Material & energy requirements

Technical University of Crete Mining Department of Mineral Resources Engineering Metalurgical Processes Prof. Komnitsas Athanasios Paraschos 2007020037

Aluminum is a light metal with density of 2.7g/cm3 (three times less than of steel) . It is one of those elements which are excessive on earth. It is an excellent heat and electrical conductor with very good reflectivity, resistance to corrosion and ductility.
Aluminum is used extensively in electronics infrastructure, packaging and transportation

Worldwide Aluminum production in 2010

Source http://www.alueurope.eu/?page_id=1509

In 2010, global Al production is 41,4million tons

Global average energy consumption is 15kWh/kg Aluminum Thus,

Electricity consumption is 621 billion kilowatt hours of electricity

Global electricity production is 20261 billion kilowatt hours Therefore, Three percent of the total electrical supply goes to aluminum extraction

Mostly aluminium is produced in two ways;

Primarily Production Process

Bayer process: Bauxite refining

Hall-Hroult process : Reduction of Alumina to Aluminum

Secondary Production Process

Recycling of scraps containing Al Recyling aluminium hydroxide

Bayer Process: Refining Bauxite

The Hall-Hroult Process: Alumina to Aluminum

2Al2O3 + 3C 4Al +3CO2

Scrap recycling
The scrap is cleaned and sorted If the scrap contains more than 20% Al by wt.

Aluminum hydroxide

It is a waste from Al production and can be

assumed as free of impurities It is then Calcined directly

To produce 1kg of aluminum,

5,900kg earth has to mined 5.1kg Bauxite, 1.93kg alumina and 0.45kg carbon anode

This means that for 2010 annual world production of 41.1 million tons aluminum,
210 million tons of bauxite, 80 million tons of alumina and 21 million tons of carbon anode

On the basis of 1kg aluminum

Bayer process

Source: Wang et al.2012

Al from recycled Al(OH)3,

Scrap recycling

Requires only 43% total energy of primary Al prod.

If Scrap contains >20% Al (wt.)

Source: Wang et al.2012

Wang H., Leung D.Y.C, Leung M.K.H, 2012, Energy analysis of hydrogen and electricity production from aluminum-based processes, Applied energy 90, 100105
U.S. Department of energy, U.S. Energy requirement for aluminum production: historical perspective, theoretical limits and current practices, February 2007 Totten G.E, Mackenzi D.S., 2003, Handbook of Aluminum, Vol 1,Physical Metallurgy and processes, Marcel Dekker, Inc, USA