AlCircle News Edited By "Rupankar Majumder"
A professional with a technical background, specialising in producing insightful content centred around metals, particularly aluminium, passionately engaged in the intricacies of the recycling sector.
Minim-Martap Bauxite deposit to be ready for exploitation in 2022: Canyon Resources declares
The long-awaited exploitation of Minim-Martap Bauxite deposit in Northern Cameroon could be started in 2022. This wish has been rendered by the Project Manager, James Durant in Minim on 13 th February’20. The project its hand over by the Cameroonian government to Australian junior mining company Canyon Resources is being implemented by Canyon Resources’ subsidiary Camalco. A little more than a year after Camalco launched (in September 2018) the last phase of research on this mining project, James Durant visited Cameroon from February 13 th to 14 th , 2020. He is accompanied by a team of mining, rail, and environmental logistics experts. These experts came to check the project and finalize the pre-feasibility study of this mining project by the end of April 2020. The team went to...
Tesla files Patent Application for new aluminium alloys to be used for die casting of its electric cars
Tesla has developed a new aluminium alloy for die casting of parts for electrical cars. Besides delivering high yield strength, it can also maintain a high conductivity. This is backed up by a new patent application filed by the car manufacturer. The materials team of Tesla led by alloy expertise Charles Kuehmann has created aluminium alloys for die casting. An extract from the patent of the car manufacturer reads like: “It may be desirable to produce cast aluminium alloys with high yield strength such that the alloys do not fail easily while also containing sufficient conductivity for various applications. The aluminium alloys may be used in different automotive parts, including rotors, stators, busbars, inverters, and other parts. Current cast alloys do not well serve these parts the...
Aluminium scrap export of France forecasted decline in 2020
European Aluminium Industry has rated France as one of the key growth markets. As the country has the record of exporting more than 400,000 tonnes of aluminium scrap every year. In recent times the aluminium scrap export has been spotted with de-growth, though it was expected as the previous few years were only showing marginal rises. The scrap market dealers in France have already started reporting their more than sufficient stocks levels. The scrap export from 2017-19 has been recorded at 1,487,808 tonnes, which generated $1.22 billion as foreign income. The year 2020 has been projected with 534,575 tonnes when added it stands to 2,022,383 tonnes. The projected earnings will be $440.25 million, stretching the revenue generation to $1.66 billion. France has been exporting aluminium...
STAS to commercialize Rio Tinto aluminium filtration technology
STAS and Rio Tinto publicised on 13 th February’20 an agreement for commercially viable of an advanced compact filtration technology (ACF) for aluminium cast houses. The ACF technology built by Rio Tinto and it will be now manufactured and sold under license by equipment manufacturer STAS worldwide. This innovative filtration technology was developed in the early 2000s at Rio Tinto’s Arvida Research and Development Centre (ARDC), located in Quebec, Canada. ACF technology is an optimal filtration solution that can eliminate more than 90% of inclusions in liquid aluminium. It is used to manufacture products intended for critical applications, such as high value-added aluminium sheets and plates used to produce cans. Rio Tinto ventured with STAS to design and manufacture the prototypes of...
Alba declares its Q4 2019 and Full-Year 2019 financial performance
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba) published its Full-Year and Fourth Quarter 2019 Results during a meeting of the Company’s Board of Directors on Thursday 13 th February’20. Also, Alba’s Board of Directors approved the appointment of Mr Ali Al Baqali as the Chief Executive Officer with immediate effect. Commenting on Alba’s 2019 financial performance, the Chairman of Alba’s Board of Directors, Shaikh Daij Bin Salman Bin Daij Al Khalifa said: “It is encouraging to see that Alba has closed 2019 strong despite a challenging year for the industry. 2019 was a great year as we have recorded many firsts in Alba’s history: breakthrough record in Safety, Production and Sales’ volume thanks to our people. With Mr Al Baqali as the realm of Alba in this next chapter of growth, our Company is better...
Germany’s Aluminium cans export projected 24% dip in 2020
Aluminium cans are the 520 th most traded product and the 525 th most complex traded product in the global trade market. Germany, one of the largest export economies in the world and also one of the most complex economies, is the leading exporter of aluminium cans in the world. Germany has been the major aluminium cans exporter in Europe with an export volume of 294,772 tonnes from 2017-19, a rock-solid performance. The total revenue generation for the period by exporting aluminium cans rose to $1.15 billion. In 2017 Germany’s aluminium cans export stood at 98,247 tonnes, generating $382.22 million. In 2018 the aluminium can export declined by 15.78%, in volume 15,512 tonnes from the previous. The revenue generation reflected was $356.74 million. The year 2019 showed a soaring trend of...
