Industry & the Environment

Aluminium
Alrick Moodie February 2007

Objectives
The student should be able to Describe the processes involved in the production of aluminium from its ore Explain the uses of aluminium in relation to its physical and chemical properties Assess the impact of the aluminium industry on the environment

Excavation
The bauxite is mined usually by the open pit method i.e. the ore is usually scraped up out of the ground no tunneling , drilling is necessary

Crushing
The ore is physically broken down by a crusher

Digesting
Digestion involves mixing the crushed ore with caustic soda ( concentrated sodium hydroxide ) . The sodium hydroxide will dissolve the amphoteric aluminium oxide but not the metal oxides impurities which are basic in nature .

Reaction with sodium hydroxide solution

Crushed bauxite is treated with moderately concentrated sodium hydroxide solution. The concentration, temperature and pressure used depend on the source of the bauxite and exactly what form of aluminium oxide it contains. Temperatures are typically from 140C to 240C; pressures can be up to about 35 atmospheres.

Reaction with sodium hydroxide solution

High pressures are necessary to keep the water in the sodium hydroxide solution liquid at temperatures above 100C. The higher the temperature, the higher the pressure needed. With hot concentrated sodium hydroxide solution, aluminium oxide reacts to give a solution of sodium tetrahydroxoaluminate.

Filtering
The impurities in the bauxite remain as solids. For example, the other metal oxides present tend not to react with the sodium hydroxide solution and so remain unchanged. Some of the silicon dioxide reacts, but goes on to form a sodium aluminosilicate which precipitates out. All of these solids are separated from the sodium tetrahydroxoaluminate solution by filtration. They form a "red mud" which is just stored in huge lagoons.

Precipitating
The sodium tetrahydroxoaluminate solution is cooled, and "seeded" with some previously produced aluminium hydroxide. This provides something for the new aluminium hydroxide to precipitate around.

Formation of pure aluminium oxide Aluminium oxide (sometimes known as alumina) is made by heating the aluminium hydroxide to a temperature of about 1100 - 1200C.

Alumina to Aluminium
The powdered alumina is mixed with cryolite ( Na3AlF6 ). The mixture is then heated . The purpose of the cryolite is to provide a solution for the purpose of electrolysis by lowering the melting point of the alumina .

The electrolytic process

In the electrolytic cell The aluminium ions are discharged at the cathode Al3+ (aq) + 3e- Al (s) At the anode oxygen is given off 2O2- (aq) 4e- O2 (g)

The overall reaction

4Al3+ (aq) + 12e- 4Al (s) 6O2- (aq) 12e- 3O2 (g) 4Al3+ (aq) + 6O2- (aq) 4Al (s) + 3O2 (g)

The cell operates at a low voltage of about 5 - 6 volts, but at huge currents of 100,000 amps or more. The heating effect of these large currents keeps the cell at a temperature of about 1000C.

The oxygen given off at the anode usually reacts with the carbon electrode and produces carbon dioxide .
The anodes are therefore replaced regularly.

Properties of Aluminium
Physical
Density / Specific Gravity (g.cm-3 at 20 C) 2.70 Melting Point (C) 660 Specific heat at 100 C, (Jkg-1K-1) 938 Latent heat of fusion, (kJ.kg-1) 397.0 Electrical conductivity at 20C (% of international annealed copper standard) 64.94 Reflectivity for light, tungsten filament (%) 90.0

Background Physically, chemically and mechanically aluminium is a metal like steel, brass, copper, zinc, lead or titanium. It can be melted, cast, formed and machined much like these metals and it conducts electric current. In fact often the same equipment and fabrication methods are used as for steel. Light Weight Aluminium is a very light metal with a specific weight of 2.7 g/cm3, about a third that of steel. For example, the use of aluminium in vehicles reduces dead-weight and energy consumption while increasing load capacity. Its strength can be adapted to the application required by modifying the composition of its alloys.

Corrosion Resistance Aluminium naturally generates a protective oxide coating and is highly corrosion resistant. Different types of surface treatment such as anodising, painting or lacquering can further improve this property. It is particularly useful for applications where protection and conservation are required. Electrical and Thermal Conductivity Aluminium is an excellent heat and electricity conductor and in relation to its weight is almost twice as good a conductor as copper. This has made aluminium the most commonly used material in major power transmission lines.

Reflectivity Aluminium is a good reflector of visible light as well as heat, and that together with its low weight, makes it an ideal material for reflectors in, for example, light fittings or rescue blankets. Ductility Aluminium is ductile and has a low melting point and density. In a molten condition it can be processed in a number of ways. Its ductility allows products of aluminium to be basically formed close to the end of the products design.

Impermeable and Odourless Aluminium foil, even when it is rolled to only 0.007 mm thickness, is still completely impermeable and lets neither light aroma nor taste substances out. Moreover, the metal itself is non-toxic and releases no aroma or taste substances which makes it ideal for packaging sensitive products such as food or pharmaceuticals. Recyclability Aluminium is 100 percent recyclable with no downgrading of its qualities. The re-melting of aluminium requires little energy: only about 5 percent of the energy required to produce the primary metal initially is needed than in the recycling process.

Properties of Aluminium
Chemical Aluminium reacts with oxygen to form aluminium oxide . This forms a protective layer over the metal and it therefore does not show the regular properties of reactive metals .

Uses of Aluminium

Uses of Aluminium
aluminium is used for because aircraft other transport such as ships' superstructures, container vehicle bodies, tube trains (metro trains) light, strong, resists corrosion

light, strong, resists corrosion

overhead power cables (with a steel core to strengthen them)

light, resists corrosion, good conductor of electricity

saucepans

light, resists corrosion, good appearance, good conductor of heat

Impact of Aluminium Industry on the Environment

Economic considerations The high cost of the process because of the huge amounts of electricity it uses. This is so high because to produce 1 mole of aluminium which only weighs 27 g you need 3 moles of electrons. You are having to add a lot of electrons (because of the high charge on the ion) to produce a small mass of aluminium (because of its low relative atomic mass).

Impact of Aluminium Industry on the Environment

Economic considerations Energy and material costs in constantly replacing the anodes. Energy and material costs in producing the cryolite, some of which gets lost during the electrolysis.

Impact of Aluminium Industry on the Environment

Environmental problems in mining and transporting the bauxite Loss of landscape due to mining, processing and transporting the bauxite. Noise and air pollution (greenhouse effect, acid rain) involved in these operations.

Impact of Aluminium Industry on the Environment

Extracting aluminium from the bauxite Loss of landscape due to the size of the chemical plant needed, and in the production and transport of the electricity. Noise. Atmospheric pollution from the various stages of extraction. For example: carbon dioxide from the burning of the anodes (greenhouse effect); carbon monoxide (poisonous); fluorine (and fluorine compounds) lost from the cryolite during the electrolysis process (poisonous).

Impact of Aluminium Industry on the Environment

Extracting aluminium from the bauxite Pollution caused by power generation (varying depending on how the electricity is generated.) Disposal of red mud into unsightly lagoons. Transport of the finished aluminium.

Impact of Aluminium Industry on the Environment

Recycling Saving of raw materials and particularly electrical energy by not having to extract the aluminium from the bauxite. Recycling aluminium uses only about 5% of the energy used to extract it from bauxite. Avoiding the environmental problems in the extraction of aluminium from the bauxite.

Impact of Aluminium Industry on the Environment

Recycling Not having to find space to dump the unwanted aluminium if it wasn't recycled. (Offsetting these to a minor extent) Energy and pollution costs in collecting and transporting the recycled aluminium.