Aluminerie Alouette trusting PYR torches Raphaelle2 downplayed this news release that now appears in this Light Metal Age magazine.
Interestingly, PYR and Hatch, are both appearing in this Alouettes article and are both presenting at the upcoming Zz conference. Raphaelle2 decided to downplay PYR's technology! How strange is it!
August 10, 2023
https://www.lightmetalage.com/news/industry-news/smelting/aluminerie-alouette-invests-in-new-smelting-technologies/
New Potline Technologies
Alouette signed two contracts totaling $2.7 million with PyroGenesis Canada Inc. Both contracts will valorize new technologies aimed at addressing residue streams from the primary aluminum production process — including spent pot lining (SPL) and excess electrolytic bath.
The project includes funding contributions from both Alouette and the Centre qubcois de recherche et de dveloppement de l’aluminium (CQRDA), a Canadian organization that administers funding and programs made available by the provincial government’s Ministry of the Economy, Innovation and Energy for Quebec’s aluminum industry.
“We are very proud to be partnering, once again, with Alouette, a company renowned for its environmentally friendly practices and which operates the largest aluminum smelter in the Americas,” said P. Peter Pascali, CEO of PyroGenesis. “PyroGenesis’ technology and engineering capabilities will help re-use residues from aluminum production, including spent pot lining and electrolytic bath, thus helping Alouette advance its decarbonization strategy. These are the types of projects that underscore PyroGenesis’ strategy to position its processes to enable sustainable and environmentally responsible practices within the aluminum industry.”
The first contract will address the treatment of spent pot lining (SPL) waste. The lining of the pots used in the aluminum smelting process typically has an average lifespan of five years. When the SPL is removed and replaced within the pot, the residue is classified as a hazardous material, because it is contaminated with chemical compounds. An estimated 1.5 million tons of SPL are produced annually worldwide, making it a serious issue for the aluminum industry.
While dangerous, SPL contains valuable materials that, if processed correctly, could be recovered and reused. Under this contract, the companies will conduct a project focused on the development of a new process for processing SPL in a safe and environmentally friendly manner.
The technology proposed by PyroGenesis will use plasma arc thermal treatment to transform the carbonaceous and refractory materials contained in SPL into synthesis gas and aluminum fluoride — an important raw material that could be reused by Alouette in their production process. Compared with the chemical treatment currently used, this alternative method should enable significant savings by reducing or eliminating existing costs associated with various steps of processing and management of SPL, as well as addressing a major environmental issue for the aluminum industry in Quebec and elsewhere.
The second contract will address the challenge of excess electrolytic bath, which is produced in the pots during normal operation. These residues, also known in industry as “pure bath” or just “bath” can often be considered as hazardous material because of their high content in fluorine. The objective of the project is to process these materials in a plasma arc thermal treatment plant with the goal of producing aluminum fluoride ( a common element in both projects).
After significant progress made on the development by PyroGenesis, these two projects are now moving forward with the design and fabrication of the integrated thermal plasma furnace and gas purification system. Various lab-scale tests and experimental activities for gas conversion are taking place concurrently.
Subsequent phases of the projects will include further testing of the integrated system, and the eventual design of both pre-commercial and commercial scale (full industrial) systems at the Alouette site. Both projects have a commercial end goal, with a strategy to market the solutions industry-wide in conjunction with Alouette.