
Caustic soda may not be the most visible ingredient in aluminium production, but without it, the journey from bauxite to alumina would look very different. The chemical, also known as sodium hydroxide, is a crucial reagent in the Bayer process, where it helps dissolve alumina-bearing material in bauxite and separate it from impurities. The dissolved material is then processed to recover alumina, which ultimately feeds aluminium production. That makes caustic soda more than just another industrial chemical. Its availability, price and efficient use can influence the economics of alumina refining and, by extension, the wider aluminium value chain. As India expands its alumina and aluminium capacity, the requirement for this chemical is also becoming increasingly important. For companies...
The Ball Foundation and SKILLED Nation have extended their scholarship partnership for a third year, with 60 students set to receive $2,500 awards in 2026. The Ball Foundation and SKILLED Nation have extended their scholarship partnership for a third year, bringing the foundation’s cumulative investment in the program to $300,000. Through the Ball Foundation SKILLED Scholarship, another 60 students will receive $2,500 awards in 2026 to support education and training for careers in advanced manufacturing and other technical fields. More than 100 scholarships will have been supported over the three years of the partnership. “Three years and $300,000 reflect The Ball Foundation’s sustained commitment to creating real opportunities for students pursuing skilled careers,” said Alvin Townley,...
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Tumi, the manufacturer of high-end luggage and travel bags, is advertising its Fall 2023 collection with a pop-up shop from 3 to 15 July at Seoul's Lotte World Mall Atrium (1F). The Fall 2023 Essentially Beautiful Pop-Up has a sculptural façade inspired by the forms of Tumi's 19 Degree Aluminium briefcase and a series of installations exhibiting Tumi's Hypercraft design concept's creative and cultural world. Son Heung-min, a well-known South Korean player, teamed with the business to develop a locker-inspired display that contained souvenirs and individually autographed merchandise. The experience is the season's unique launch, pulling inspiration from the shapes and workmanship of the travel and leisure brand's 19 Degree 'hard side' baggage. The store's design incorporates contemporary...

Brecon residents will soon be rewarded for recycling, thanks to introducing Brecon's unique Scan|Recycle|Reward recycling scheme which will be launched on July 13. It joins a slew of other nations, notably several in Europe, that already provide monetary incentives for specific forms of recycling. The recycling program will accept soft drinks in aluminium and steel cans (50ml to 3l containers only), PET plastic bottles, etc. The 12-week study, run by the Digital Deposit Return Scheme Alliance in collaboration with the Welsh Government, Powys County Council, and local shops, will examine how digital technology may promote increased recycling in Brecon. The Scan|Recycle|Reward experiment will begin this month, with welcome kits coming in the mail on July 13 for Brecon residents. "This trial...

On Monday, July 10, Hulamin employees downed their tools and went on strike outside the aluminium products firm over concerns they claim have been unresolved since 2014. The workers picketed outside the Hulamin Aluminium's many entrances and outside the main gate about difficulties with their medical assistance subsidisation and retirement fund benefits. A shop steward employee and National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa trade union (Numsa) member who requested anonymity stated they could not agree with their employee and opted to strike. The workers stated that they want to be treated fairly, just like the [administration] employees. During the pandemic period the employees had referred the matter of medical aid to the bargaining council for further help. “We don’t want equal, as...

Emeco USA has released a new collection called Birds by Yun Li. The collection consists of three birds made from recycled aluminium: a blackbird, a sparrow, and a pigeon. Emeco is well-known for its approach to using recycled materials, including its iconic 1006 Navy Chair and new designs by various designers such as Naoto Fukasawa, Jasper Morrison, Sam Hecht and Kim Colin. The brand is always evolving creatively, led by owner Gregg Buchbinder. The artist Yun Li exclaimed: "To thank Jasper Morrison for supervising my diploma project, I gifted him one of the prototypes of the birds I had made. I didn't expect him to appreciate my gift so much that he showed it to Emeco's owner Gregg Buchbinder." "Thanks to Jasper and Gregg's support, my little side project has evolved into an actual...

Headquartered in Perth, South32, the mining and metals company has been working on an ambitious project in the Hillside Smelter to decrease GTC stack Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) emissions to 0,5 mg/Nm³ by April 2025 to meet new environmental regulations. Following the installation of the first Alumina Cascade Feeding System on one Gas Treatment Centre (GTC) earlier this year, fives has reaffirmed its plan to deploy the solution on four other GTCs, as well as to convert its VIBRAIR pocket filters into Extended Surface Bags. Incorporating the now-famous technology of the "Extended Surface Bag" into GTC has several benefits, including increased filtering surface, increased pollution treatment capacity, decreased system pressure drop, and decreased HF stack emissions. At the start of the year,...

