Finding better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our business
We operate in 35 countries where our 57,000 employees are working to find better ways to provide the materials the world needs
Our purpose in action
Continuous improvement and innovation are part of our DNA
Innovation
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
Copper
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
Providing materials the world needs in a responsible way
Climate Change
We’re targeting net zero emissions by 2050
Nature solutions
Our nature-based solutions projects complement the work we're doing to reduce our Scope 1 and 2 emissions
Decarbonisation progress update
We have a clear plan on decarbonisation - find out more about our progress in 2024
We aim to deliver superior returns to our shareholders while safeguarding the environment and meeting our obligations to wider society
Investor seminars
Our Investor seminar will be held in London on 4 December, and our Decarbonisation update on 5 December
Get the latest news, stories and updates
Things you can't live without
Our podcast discussing what needs to happen to create a sustainable future for the everyday items we have come to rely on
The 'f' word of innovation
How unlocking innovation requires a change of mindset
Reducing titanium oxide's carbon footprint
Our BlueSmelting technology could drastically reduce carbon emissions during ore processing
Discover more about life at Rio Tinto
Graduates and students
If you want to drive real change, we have just the place to do it
Empowering families with flexibility
Supporting new parents of any gender with equal access to parental leave
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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.
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As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of our Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
With the exception of the use of cookies (explained below), Rio Tinto generally does not seek to collect personal data through this website. However if you choose to provide personal data to Rio Tinto through this website (for example, by sending us an email), we will process that personal data to answer your query and if relevant, to manage our business relationship with you or your company. We won't process that personal data for other purposes except where required to meet our legal obligations or otherwise as authorised by law and notified to you.
Part 1 of this Privacy Policy contains the Rio Tinto Data Privacy Standard, which provides an overview of Rio Tinto’s approach to personal data processing. There is additional information in the appendices to the Data Privacy Standard, including information about disclosures, trans-border data transfers, the exercise of data subject rights and how to make complaints or obtain further information relating to Rio Tinto’s processing of your personal data.
If you choose to subscribe to our media releases or other communications, you can unsubscribe at any time (by following the instructions in the email or by contacting us at digital.comms@riotinto.com).
With your consent, our website uses cookies to distinguish you from other users of our website. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse our website and also allows us to improve our site.
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that we store on your browser or the hard drive of your computer if you agree. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer's hard drive.
As some data privacy laws regulate IP addresses and other information collected through the use of cookies as personal data, Rio Tinto’s processing of such personal data needs to comply with its Data Privacy Standard (see Part 1 of this Privacy Policy), and also applicable data privacy laws.
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