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Aluminum
William B. Frank, Aluminum Company of America, Alcoa Center, Pa. 15069, United States (Chaps. 1 – 9)
Warren E. Haupin, Aluminum Company of America, Alcoa Center, Pa. 15069, United States (Chaps. 1 – 9)
Robert K. Dawless, Aluminum Company of America, Alcoa Center, Pa. 15069, United States (Chap. 5)
Douglas A. Granger, Aluminum Company of America, Alcoa Center, Pa. 15069, United States (Chap. 6)
Maurice W. Wei, Aluminum Company of America, Alcoa Center, Pa. 15069, United States (Chap. 7)
Kenneth J. Calhoun, Aluminum Company of America, Alcoa Center, Pa. 15069, United States (Chap. 8)
Thomas B. Bonney, Aluminum Company of America, Alcoa Center, Pa. 15069, United States (Chap. 9)
record that fused cryolite serves as a solvent The aluminum produced by the Hall–Héroult
for aluminum oxide. Deville emerges as the process is of commercial purity. Iron and silicon
outstanding figure in aluminum technology in are the predominant impurities. Aluminum of
the period after its discovery and before com- super purity, produced by the three-layer elec-
mercialization of the Hall–Héroult process. His trolytic process, first became available in 1920
development of the chemical reduction process (see Chap. 5). The properties of this grade of
raised aluminum from a laboratory curiosity to metal have been studied extensively. Methods
a useful metal. for preparing aluminum of even higher purity
The chemical production process was fur- include zone refining, fractional crystallization,
ther refined throughout the second half of the and preparation from aluminum alkyls. Electri-
19th century and the aluminum industry grew cal resistivity at low temperatures is employed
significantly during this period. Chemical pro- as a measure of purity for high purity and super
duction of aluminum by reduction of cryolite purity aluminum. Newer methods for analysis of
or aluminum fluoride with sodium or potassium trace impurities, including activation analysis,
was also under development in the late 19th cen- have improved the sensitivity and scope of anal-
tury. The metal exhibited at the Paris Exposition yses for very pure materials. Aluminum purer
of 1889 was produced at Alliance Aluminium than 99.9999 % has been prepared and charac-
of London, probably by sodiothermic reduction terized [14].
of cryolite. Reduction methods were used into Many applications of aluminum and its alloys
the 1890s, when electrolyte production became are based upon its inherent properties of low den-
dominant. sity, high electrical and thermal conductivities,
In the late 19th century many unsuccessful high reflectivity, and great resistance to corro-
attempts were made to electrolyze aluminum sion. Pure aluminum is soft and lacks strength,
from aqueous solutions. Aluminum was first but it can be alloyed with many other elements to
prepared electrolytically by a method discovered increase strength and impart a number of useful
independently in 1854 by Deville in France properties. Alloys of aluminum are light, strong,
and Bunsen in Germany. A sodium chloride- and readily formable by many metal-working
aluminum chloride fusion was electrolyzed in a processes; they can be cast, joined, or machined
porcelain crucible using carbon electrodes. Pro- easily and accept a wide variety of finishes. The
duction based on this electrolysis of aluminum properties and processing of alloys are discussed
chloride was begun in 1975 but operation was under the keyword → Aluminum Alloys.
suspended in 1982. Development of the process
is continuing (see Section 4.5).
For a discussion of the Hall–Héroult elec- 2.1. Mechanical Properties
trolytic process, see Section 4.1.
The mechanical properties of aluminum and its
alloys are discussed under → Aluminum Al-
2. Properties of Pure Aluminum loys. Some mechanical properties of aluminum
of several purities are given in Table 1 [15].
Certain physical and chemical properties of alu-
Table 1. Mechanical properties of pure aluminum at room temper-
minum depend primarily on purity. There is no ature
generally accepted nomenclature for the degrees Purity Tensile strength Elongation in 50 mm
of purity of aluminum. The following classifica-
tion is suggested: % MPa ksi ∗ %
99.99 45 6.5 50
% Aluminum Designation 99.8 60 8.7 45
99.6 70 10.2 43
<99.5 alloy or scrap
99.5 – 99.9 commercial purity ∗ kips (1000 pounds) per square inch
99.9 – 99.99 high purity
>99.99 super purity The data are from different sources and caution
should be exercised in any direct comparison.