The metal industry around the world, including aluminium, is looking forward to the much-awaited upcoming event UK Metals Expo 2023 , to be held on September 13-14, 2023, at the NEC Birmingham. It is a one-of-a-kind annual event that brings the entire metal supply chain together under one roof. From primary metal manufacturers to technology/solution providers, this event opens its door for all. This UK’s premiere event is ideal for exploring a diverse range of cutting-edge metal products, discovering the latest innovations in metal manufacturing, learning about new technology, and networking with leading metal producers, stockholders and distributors. In 2023, the list of exhibitors includes Alutrade Aluminium Recycling, ALFED Aluminium Federation, Hydro, Hitachi, Innoval, UK Metals...

Recycling is an essential part of the aluminium industry, which is both viable and sensible economically, technically and ecologically. In the present scenario, where the world is buzzing with challenges such as a rising global population, increased carbon emissions, greater energy costs, and limited feedstock, recycling is emerging as a need rather than a source of worry. Fortunately, aluminium is a 100 per cent recyclable metal, and its intrinsic purity is unaffected by recycling. Aluminium recycling promotes the twin ideals of sustainability and stewardship, which encourage responsible and conscientious resource usage and require producers to accept responsibility for a product's environmental, health, and safety implications. Recycled aluminium usage worldwide increased from 26...

A first day full of novelties is taking shape at the 12th ALUMINIUM TWO THOUSAND World Congress and the 7th ICEB (International Conference on Extrusion and Benchmark) in Bologna (Royal Hotel Carlton) September 19-23, 2023. After the introduction by Walter Dalla Barba, Interall and Aluminium Two Thousand president, the plenary session will dive right into hot topics for the aluminium industry, but not only. Mario Conserva, FACE (Federation of Aluminium Consumers in Europe) General Manager, will talk about “Decarbonisation and its impact on the use of aluminium for e-mobility”. Professor Carmine Garzia (University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland) will follow with his presentation on “Global economic outlook. The evolution of manufacturing and building sectors”. In the...

Alpha HPA, a critical metals producer, has recently been granted a substantial Industry Partnership Program grant of $21 million by the Queensland government. This grant has been provided to support the second stage of the company's $300 million Gladstone high-purity alumina facility. It is worth noting that the company's Stage 1 Precursor Production Facility is already operational and producing 99.99 per cent pure aluminium products using its proprietary licensed solvent extraction and refining technology in commercial quantities. The plant currently produces 5N purity aluminium-nitrate and has plans to expand its product line to include HPA, aluminium sulfate, nano HPA, and high-purity aluminium hydroxides. The Stage 2 plant is expected to create up to 117 jobs and establish stronger...

Aluminium Stewardship Initiative has reportedly announced the joining of LSKB Aluminium Foils Pvt. Ltd. as a new Production and Transformation member. LSKB Aluminium is a leading producer and supplier of high-quality house foils, laminates and lids for the healthcare, food and beverages, FMCG and industrial sectors. The company was established in 2018 and earned a reputed name as a trusted supplier of aluminium foils in the market. The company’s manufacturing facility in Haryana, India, has the latest technology and machinery, ensuring consistent, high-quality foil output. LSKB is focused on delivering customer satisfaction by providing tailor-made packaging solutions. The company has been welcomed by ASI for its unwavering commitment to sustainable production practices and effective...

India's top digital oral care brand, Perfora, has introduced the game-changing Aluminium Handle Electric Toothbrush. This innovative toothbrush is a breakthrough in oral hygiene, setting a new sustainability and environmental consciousness standard. Perfora's toothbrush handle is made of aluminium, which has several advantages. Aluminium is light in weight, durable, and corrosion-resistant, making it an ideal choice for a long-lasting toothbrush handle. Additionally, aluminium is 100% recyclable, which supports Perfora's commitment to sustainability and reducing plastic waste. It's made up of 70% less plastic than other electric toothbrushes on the market. The elegant Truthbrush 2.0 electric toothbrush comes in Rose Gold and Platinum Silver and features a 2-minute timer and 30-second quad...

On July 10, according to a report submitted to the Bucharest Stock Exchange, Alum Tulcea's shareholders approved the sale of Global Aluminium Ltd BVI, the subsidiary through which the company held ownership of the bauxite mines in Sierra Leone. However, Alum Tulcea is 99.4% owned by Romanian integrated aluminium company Alro. At the Annual General Meeting (AGM), Alum Tulcea, the sole shareholder, decided to divest by selling a certain number of shares, constituting the entire share capital of Global Aluminium Ltd BVI. The mandate was given to the Company's Board of Directors to negotiate and finalize the price and terms of the transaction. Earlier, it was disclosed by the company that an unsolicited proposal had been received from a local investor in Sierra Leone. The offer pertained to...

