuel solutions?
Forging a low-carbon future
How we're working to decarbonise iron ore and steel
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The brief handed to our Arvida Research and Development Centre, in Saguenay – Lac-Saint-Jean, five years ago, was a tough one: invent a stronger car wheel alloy that could cut fuel consumption, improve safety and handling and supersede an industry standard no one had bettered for more than four decades. And oh, for good measure, make the wheels at existing facilities (to keep the cost down), and also make sure they are easy to recycle.
Whew.
Technical director Jerome Fourmann explains why we set out to meet this challenge: “We wanted to offer automakers a new, innovative alloy that allowed them, through styling and design, to reduce the weight of the wheels, which is very important to improving fuel efficiency – because, in the end, people want to drive not just the safest but also the greenest and most innovative cars.”
It has been a long journey, but between our commercial team and the experts at our ARDC, we have delivered on the task and then some. The end product is a brand new and fully tested wheel alloy, fittingly called Revolution-Al™.
Revolution-Al™’s main improvement is that it is 15-20% stronger than the traditional - and less colourfully named - wheel alloy, A356.2. This translates to a 7% weight reduction and better fuel efficiency or battery range. The lighter, stronger wheels also mean better performance and handling and reduced tire wear.
Plus, when a wheel is lighter, the impact on efficiency is more dramatic than with other parts – because a lighter wheel means the car needs less energy to start moving. The strength of Revolution-Al™ means that as manufacturers increasingly look to make lighter, more fuel efficient cars, the new alloy could be used to light-weight car parts other than wheels.
And, not forgetting the last part of the challenge, Revolution-Al™ also needs less time to produce a wheel and is cast in existing facilities, thereby reducing the cost and increasing the rate of production.
Industrial product and investment director Jean-Francois Laplante says there was a fantastic feeling among the teams when they finally solved the puzzle. “The current wheel alloy has been around for a long time and now we’re coming to the market with a new way of doing things,” Jean-Francois says. “We were super excited when we saw the result.”
Revolution-Al™ is testament to our long commitment to innovation and partnership – in this case, with our customers, who helped us trial and test this new alloy.
In September 2019, we received our first order.