ABx eyes lab reactor design for high-end aluminium product

Alumina technologist and rare earths explorer ABx Group’s 83 per cent owned subsidiary, Alcore has selected its initial operating conditions for its planned pilot plant on the NSW Central Coast after performing extensive assessments. Now the initial operating conditions have been selected the pilot plant reactor engineering design can be completed.

The pilot plant is being designed to recover fluorine from an aluminium smelter waste product – referred to as ‘excess bath’ – to produce hydrogen fluoride. In the commercial plant, the hydrogen fluoride will be further reacted to produce aluminium fluoride, a high-value chemical that is essential for aluminium smelting.

Alcore commissioned three reactors earlier this year and has since assessed the performance of the specialised laboratory reactor at a range of temperatures, residence times and amounts of acid. The results of the assessment program, combined with literature data and thermodynamic modelling have allowed the company to select the initial operating conditions for processing excess bath at scale.

The company anticipates completing the engineering design for its pilot plant reactor before the end of the calendar year.

ABx Group Chief Executive Officer, Mark Cooksey said:“This is yet another highly positive step for Alcore as the business moves forward with its planned facility that is anticipated to process up to 20 kg per hour of bath.”

“Scale-up of a new process always involves complexity and both Alcore and its engineering partner BFluor Chemicals are satisfied with the clarity and consistency of results obtained."

Aluminium fluoride is typically used in the production of aluminium in welding applications and in ceramic glazes and enamels. Whilst its demand has largely been influenced by the building and construction industry, there is also a growing demand for it in sectors such as food and beverage and pharmaceuticals.

The company says some 90 per cent 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.

Alcore’s new process for producing aluminium fluoride consists of the recovery of fluorine from waste, eliminating the need to use fluorspar. Instead of aluminium hydroxide, it uses either bauxite or dross - a waste product from the casting of aluminium - as the source of aluminium.

Alcore’s proprietary technology requires the production of precursor chemicals in an aluminium fluoride refinery to enable the extraction of fluorine. Alcore and Bfluor Chemicals, a specialist chemical business and technology management consulting group from South Africa, are collaborating on the design of pilot-scale reactors to recover such chemicals.

According to ABx, 1.2 million tonnes of aluminium fluoride is produced each year globally, representing a market value of US$1.5 billion. Notably, Australia imports 100 per cent of its aluminium fluoride requirements with the vast majority coming from China.

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