Difficulties occur because of problems in anal-
Aluminum 3
ysis, temper of the specimen, and test meth- unit cell. The edge length of the unit lattice
ods. However, even small amounts of impurities cube for pure aluminum is 4.049596×10−10 m
present in commercial aluminum raise the ten- at 298 K. Hence, the atomic diameter of alu-
sile strength and hardness over that of the purest minum is 2.86×10−10 m and its atomic volume
aluminum in the table. 9.999×10−6 m3 /mol. The lattice parameter is
affected only slightly by impurities.
owes its stability to the continuous film of alu- 3.3. Reactions at High Temperatures
minum oxide that rapidly grows on a nascent
aluminum surface exposed to oxygen, water, or Molten aluminum reduces many compounds
other oxidants. The molecular volume of the containing oxygen (→ Aluminothermic Pro-
oxide is about 1.3 times greater than that of cesses). These reactions are used in the man-
the aluminum consumed in the oxidation reac- ufacture of certain metals and alloys by the
tion. The surface layer, therefore, is under com- thermite reaction, which is the reaction of a
pressive stress and rapidly heals when damaged. metal oxide with aluminum to produce alu-
In dry oxygen, the surface layer attains a lim- minum oxide (Al2 O3 ) and the free metal.
iting thickness that is a function of tempera- Aluminum reduces silicates, particularly
ture. At room temperature this thickness is about glasses. The reaction can start well below the
2.5 – 3.0 nm. melting point of aluminum.
Film thickness is also a function of the
amount of water vapor present. At room temper-
ature and 100 % relative humidity, about twice as 3.4. Corrosion
much oxide is formed as in dry oxygen. In both
cases, however, the same rate laws apply. Two Atmospheric corrosion is generally electro-
film layers generally form in wet environments; chemical in nature, depending on current flow
the continuous oxide layer closest to the metal between anodic and cathodic areas. Attack is of-
surface changes to a hydroxylated film at the ten nonuniform and limited to specific areas of
solid-gas interface. At higher temperatures and the surface. The corrosion resistance of some al-
on aluminum alloys, especially those contain- loy sheet can be improved by cladding the sheet
ing magnesium and copper, more complex film with a thin layer of unalloyed aluminum; how-
structures develop, and oxide growth no longer ever, the aluminum must be anodic to the base
can be described by simple time laws [16]. metal. Aluminum performs poorly in direct con-
tact with more noble metals in the presence of
an electrolyte; galvanic attack of aluminum may
3.2. Reactions with Aqueous Solutions take place near the contact area.
and a higher level of hydrogen is retained in the was first found. With the development of a pro-
metal. In solid aluminum, hydrogen in excess of cess to produce pure aluminum oxide from this
the solution limit can precipitate as H2 at grain abundant ore, the technology was then complete
boundaries, thus lowering the hydrogen ion con- to spur rapid growth of the aluminum industry in
centration and in turn further facilitating the dif- Europe and North America in the last decade of
fusion of hydrogen ions from the interface into the 19th century. The increase in the production
the metal. of primary aluminum during the past hundred
years is shown in Figure 2 [19].
4. Production
The only method now used industrially to pro-
duce primary aluminum is the Hall–Héroult pro-
cess. Production of aluminum before its devel-
opment was discussed previously in this arti-
cle. Alternate means of producing aluminum are
treated in Section 4.5.
500 ◦ C requires calcining at about 1200 ◦ C to re- (0 – 5 %) and magnesium fluoride [7783-40-6]
move volatile constituents and increase its den- (0 – 5 %). These additives lower operating tem-
sity before it is blended into the anode mix. Af- perature and increase current efficiency.
ter calcination, the coke is ground and mixed The mineral cryolite is the double fluoride
with crushed spent anodes and sufficient coal- of sodium and aluminum and has a stoichiome-
tar pitch to allow molding into anode blocks try very near the formula Na3 AlF6 and a melting
by pressing or by vibrating. They are baked at point of about 1010 ◦ C. It has been found in sub-
1000 – 1200 ◦ C, causing the pitch to carbonize, stantial quantities only in Greenland, and was
forming strong carbon blocks. These blocks are mined extensively there in the early 20th century
made with one or more sockets into each of but now is essentially exhausted. Synthetic cry-
which is fastened a steel stub by pouring cast olite can be produced by reacting hydrofluoric
iron around it. These stubs both conduct electric acid with an alkaline sodium aluminate solution:
current into the anode and support the anodes in
the cell. The cost of prebaked carbon anodes in 6 HF + 2 NaOH + NaAlO2 → Na3 AlF6 + 4 H2 O
the United States was about $ 0.40/kg ($ 0.15/
pound) in 1983. Cryolite also can be recovered from used pot lin-
Anthracite has been the major constituent in ings. The lining is crushed and treated with dilute
the cell cathode blocks, although graphite and sodium hydroxide solution to dissolve fluorides.
metallurgical coke have been used to some ex- After being filtered, the solution is neutralized
tent. The anthracite is calcined at 1200 ◦ C or with carbon dioxide to precipitate the cryolite.
higher, crushed and sized, mixed with coal-tar Cryolite is produced directly in reduction
pitch, molded into blocks, and baked. These cells by reaction of the soda impurity in the
blocks, mortared together with a carbonaceous feed alumina with added aluminum fluoride
seam mix, form the pot lining, which is the con- (→ Fluorine Compounds, Inorganic):
tainer for both the aluminum and the electrolyte.