Aluminium crane manufacturer Böcker gets new MD for UK operation
Jake McCaugherty has been appointed as the new UK Managing Director of German aluminium crane, hoist and platform manufacturer Böcker. He will own the complete responsibility for the UK operation, which started in 2017. McCaugherty joins the company from Liebherr where he has been responsible for the tower crane business in the UK and Ireland since 2015. Before which he was UK regional sales manager for Danish loader crane manufacturer HMF have joined the company in 2006. He has great plans to expand and develop the business in the UK and Ireland and said: "I am extremely pleased to join Böcker, they have an excellent reputation for high-quality products made in Germany and recognize the importance of having outstanding customer service. Over the next couple of weeks, I look forward to...
Guinea Alumina Corporation works to praise environmental standards
Guinea Alumina Corporation (GAC) has a mining concession of 690 km2, in the region of Boké, a city located in the northwest of Guinea, exactly in the locality of Tinguilinta. To meet the standards of the International Labor Organization and those of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the subsidiary of the company Emirates Global Aluminum relies on skills from the communities affected by the project. Martin Simard, Director of Communication, GAC communicated that 4650 workers were employed at the time of construction work in 2018. He also added 85% were Guineans and 67% are from the locality of Boke. GAC uses a 135 km railway line with the Guinea Bauxite Company (CBG). GAC's first ore export took place in August 2019, after major construction work. From bauxite extraction to...
Rio Tinto bargains for cheaper power supply for its Iceland Aluminium smelter
Rio Tinto made public that it might have to shut down its aluminium smelter in Iceland (ISAL) if the country’s state-controlled energy supplier does not deliver a cheaper deal. The warning again indicates the tough market aluminium producers around the world are facing, as the demand fades and prices drop. Aluminium is usually referred to as solid electricity because of the large amounts of power required to transform its key ingredient, alumina, into refined metal. Approximately a third of smelter’s costs are power. Alf Barrios, Head of Rio Tinto’s Aluminium business, said: “the company had worked intensively to improve the performance of the ISAL smelter but it was still unprofitable and could not complete in challenging market conditions due to its high power costs.” Mr. Barrios added,...
India should get ready to travel in world-class Aluminium coaches: Indian Railways to acquire new technology
Indian Railways braced for world-class aluminium coaches. Piyush Goyal, Minister of Railways and Commerce, India, led the occasion to award a Transfer of Technology (ToT) contract to a Korean company for the development of potentialities for production to the commissioning of aluminium-bodied coaches. The complete overhaul of Indian Railways train coaches, as well as the procurement of full train rakes from foreign suppliers for Indian Railways, is not in the Railway Ministry’s plan. However, the ToT has been awarded by the Modern Coach Factory in Rae Bareli to acquire the capability to make world-class aluminium coaches. The ToT includes development, designing, manufacturing as well as testing of aluminium body passenger coaches of eight variants. Out of the eight variants, five variants...
Australia’s Bauxite export displays stable move from 2017-20
There are currently five bauxite mines in Australia providing feedstock for the seven alumina refineries, which in turn supply alumina to the six Australian aluminium smelters and the export market. Demand for bauxite is growing at a faster rate than the growth in global industrial production. In the emerging economies of Asia and India, bauxite demand is particularly strong. Australia’s bauxite export has been showing a steady market from 2017-20. The total volume of bauxite export was recorded at 126.16 million tonnes approximately. In 2017 Australia’s bauxite export volume was spotted at 26.34 million tonnes, whereas in 2018 the bauxite export accounted to 30.40 million tonnes in volume, a growth by 15.41%, with an excess volume of 4.06 million tonnes exported from the previous year....
Spherical Alumina Production to get enhanced by AI-Based Image Analysis: Showa Denko develops system
Showa Denko (SDK), a major manufacturer of chemical products, serves a wide range of fields from heavy industry to electronics and computer industries, has developed an artificial intelligence-based image analysis system for spherical alumina production in a combined effort with BLUE TAG. In April’20 SDK will start using the system at its production line. Spherical alumina is produced from molten material, using surface tension. The product is in the form of particles with diameters ranging from several microns to 70 um. The high fluidity and compatibility nature make it use as filler for heat sinks for electronic components and as abrasive. In the production process, operators visually inspect the product using optical microscopes to see if there is a defect in sphericity. Production...
