<p>A synergistic approach combining Mn modification and magnetic-controlled directional solidification (MCDS) was developed to achieve highly efficient removal of detrimental Fe impurities from Al–Si–Cu alloy. The influence of the Mn/Fe mass ratio and directional solidification (DS) pulling rate on the microstructure of the alloy, the Fe removal efficiency, and mechanical performance of the alloy was systematically evaluated. Results revealed that Mn addition not only elevated the precipitation temperature of the Fe-rich phase but also induced a phase transformation from the detrimental acicular <i>β</i>-Al₅FeSi to the fine, compact blocky <i>α</i>-Al₁₅(Fe, Mn)₃Si₂. This favorable morphological transition minimized hydrodynamic resistance, consequently accelerating the directional migration of Fe-rich phases driven by the magnetohydrodynamic vortex flow. Under optimized parameters (Mn/Fe mass ratio of 1.2 and a pulling rate of 100 <i>μ</i>m/s), the Fe content in the Al–Si–Cu alloy matrix was drastically reduced from an initial 1 to 0.15 wt pct. Subsequent mechanical tests revealed that the purified alloy achieved a tensile strength of 254 MPa and a uniform elongation of 9.8 pct, representing improvements of 33 and 1125 pct, respectively, over the original sample. This study establishes a highly efficient and promising methodology for the high-value recycling of scrap aluminum alloys.</p> Graphical Abstract