3 Na2 O + 4 AlF3 → 2 Na3 AlF6 + Al2 O3 (1)
High purity is not as important for the cathode
blocks because leaching of impurities is very Electrolyte generated by the above reaction
slow. Consumption of cathode carbon amounts must be tapped from the cells periodically. In
to 0.02 – 0.04 kg of carbon per kilogram of alu- modern smelters with dry scrubbing equipment
minum produced. The life of a pot (typically for fume treatment and cell lives greater than 3
2 – 6 years) generally is terminated by failure years, cryolite is a byproduct rather than a raw
of the carbon pot lining. material in producing aluminum.
Synthetic cryolite could be purchased in the
Aluminum Oxide. Depending on its purity United States for $ 500 – 600/t in 1983.
and losses in handling, 1.90 – 1.95 kg of alumina
are consumed in producing 1 kg of aluminum.
Aluminum Fluoride. Aluminum fluoride,
The cost of alumina at United States smelt-
AlF3 [7784-18-1], may comprise as much as
ing facilities was $ 0.20 – 0.26/kg ($ 0.09 – 0.12/
15 wt% of the electrolyte in excess of the amount
pound) in 1983. The preparation of metallurgi-
represented by the cryolite composition. Alu-
cal alumina and its required physical and chemi-
minum fluoride is consumed during normal
cal properties are discussed under → Aluminum
operation by three major mechanisms. First,
Oxide.
losses of aluminum fluoride by vaporization are
appreciable; the most volatile species present in
Electrolyte Materials. The electrolyte for
the electrolyte is sodium tetrafluoroaluminate
electrowinning aluminum is basically a solution
[13821-15-3], NaAlF4 , having a partial pres-
of aluminum oxide in cryolite [15096-52-3]. The
sure of 200 – 600 Pa over the operating melt,
presence of cryolite is essential for dissolution of
depending on composition and temperature
alumina. Cryolite usually comprises more than
(→ Fluorine Compounds, Inorganic). Second,
75 % of the electrolyte which typically also
aluminum fluoride is depleted by hydrolysis:
contains calcium fluoride (4 – 8 %), excess alu-
minum fluoride (5 – 15 %), alumina (1 – 6 %),
2 AlF3 + 3 H2 O → Al2 O3 + 6 HF
and sometimes lithium fluoride [7789-24-4]
8 Aluminum
4.3.1. Electrolyte
acts as a Lewis acid with sodium fluoride acting of compositions and temperatures used indus-
as a Lewis base. Neutrality has been defined ar- trially. Bowman [25], using cyclic voltamme-
bitrarily as a molar ratio of sodium fluoride to try, stationary electrode polarography, differen-
aluminum fluoride of 3 : 1. Control of electrolyte tial pulse polarography, and chronopotentiome-
acidity or the NaF : AlF3 molar ratio, referred try, found evidence only for a reversible three-
to as the cryolite ratio (Rc ), is of importance electron transfer process. There was no evidence
to cell operation. Lithium fluoride is a slightly for a chemical reaction, either preceding or fol-
weaker Lewis base than sodium fluoride. Mag- lowing the electron-transfer process. This ruled
nesium fluoride and calcium fluoride are weak out discharge of sodium at low activity followed
Lewis acids. by a chemical reaction to form aluminum, and
also eliminated dissociation of the [AlF6 ]3− or
Ionic Structure of the Melt. There is gen- [AlF4 ]− to form Al3+ and F− ions in the dou-
eral agreement that molten cryolite is completely ble layer preceding charge transfer. Rolin, et al.
ionized to sodium ions and hexafluoroaluminate [26] believed this latter process does take place.
ions: If so, dissociation must be too rapid to be de-
tected by Bowman’s techniques.
