Alcore begins construction of pilot plant to recover fluorine from aluminium smelter waste

The developer of high technology businesses, ABx Group’s 87% owned chemical refining subsidiary, Alcore starts off the construction of a pilot plant, which will focus to produce precursor chemicals used to recover fluorine from aluminium smelter waste termed as “excess bath”. The Sydney, Australia based company presumes  Alcore’s exclusive technology for recycling excess bath into high-value products like aluminium fluoride that might deliver economic and environmental benefits to the country’s aluminium smelters depending on imports.

The inorganic compound Aluminium fluoride is generally used in the production of aluminium in welding applications and ceramic glazes and enamels, while its demand has been enormously enticed by the building and construction industry, as there is also a surge in demand for the commodity in sectors such as food and beverage and pharmaceuticals.

ABx stated: “Some 90% of aluminium fluoride is traditionally produced by reacting aluminium hydroxide, an intermediate form of alumina, with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride gas that is produced from fluorspar and sulfuric acid.”

However, Alcore’s new process for aluminium fluoride production consists of the recovery of fluorine from waste, eradicating the requirement to use fluorspar. Now, in place of aluminium hydroxide, it uses either bauxite or dross -a waste product from the casting of aluminium as the source of aluminium.

The trademark technology of Alcore requires the production of precursor chemicals in an aluminium fluoride refinery to empower the extraction of fluorine, while a specialist chemical business and technology management consulting group from South Africa, Bfluor Chemicals is collaborating with Alcore on the design of pilot-scale reactors to recover such chemicals.

“Construction of the reactors has now commenced at Alcore’s research centre in New South Wales,” ABx said.

The company believes that the reactors will produce sufficient volumes of precursor chemicals to entitle the pilot plant to recover fluorine from the excess bath. The pilot plant will also be located at the research centre.

Alcore has also hooked with another process engineering company to model the fluorine recovery process. According to ABx, “Results from the modelling and experimentation could enable Alcore to fast-track its process towards commercialisation.”

“Based on industry forecasting, the quantity of excess bath generated by aluminium smelters could rise in the future and create a greater focus on waste management by the global aluminium industry,” ABx said.

“Australia is the world’s largest producer of primary aluminium metal that fails to have its aluminium fluoride manufacturing industry.”

“Importantly, Alcore could become Australasia’s first producer of aluminium fluoride. The commercialisation of Alcore’s proprietary technology and the development of Australia’s first production plant could help the secure supply of aluminium fluoride for Australian smelters.”