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Aluminium (Al)
Introduction
► Aluminium is the third most abundant
element in the Earth's crust and constitutes
7.3% by mass
► In nature it only exists in very stable
combinations with other materials
► It was not until 1808 that its existence was
first established. It took many years of
research to "unlock" the metal from its ore
and many more to produce a viable,
commercial production process
History (I)
World Production
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
1900 1946 2000
thousand year
tonnes
Aluminium production
RAW MATERIALS
Bauxite (5t)
Fuel
Electric Energy (15MWh)
Chemical products
Alumina (Al2O3)
FINAL PRODUCT
Aluminium (1t)
WASTE
Chemical waste
CO2
Alumina production
► The aluminium
industry uses the
Bayer process to
produce alumina from
bauxite
► Some 5 tonnes of
bauxite are required
to produce 2 tonnes of
alumina (Al2O3)
Obtaining Al from Al2O3
► Alumina is reduced to A modern
aluminium metal in pot line -
this one can
electrolytic cells known produce over
200 000
as pots tonnes of
aluminium
► From 2t of alumina we per year
get 1t of aluminium
2Al2O3 + 3C ---> 4Al + 3CO2
Aluminium applications
Some current uses
Cars,
► Transport planes,
fast
trains
High voltage lines are made of
► Electricity aluminium: it’s conductor, light and
resistant to corrosion
► Packaging
► Construction,
cookware…
Energy and recycling
► Recycling Electricity needed to produce 1t
of aluminium
aluminium
takes 95% 15
less
10
energy
than 5
MWh
producing
it from 0
From the ore From recycled Al
bauxite
Aluminium cans recycling rates (%)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
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