Na3 AlF6 → 3 Na+ + [AlF6 ]3− The cathode overvoltage can be represented
by [27]:
Also it is well established that the hexafluoroa-
luminate ion dissociates further: ηcc = [RT (1.375 − 0.125Rc ) / (1.5F )] ln (i/0.257)
(2)
where R is the gas constant, T is the temper-
[AlF6 ]3− → [AlF4 ]− + 2 F− ature (K), Rc is the mole ratio NaF : AlF3 , F
At Rc = 3, [AlF6 ]3− is about 30 % dissociated is the Faraday constant, and i is the electrode’s
[23]. Raman spectroscopy has showed that the current density (in A/cm2 ). Although this re-
dissociation increases with decreasing cryolite lationship mathematically looks like activation
ratio to complete dissociation at Rc = 1 [24]. overvoltage, actually the cathode overvoltage is
The nature of the species formed when alu- caused by an increase in the NaF : AlF3 ra-
mina is added is not so well established. Com- tio at the aluminum surface [28]. Sodium ions
bination of the results of cryoscopic measure- carry the current while complex aluminum an-
ments, Raman spectrographic data, and equilib- ions discharge. This requires a diffusional flux
rium studies and vapor pressure measurements of [AlF6 ]3− and [AlF4 ]− ions to the cathode in-
(reviewed in [23]) leads to the conclusion that terface with a similar diffusional flux of Na+
[Al2 O2 F4 ]2− and [Al2 OF6 ]2− are the two ma- and F− ions away from the interface. Using
jor oxygen-containing ions in the melt. Possible Fick’s first law, the resulting concentration gra-
reactions for their formation are: dients were calculated and good agreement was
found between the measured overvoltages and
2 Al2 O3 + 2 [AlF6 ]3− → 3 [Al2 O2 F4 ]2−
the electromotive forces between the two alu-
minum half-cells, one containing electrolyte of
the bulk composition and the other, electrolyte
Al2 O3 + 4 [AlF6 ]3− → 3 [Al2 OF6 ]2− + 6 F−
corresponding to the calculated interfacial com-
position.
However, based on either net carbon consump- C∗O− (surf) → C∗O (surf) + e−
tion or the volume of gas produced, the pri-
mary anode product is essentially all CO2 . The The activated complex converts very slowly to
high anodic overvoltage implies that reaction ki- CO (g) through an adsorbed (ads) intermediate:
netics cause this surprising displacement from
thermodynamic equilibrium. Rotating disk [29] C∗O(surf) → CO (ads) slow
and impedance [30] measurements indicate that
there is a small diffusional overvoltage, probably CO(ads) → CO (g) slow
caused by reaction within the pores of the elec- Carbon burning in pure oxygen at 940 – 970 ◦ C
trode. Using the general treatment for hetero- has a combustion rate equivalent to between 0.1
geneous reaction control [31], overvoltage data and 0.2 mA/cm2 . One would expect this reaction
can be expressed by the relationship: to proceed at a similarly slow rate. As available
surface sites become covered with C∗O, oxygen
ηSA = (vRT /pnF ) ln i/i0 (3)
is deposed at higher energy (overvoltage) onto a
where v is the number of executions of rate- carbon site already bonded to oxygen, producing
controlling steps to produce one overall step, p unstable [C∗O2 ]− , which breaks carbon to car-
is the reaction order, n is the number of electrons bon bonds almost immediately as it is formed:
transferred in one overall step, and i0 is the reac-
tion limiting current density. The reaction order, C∗O (surf) + O2− → [C∗O2 ]− (surf) + e−
p = 0.57, was found from measurements of over-
voltage versus current density [32]. In industrial [C∗O2 ]− (surf) → CO2 (ads) + e−
practice, the reaction order ranges from 0.4 to
0.6, varying with carbon reactivity and porosity. CO2 (ads) → CO2 (g)
The reaction-limiting current density, i0 , goes The adsorbed CO2 quickly desorbs as CO2 (g).
from 0.0039 to 0.0085 A/cm2 as alumina con- This mechanism explains both the high anodic
centration varies from 2 to 8 wt %. The reaction overvoltage and the primary production of CO2
order also has been determined [32] from the instead of the thermodynamically favored CO.
rate of change of the limiting current with re- When there is insufficient alumina in the
active species concentration and a similar value electrolyte, the cell experiences a phenomenon
obtained: called anode effect. Bubbles grow larger and
dlni0 larger on the anode until the electrolyte no longer
p= = 0.56 (4) wets the anode. With a constant potential the
dlncAl2 O3
current falls to a low value; but with the con-
Measurements [33] of the ordinary combustion stant current source used industrially, the cell
of graphite have shown that when oxygen reacts potential rises to 30 V. Current then penetrates
both in pores and on the surface, a chemical reac- the gas film by a multitude of small electric
tion of approximately half-order results. Linear arcs or sparks. The gas produced at the anode
sweep voltammograms showed voltage peaks changes from CO2 to CO, with significant quan-
with increasing current density corresponding tities (3 – 25 %) of CF4 and minor amounts of
to discharge of CO2 , COF2 , and CF4 [34]. C2 F6 generated. Fluorocarbon compounds most
The following anode reaction mechanism is likely deposit on the surface of the anode and
consistent with these observations. Oxyfluoride trigger the anode effect. As alumina is depleted,
ions dissociate within the double layer to oxygen anode overvoltage increases. At about 1.2 V an-
ions: ode overpotential, sufficient thermodynamic ac-
tivity of fluorine is produced to cause fluorine
[Al2 O2 F4 ]2− → O2− + Al2 OF4
to bond to the carbon. Even though these low-
Al2 OF4 + [Al2 OF6 ]2− [Al2 O2 F4 ]2− + 2 AlF3
surface-energy carbon-fluorine compounds de-
compose on the surface to CF4 and C2 F6 at cell
Oxygen ions discharge upon the carbon surface temperature, their rate of formation can exceed
(surf) forming an activated complex, CO: the rate of thermal decomposition, producing
C (surf) + O2− → C∗O− (surf) + e− high coverage. Once the cell is on anode effect,
12 Aluminum
restoring the alumina concentration is not suf- diffusion of dissolved metal through the bound-
ficient to return it to normal operation. The gas ary layer at the metal-electrolyte interface. How-
film must be broken by splashing aluminum, by ever, ref. [35] indicates mixed control with diffu-
interrupting the current momentarily, or by low- sion at both the aluminum-electrolyte interface
ering the anodes to expose new areas not con- and the bubble-electrolyte interface being im-
taminated with fluorine. portant.