According to a report on Monday, July 10, a new aluminium beverage can manufacturing and filling plant will come up in Azerbaijan as a joint effort of Hungary, a central European country, and Azerbaijan, a country of eastern Transcaucasia. The news came after the Minister of Economy of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov tweeted about the agreement signed between Azerbaijan Investment Company JSC and Hell Energy Company of Hungary in the presence of Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister of Hungary Peter Szijjarto. Minister Mikayil Jabbarov said, “The implementation of the project will contribute to the strengthening of cooperation between the business circles of the two countries, the increase of local production and the provision of employment.” As per the report, the Azerbaijan-Hungary project is...

The alumina spot price in China has shifted up the graph by RMB 3 per tonne, officially stopping at RMB 2,825 per tonne, followed by RMB 10 per tonne augmentation in Shanxi to close at RMB 2,810 per tonne. As per the records of the Shanghai Metal Market, today, on July 11, China’s aluminium spot price has fallen by RMB 20 per tonne, officially resting at RMB 18,250 per tonne, with average prices hovering between RMB 18,230 per tonne and RMB 18,270 per tonne. The central provinces in China all have seen de-escalating aluminium price trends today, with it dropping the highest in Foshan by RMB 70 per tonne to halt at RMB 18,310 per tonne, followed by a slump of RMB 50 per tonne in Chongqing to close at RMB 18,260 per tonne. In Gongyi and Tianjin, the aluminium spot prices were reduced by RMB...

On Monday, July 10, both LME aluminium cash bid price and LME aluminium official settlement price grew by US$10.5 per tonne or 0.50 per cent and US$10 per tonne or 0.47 per cent to close at US$2,095.50 per tonne and US$2,096 per tonne. 3-month bid price and 3-month offer price also hiked by US$14.5 per tonne or 0.68 per cent and US$16 per tonne or 0.75 per cent to settle at US$2,145 per tonne and US$2,147 per tonne. December 24 bid price and December 24 offer price went up by US$15 per tonne or 0.65 per cent to peg at US$2,303 per tonne and US$2,308 per tonne. LME aluminium opening stock halted at 534075 tonnes. Live warrants and Cancelled warrants arrived at 274300 tonnes and 259775 tonnes. LME aluminium 3-month Asian Reference Price ascended by US$15.86 per tonne or 0.74 per cent to...

Following its establishment in 1974, Albitar Factory Co. has been a renowned global player in the glass manufacturing industry. Their dedication to customer satisfaction is evident in their provision of high-quality products manufactured following the highest international standards. Prompt service and customized products tailored to meet specific needs are also part of their commitment to their clients. Through strategic expansion, Albitar Factory has been able to capitalize on its existing infrastructure and reputation to produce a diverse range of glass products. These include facade buildings, super-strength glass units, high-standard works, aluminium works, decorative steel, and structural steel. They've become one of the top suppliers of glass, ornamental steel, and aluminium...

On Monday, July 10, Azerbaijan announced to invest in the reconstruction of the Tajik Aluminium Company (TALCO) smelter in Tajikistan. This plan was mutually agreed between Azerbaijan and Tajikistan during the sixth session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation, held in Baku. As agreed, Azerbaijan will play an active role in collecting capital for the construction of the Tajik Aluminium Company (TALCO) and exporting alumina to Tajikistan. In return, Azerbaijan will secure aluminium, cryolite, and aluminium fluoride from Tajikistan. Azerbaijan and Tajikistan entered into this agreement after the sixth session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation on July 7. The deal outlines bilateral cooperation and sets the stage...

Boss Aluminium, a reputable Australian company known for its top-quality 4x4 vehicle accessories, has recently launched the latest version of its Boss 270 Awning. Constructed in-house in Melbourne, the Boss 270 Awning is made with state-of-the-art machinery, lightweight aluminium chassis arms, and a robust Tri-axis gusseted hinge. This new iteration boasts improved features that make setting up and packing easier, ensuring a hassle-free outdoor adventure experience. The company's founder, Dave Whitehead, conceptualised the awning, primarily recognising the need for a freestanding tent suitable for off-road conditions. Dave Whitehead, the company's founder, assessed: "Boss has exceptionally high standards, and our customers demand and expect the very best products from us. Quite frankly,...