ABx subsidiary Alcore amplifies the construction of three reactors in Central Coast to produce aluminium fluoride

Alcore the brainchild of ABx Group has successfully authorised the construction of three laboratory reactors in its quest to yield a high-value essential material, aluminium fluoride used in aluminium smelting extracted from a smelter residue. These recently commissioned reactors are situated at a technology centre on the NSW Central Coast.

If its smelter waste or excess bath process is triumphant, it would provide an added advantage of preparing a local supply chain of aluminium fluoride along with an auxiliary waste disposal plan.

Aluminium fluoride is an essential material required in aluminium smelting and while incorporating in enamels and ceramic glazes. It is also of great value and utilised in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors.

ABx notifies that aluminium fluoride is an eligible compound for the separator in Lithium-ion batteries confirming its high-value participation in the future EV market.  Anyhow, at this moment, Australia does not host any aluminium fluoride plant compelling the country to import its requirements from outside.

ABx owns 86 per cent shares in Alcore and the latter is refining the ‘Alcore process’ to retract fluorine from a series of materials as well as smelter wastes to successfully induce aluminium fluoride.

The primary step in the Alcore process is to create a highly concentrated sulphuric acid, oleum. This oleum is then merged to react with the excess bath to separate the fluorine from which aluminium fluoride is extracted.

ABx has an engineering firm, Bfluor Chemicals’ total intervention in developing the Alcore process. Moreover, it is already known that Alcore has a rare earths excavation site in Tasmania and also owns a bauxite project in Queensland.

Among these newly set laboratories at the NSW Central Coast, two can produce ample oleum for bath tests and the third one has the capacity to experiment with a varied range of processes in comparison to the initial tests that were performed in the original Alcore laboratory.

Alcore specifies that its latest process is a prominent move toward securing the company’s credentials. The upcoming part of Alcore’s strategy involves the construction of a pilot plant on the NSW Central Coast, though a production plant has been already anointed for Bell Bay, Tasmania owing to its closeness to an active aluminium smelter.

This newfound plant would provide smelters in Australia and at an international level. Alcore has future plans to venture into high-end technologies such as lithium-ion batteries, fluorine gas and high-purity alumina.

The CEO of Abx Group, Dr Mark Cooksey, elucidated: “Successful commissioning of these three reactors is a significant step forward in bringing the Alcore process into commercial production. The test results combined with the expertise of our team and our partners will allow Alcore to efficiently construct the pilot plant to best capture this emerging opportunity.”

Cooksey also claims that he is eager to scrutinise the optimum process methodology to extract fluorine from the bath which will aid the company in determining the final design of the bath reactor belonging to the pilot plant.

Keeping under consideration, the recent aluminium fluoride prices and forecasted operating costs, ABx estimates that it should have an operating capital of US$50 million to run a 60,000 tonnes aluminium fluoride plant.

During the last five years, aluminium fluoride price has ranged between US$1100 and US$1900 per tonne and settled at US$1500 per tonne after a significant rise the previous year.