There are several mechanisms accounting for
additional minor losses in current efficiency.
4.3.3. Current Efficiency New cell linings absorb sodium, with Equa-
tion (4) maintaining an equilibrium activity of
According to Faraday’s law, 1 kA h of elec- sodium. Fortunately, the lining saturates early
tric current should produce 0.3356 kg of alu- in the cell’s life but until this occurs, current
minum, but only 85 – 95 % of this amount is ob- efficiency is low. When a metal dissolves in a
tained. The principal loss mechanism is recom- molten salt it usually imparts electronic conduc-
bination of anodic and cathodic products. Re- tivity to the melt, thereby lowering current ef-
duced species go into solution in the electrolyte ficiency. Some investigators have found a small
at the aluminum-electrolyte interface (Fig. 8). electronic conductance for cryolite-base melts
Disagreement exists over whether the dissolved but others have not. Such elements as phospho-
species is metallic sodium, monovalent alu- rus and vanadium, which can be reduced par-
minum, subvalent sodium, colloidal aluminum, tially at the cathode and then reoxidized at the
or a combination of these species. Equation (4) anode, lower efficiency.
produces a thermodynamic activity of sodium
in the melt, whereas Equation (5) produces an
activity of aluminum monofluoride. 4.3.4. Cell Voltage
Al(l) + 3 NaF(soln) 3 Na(soln) + AlF3 (soln) (4) The voltage of a Hall–Héroult cell is made up of
a number of components:
2 Al(l) + AlF3 (soln) 3 AlF(soln) (5) Ecell = E 0 + ηCA + ηCC + ηSA + ηSC
−I (RA + RB + RC + RX )
where E 0 is the thermodynamic equilibrium
voltage described under Thermodynamic Con-
siderations (Section 4.4); η CA is the concentra-
tion overpotential at the anode; η SA is the surface
overpotential at the anode described by Equa-
tion (3); ηCC is the concentration overpotential
at the cathode described by Equation (2); η SC
is the surface overpotential at the cathode, gen-
erally negligible; I is the total cell current; RA
is the electrical resistance of the anodes or an-
ode; RB is the effective resistance of the bath,
allowing for fanning out of current as it flows
from anode to cathode and the increased bath re-
sistivity caused by gas bubbles (for details, see
Figure 8. Current efficiency loss by metal reoxidation
[27]); RC is the cathode resistance; and RX is
Metal going into solution must first diffuse the resistance external to the cell but included in
through the metal-electrolyte boundary layer calculating power consumption. The anode con-
(Fig. 8). The metal is then transported by con- centration overpotential can be calculated by:
vection to the vicinity of the anode. Here it reacts
ηCA = (RT /2F ) ln [ic / (ic −i)] (5)
with carbon dioxide. Chemical reactions appear
to be fast compared to mass transport. The rate- The quantity ic is the concentration-limited
controlling step was previously assumed to be current density and it varies between 1.0±
Aluminum 13
1930 – 2030 ◦ C, which then reacts with alumina produce an aluminum-silicon alloy was found
to produce aluminum and carbon monoxide at to be infeasible because of severe bridging and
2030 – 2130 ◦ C [42]. interruption of the burden movement caused by
Better yields result from adding to the furnace total reflux of Al, Al2 O, and SiO vapors [44],
a metal (or a metal oxide that is subsequently re- [45]. Addition of iron improved operation but
duced to a metal), such as iron, silicon, or copper, required an improved technique for extracting
to alloy with the aluminum and lower its vapor the aluminum from the dilute aluminum alloy.
