Europlasma’s prototype furnace for aluminium waste treatment ready for test in China

The expert in pollution control solutions, Europlasma set forth the progress of its Chinese subsidiary's project aimed at recovering aluminium waste by using plasma technology.

The Chinese subsidiary of pollution control expert Europlasma Environmental Technologies (EET) in collaboration with Hangzhou Dianzi University (HDU) built the prototype furnace for the treatment and recovery of aluminium waste.

Furthermore, the University has received approval from the official services particularly the Ministry of the Environment to carry out the test campaigns which should begin in June, including the two processes developed for EET i.e. aluminium waste and fly ash.

These test campaigns on the pilot installation with a capacity of one to two tonnes per day aims to validate, on a pre-industrial scale. The tests and analysis carried out in the laboratory in 2020 were on a large panel of aluminium slag. The results of these tests had demonstrated the possibility of producing alumina with a high level of purity (greater than 80%) from waste classified as "hazardous" and whose landfilling is now prohibited, under economic and environmental conditions. favourable.

This process is part of a virtuous circular economy model, since recovered alumina, a raw material with high market value, can again be used for the production of new ceramic or refractory materials, for example. It is as much primary aluminium saved, with significant savings in terms of energy and production of polluting intermediate products (red sludge in particular).

This demonstration of know-how on an industrial pilot scale is essential to move on to the commercial stage of this type of installation, a stage expected by many Chinese manufacturers. Indeed, for lack of treatment solution, companies producing aluminium waste remain in violation of Chinese regulations, compromising their development model.