Alcoa recognized for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Performance
Alcoa Corporation, a global leader in bauxite, alumina, and aluminium, has been recognized as the top aluminium industry performer in The Sustainability Yearbook 2020, a complete guide that provides in-depth analysis on environmental, social and governance criteria (ESG). The Sustainability Yearbook, published by S&P Global, uses the SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment, which also briefs other ESG-related assessments, including the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI). In 2019, Alcoa was named the Aluminum Industry Leader in the DJSI. Alcoa President and Chief Executive Officer Roy Harvey said: "Our strong reputation as a sustainable and responsible operator in the mining and metals industry is a key differentiator in our future success and aligns with our strategic priority to...
Tokyo Olympics 2020: Torch made by Aluminium extrusion technique
Japan is getting ready for the summer, as the Olympics 2020 is coming up. Tokujin Yoshioka, the Japanese designer has revealed new details of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 torch. Sakura flower, the national flower of Japan has resembled as the Tokyo Olympics 2020 torch. The head of the 71-centimetre rose-gold torch gradually opens into five sections to resemble the petals of the sakura flower. Yoshioka used an aluminium extrusion technique to make the torch, He said “this allows it to be strong and lightweight, and "form a single and seamless sculpture-like piece". "Part of the reason for aluminium extrusion was because I wanted to keep the design simple for the structure as well”. "It's not a superficial garnish that creates a beautiful design; the key is always a beautiful structure" Yoshioka...
RUSAL appoints Ayumi Murakami as Representative Director of Japan Office
RUSAL, one of the world’s major producers of aluminium, appointed Ayumi Murakami as Representative Director of the Company’s office in Tokyo. In March 2015 Murakami joined Rusal’s Japan office as a Technical Customer Support Manager in the sales team. Murakami was appointed as an acting Representative Director of Rusal Japan in February 2019. Murakami worked for Mitsubishi Aluminium from 1993 in various technical roles before joining Rusal. Murakami demonstrated excellent results during his work in RUSAL, building relationships with the Company’s Japanese customers, launching key qualifications to grow the business in Japan and organized RUSAL’s participation in international industrial exhibitions, including Metal Expo Tokyo in December 2019. Roman Andryushin, RUSAL’s Head of Sales and...
Netherlands' Bauxite export spotted upswing 2017-20
The Netherlands’ bauxite export is tending towards an upswing; total bauxite export volume was recorded at 219,453 tonnes during 2017-20. In 2017 the total bauxite export volume stood at 58,540 tonnes, while in 2018 Netherlands bauxite export volume was recorded at 39,993. A steep fall of 31.68% from previous, by volume the drop stood at 18547 tonnes. The year 2019 showed the bauxite export with a straight rise of 48.77%. The total volume of export was recorded at 59410 tonnes, with 19477 tonnes of excess export when compared to the previous year. The total foreign revenue generated from the bauxite export in 2019 was $17.74 million. The year 2020 has also been projected with a positive trend for bauxite export from the Netherlands. The growth rate for 2020 has been estimated at 3.63%,...
Hillside Aluminium building a legacy and improving lives of next-generation South Africans
The Hillside Aluminium smelter, situated at the quaint, coastal town of Richards Bay, along KwaZulu-Natal’s North Coast in South Africa. Hillside aluminium smelter is the leading producer of aluminium in South Africa, which is used in the daily life of peoples, is equipped with world-class equipment, efficient systems and a talented workforce. Hillside Aluminium, building a legacy and improving the lives of people in South Africa for generations to come. Hillside aluminium is the sole producers of aluminium into the economy, so they have to be in constant support and believes in sustaining the aluminium industry in South Africa. The aluminium supply company like Isizinda in Richards Bay and Hulamin in Pietermaritzburg, who in turn supply other businesses in South Africa. Hillside...
ITALJET Dragster 2020: The iconic Italian scooter is back with Aerospace Aluminium component
The Italjet Dragster 2020 will start its production in Italy in May’20. The scooter will be coming up in three versions: 125cc, 150cc, 200cc four-stroke liquid-cooled single-cylinder engines with Magneti Marelli electronic injection and a double overhead camshaft. The Italjet Dragster 125 makes 15 hp while the 200cc model offers 20 hp. The iconic scooter will be tooled with an Independent Steering System (ISS) that has a new front single-arm made from aerospace aluminium alloy. The front suspension is fitted with horizontal BITUBO hydraulic adjustable shocks which offer no travel effect for the front-end. The rear side, the Italjet Dragster is fitted with a BITUBO single hydro-pneumatic adjustable shock absorber. The R&D of the ISS system has been developed by Italjet. It splits steering...