pressure. Of course it is then necessary to extract An alloy having higher aluminum content could
the aluminum from the alloy. In principle this be obtained if a significant portion of the process
can be accomplished by electrolytic refining, by energy was supplied by electrical power [46].
fractional crystallization, or by monohalide dis- Japanese researchers are continuing to explore
tillation. In the latter process the aluminum ex- the aluminum blast furnace concept aiming for a
traction takes place at 1000 – 1400 ◦ C: low-silicon, high-iron alloy [47]. This improves
the blast furnace efficiency but complicates ex-
AlCl3 + 2 Al(alloy) → 3 AlCl(g) traction of aluminum from the alloy. They pro-
The AlCl gas is transported to a cooler zone, pose to overcome this difficulty by extracting the
600 – 800 ◦ C, where pure aluminum is formed: aluminum with lead [48].
In 1976 Alcoa described a smelting pro-
3 AlCl(g) → 2 Al(pure) + AlCl3 cess wherein aluminum chloride, dissolved in
a molten sodium chloride-lithium chloride elec-
These combined processes to date have proved trolyte, was electrolyzed in a bipolar electrode
noncompetitive. Selective solution of aluminum cell to produce aluminum and chlorine. The
from the alloy by using a volatile metal, such as chlorine was recycled to a fluid-bed chemi-
mercury, lead, bismuth, cadmium, magnesium, cal reactor, where it reacted with alumina, py-
or zinc, has been investigated. Following extrac- rolytically coated with carbon from fuel oil,
tion, the volatile metal is distilled, leaving pure to produce aluminum chloride, carbon dioxide,
aluminum. If FeAl3 , TiAl3 , or Al4 C3 is formed, and carbon monoxide. This reaction was highly
neither electrolysis nor volatile metal extraction exothermic. The aluminum chloride was desub-
will remove the aluminum from the compound. limed to separate it from the gas and recycled
The aluminum vapor pressure can be low- to the cell to produce more aluminum and chlo-
ered also by alloying the aluminum with alu- rine. This process required 30 % less electrical
minum carbide. Over 40 wt % aluminum carbide power than their best Hall–Héroult cells. Be-
is soluble in aluminum at 2200 ◦ C [43]. This ob- cause the entire process is a closed system, it
servation led to a process in which an alloy of is also environmentally more attractive than the
aluminum and aluminum carbide was produced Hall–Héroult process. Problems with the chem-
at 2400 ◦ C. When this alloy was tapped from ical plant and low demand for aluminum caused
the furnace and allowed to cool slowly, the alu- the pilot plant to be shut down temporarily in
minum carbide crystallized into an open lattice, 1982. Research on the plant was continuing in
the interstices of which were filled with pure 1984.
aluminum. Pure aluminum was then removed
either by leaching with molten chloride fluxes
or by vacuum distillation. The aluminum car- 5. Producing High-Purity Aluminum
bide residue was recycled to the arc furnace. Al-
ternately, the aluminum carbide could be dis- The Hall–Héroult process has produced alu-
tilled destructively above 2200 ◦ C to produce minum with a purity as great as 99.95 %. Other
aluminum and a residue of pure graphite. techniques, such as electrolytic refining or frac-
In a joint project with the U.S. Department tional crystallization, are required to produce
of Energy concluded in 1983, Alcoa investi- purer metal. Alcoa developed a three-layer elec-
gated producing aluminum-silicon alloy car- trolytic aluminum-refining cell in the 1920s.
bothermally in a blast furnace. The required high Copper was added to the bottom layer of im-
temperature was obtained by using a pure oxy- pure aluminum to increase its density above that
gen blast. Using a low-pressure blast furnace to
16 Aluminum
7. Environmental Protection
In the primary production of aluminum there are
three principal areas of environmental concern:
air emissions, wastewater discharges, and solid
waste. In the early years of the aluminum in-
dustry, most of the effort was directed toward
controlling fluoride emission from the cells. The
technology for fluoride control is now well es-
tablished throughout the industry. Other signifi-
Figure 12. Casting machine for the production of open- cant air emission sources exist in the anode pro-
mold remelt ingot (courtesy Gautschi Electrofours SA) duction process.
Wastewater effluent usually is not a major
The larger sizes of unalloyed remelt ingot problem, except in those plants where wet pro-
may be cast on semicontinuous DC (direct cesses are still used to scrub the air emissions
chill) casting equipment (→ Aluminum Alloys, from the cells and anode baking furnaces.
Chap. 3.2.) with a “T” cross section for ease of Cathode linings in aluminum cells are re-
handling and stacking. This ingot usually is cut moved when lining failure occurs and large
into lengths weighing approximately 340 kg. amounts of this material, called spent pot lin-
Primary metal producers also make remelt in- ing, must be discarded. Historically, spent pot
got, which is prealloyed for the foundry indus- lining has been stockpiled or used as landfill.
try. This is known as foundry ingot and generally However, the aluminum industry still needs to
is alloyed so that its composition lies within the find disposal methods that also can provide for
limits of the alloy desired in the final shaped cast- the recovery of raw materials.
ing ( → Aluminum Alloys). Foundry ingot may
be cast into open molds or continuously cast, cut
to length, and stacked (Fig. 13). The most com- 7.1. Air Emission
mon masses for this ingot, which is remelted
in furnaces smaller than those used by wrought Cell Room Emission. Atmospheric emis-
alloy producers, are approximately 14 kg and sions produced by an aluminum cell consist of
22 kg. The general practice, where applicable, is particulate and gaseous fluoride (predominately
to premodify and grain refine this foundry ingot. HF), alumina, carbon dust, sulfur dioxide, car-
Also the molten metal is filtered and fluxed in a bon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. Typical
manner similar to that employed for wrought al- values for total fluorides generated by the cell
loy ingot in order to insure optimum metal qual- related to aluminum production range from 20
ity for the foundry user. to 30 kg/t. Approximately the same amounts of
alumina and carbon dusts also are produced.
Sulfur dioxide varies according to the sulfur
18 Aluminum
content of the coke used to prepare the anodes, Control Systems for Anode Baking Fur-
whereas carbon monoxide emissions generally naces. The control systems for the baking fur-
are less than 30×10−6 parts by volume. nace emissionsare similar to those described for
the cell, with both wet and dry systems being
Control of Cell Emissions. To control cell utilized. Fluidized alumina beds and alumina in-
emissions, each cell is equipped with a closely jection systems are used to control gaseous fluo-
fitted hood to collect the evolved gases, which rides and hydrocarbons from most new furnaces.
are then ducted to pollution-control equipment. A major difference, however, is the need to cool
After air dilution the cell gas temperature ranges the baking furnace gas in order to condense the
from 85 to 125 ◦ C, depending on the ambi- hydrocarbons so that they can be extracted by
ent temperature. Both wet and dry systems are the dusts on the bag filter.
employed to treat cell gas. Some of the older
smelters use a combination of electrostatic pre-
cipitators for solids removal following by spray 7.2. Wastewater Discharge
towers for removing hydrogen fluoride gas and
some sulfur dioxide. Wet precipitators also are Fume Collection Systems. Wastewater
quite effective for collecting both gaseous and generation has been reduced drastically with
particulate fluorides; some sulfur dioxide also the development of dry systems for controlling
may be collected by wet precipitators. emissions. Some older facilities still rely on wet
Because of inherent disadvantages in wet sys- collection devices, which result in a wastewater
tems, not the least of which is potential water stream contaminated with acid, fluoride, and
pollution, new smelters employ dry scrubbers organic material. Conventional treatment in-
for controlling cell emission. A dry scrubber volves addition of lime and prolonged retention
uses either a fluidized bed or direct injection of times (12 h to several days) for neutralization
metal-grade alumina into the gas stream to re- and removal of the calcium fluoride precipi-
move the hydrogen fluoride gas by sorption. The tate and a significant portion of the dissolved
larger the specific surface area of the alumina, organic compounds, e.g., benz[a]anthracene,
the greater is its sorptive capacity for hydrogen benzofluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene, chrysene,
fluoride. and phenanthrene. At least 98 % of these can
The alumina usually is recovered from the gas be removed by biologic treatment in a facul-
stream by a fabric filter, which also removes the tative lagoon that employs aerobic as well as
other entrained particulate species. Dry scrub- anaerobic bacteria. Partial decomposition of the
ber efficiencies are generally greater than 98 % organic material occurs in the anaerobic bottom
for both the gaseous fluoride and the particulate layer, whereas the aerobic bacteria present in the
matter. Dry scrubbers are considered to be state upper levels complete the degradation process.
of the art control technology. The aluminum flu- Other organic removal mechanisms in the fac-
oride that is recycled to the cells represents a ultative lagoon include skimming, adsorption,
significant material recovery value. and sedimentation.
Sodium hydroxide and alum are used in place
Emissions from Anode Preparation. In of lime for fluoride removal at some plants. This
the production of anodes, coke dust and pitch treatment creates a fluoride sludge that, after dry-
fumes are generated at the mixers and at the an- ing, can be used as a cryolite replacement in the
ode forming equipment. These emissions must aluminum cell.
be exhausted from the work area for worker
protection. Pot Wash Water. After failure of a cathode
Pitch fumes, coke dusts, and fluorides are lining, most of the metal and bath are tapped
the chief pollutants in the waste gases from from the cell and materials remaining within the
the anode baking furnaces. In most countries, shell are removed. This “pot digging” operation
limits are established for aluminum fluorides can be done either “wet” or “dry”. In “wet dig-
(0.05 kg per ton of aluminum) and particulate ging,” water is applied to the pot to shock ther-
(dust) emissions, or opacity limits are set in lieu mally and to fracture the bath, metal, and lining
of particulate limitations. material that remain in the pot.
Aluminum 19
The best approach to handling pot wash water utilizing these valuable components. Potential
is to minimize the amount of wastewater gener- applications for spent pot lining include recov-
ated through good management practices during ery and reuse of the fluoride and carbon con-
the soaking operation. Excess water is collected stituents, use as a flux material in the steel in-
in a sump and used as makeup to the next pot dustry, use as a supplemental fuel by cement
brought in for relining. Under no circumstances manufacturers, and use as fuel in fluidized-bed
is this water discharged to a receiving stream boilers.
because it may contain cyanide (10 – 200 mg/L
total CN− ) and fluoride (100 – 600 mg/L).
7.4. Regulatory Requirements
Plant Runoff. Although aluminum smelting
is a dry process, some water is required for ser- Regulatory limits throughout the world have
vices, such as boiler makeup, various equip- been summarized in an International Primary
ment cooling needs, and area wash water. A Aluminium Institute publication [51]. In the
major source of wastewater at a smelting plant United States new carbon bake furnace emis-
is stormwater runoff. Although intermittent, the sions are limited to 20 % opacity and the total
contaminant loading is significant if efforts are fluoride as a function of aluminum produced is
not made to keep courtyards relatively free of set at 0.05 kg/t. New potroom emissions are lim-
dust and to protect spent pot linings from the ited to 10 % opacity and 0.95 kg/t total fluoride.
elements. To minimize the environmental im- The effluent limitation guidelines are presently
pact of storm water and the other miscella- being revised with emphasis on control of toxic
neous flows, many primary aluminum plants pollutants.
direct their storm sewers through an equaliza-
tion/holding basin before discharge. This basin
is designed to remove suspended solids and 8. Economic Aspects
floating matter (oil and grease) and also to equal-
ize the fluoride concentration. The geographic distribution of primary alu-
minum production has undergone important
changes in the past decade or so. Table 6 shows
7.3. Solid Waste production figures in 1972 and 1982 for several
major countries and the shares of the Western
The material removed from the pot after liner World they represent.
failure is referred to as spent pot lining and rep-
resents the largest volume of solid waste asso- Table 6. Primary aluminum production for selected countries and
share of Western World total (×103 t/a)
ciated with the smelting process. Over 3×105 t
of spent pot linings were estimated to have been 1972 1982
components in the production of aluminum for with the smelting facility. This helped promote
pre- and post-oil embargo periods. the trading of aluminum on the London Metal
Exchange, and on the aluminum contract on the
Table 7. Cost breakdown for primary aluminum production for an
average smelter in the Western World (%) New York Commodities Exchange.
The creation of a terminal market has accel-
Pre-1973 Post-1980
erated the development of unalloyed aluminum
Alumina 35 30 as a commodity product, with the price volatility
Power 15 30
Labor 20 15
that commodity status entails.
Miscellaneous 30 25
sults in pain and an increased incidence of bone Subsequent investigation demonstrated the pres-
fractures. ence of silica in these fumes [78]. Silica gener-
Although aluminum has been implicated as ally is accepted today as the principal cause.
being associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a The American Conference of Governmental
condition of premature senility [65], [66], the Industrial Hygienists continues to recommend
evidence to date suggests that it is not causal. a 10 mg/m3 TLV for aluminum metal and alu-
Aluminum’s role, if it plays a part at all, appears mina dust, the same as for nuisance or biolog-
to be secondary to some unknown primary agent ically inert materials [79]. They also have es-
[67], [68]. tablished a lower limit applicable to aluminum
With a few exceptions, most of the litera- pyro powders and aluminum welding fumes,
ture dealing with inhalation exposures of hu- 5 mg/m3 . This concentration is consistent with
mans and experimental animals to aluminum limits for nuisance materials with particle sizes
and its compounds shows these materials to be in the respirable range. Health regulatory agen-
relatively innocuous. However, there are reports cies in Australia, the Federal Republic of Ger-
contending that aluminum and aluminum oxide many, the Netherlands, Sweden, and many other
dusts are fibrogenic. A critical examination of countries consider aluminum oxide dusts to be
the original references reveals that the evidence nuisance particulates [80]. No MAK values have
for this contention is inconsistent and mitigated been set.
by compounding variables.
Cases of pulmonary fibrosis attributed to alu-
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technical and economic developments in
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aluminum production. All published literature,
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