Aluminium International Today Sept/Oct 2015 by Quartz

September/October 2015 Volume 27 No 5

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

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CONTENTS 1

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Volume 27 No. 5 – September/October 2015 Editorial Editor: Nadine Firth Tel: +44 (0) 1737 855115 nadinefirth@quartzltd.com

September/October 2015 Volume 27 No 5

THE JOURNAL OF ALUMINIUM PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING

USA - In the sustainability spotlight

MIDDLE EAST - Growth in the Gulf

TURKEY - Russia’s Turkish Delight

PRIMARY

Area Sales Manager: Anne Considine anneconsidine@quartzltd.com Tel: +44 (0)1737 855139

Spent potlining: A myriad of opportunities

EGA DX+ smelting technology selected for Alba expansion

Alumina Technik NEWS

PRIMARY

ROL L ING

ENV IRONMENT

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End of life scrap recycling of automotive sheet

ENVIRONMENT 45

The struggle for energy efficiency

Bag failure detection to reduce dust

CO2

Centuries old institution has a solution to a 21st century problem

EU emissions monitoring

An approach to metalworking fluid disposal

Cleaning up its act

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PERSPECTIVES 64

Rigaku answers September/October 2015

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2 COMMENT

New Novelis President

New faces Opening a magazine and seeing my face is something that I have not got used to. So, for this issue I have decided to share this experience with a selection of other faces, who I am sure you will also be seeing a lot more of. I’d like to personally welcome Steve Fisher, Egil Hogna and Khushroo Patel to their new positions and wish them all the best for the future. As the industry event season gets back underway, opportunities open up to meet new faces and network with colleagues. Hopefully some of you reading this have picked up your own copy at one of these events! This issue is as packed as always, with interesting articles and it is a true testament to the magazine when I have the positive dilemma of too much editorial copy. There is the usual round-up of global industry updates, followed by a dedicated ‘Primary’ feature, which looks at the opportunities for Spent Pot Lining (page 17). A host of articles make up the ‘Environmental’ feature starting on page 45 and highlight that this is still clearly a topic that the industry is passionate about. We explore these green issues further in an article from Rick Hindley, Executive Director at Alupro UK, which looks at how the UK packaging industry is helping to boost recycling. There’s all of this, as well as a look at rolling technology, end of life scrap recycling of automotive sheet and details of upcoming industry events. I hope you enjoy the issue. nadinefirth@quartzltd.com September/October 2015

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Novelis has named Steve Fisher as its President and Chief Executive Officer, following its period of rapid expansion. Fisher previously held the position of Chief Financial Officer and recently Interim President and CEO. He will continue to serve as Chief Financial Officer until a successor is named. Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Novelis believes that under the company’s focus on maximising the performance of the business, “there is no better person to lead Novelis, than Steve Fisher.” Whilst Fisher has

already played a pivotal role in the company’s growth with extensive strategic and financial expertise, Mr Mangalam Birla also affirms Fisher

Steve Fisher, President and CEO, Novelis

Sapa appoints CEO The Board of Directors of Sapa AS has appointed Egil Hogna as the company’s new President & Chief Executive Officer. He will replace Svein Tore Holsether. “I am very excited about the opportunity to lead Sapa. As the leading player in its industry, with 23,500 employees in over 40 countries, Sapa is well positioned to deliver innovative aluminium solutions meeting customer’s demands all over the world - today and tomorrow,” says Egil Hogna. For the last six years, Hogna has led the downstream operations at Yara International. He has previously served in a variety of management positions in Yara and

Egil Hogna, President and CEO, Sapa

Hydro, including CFO and head of Investor Relations. Hogna has a Master of Science degree from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, NTNU, in Trondheim and an MBA from INSEAD.

GARMCO CFO GARMCO has appointed Khushroo Patel as CFO of the company. He is responsible for leading and managing the areas of Finance, Purchasing and ICT. Commenting, Mr Jean-Baptiste Lucas, Chief Executive Officer of GARMCO, said, “We are pleased to welcome Khushroo Patel (pictured) to the company. His extensive experience and depth of knowledge will bring further strength to our executive team and enable us to continue to enhance our financial reporting and management capabilities. “This is an important time of growth for GARMCO, as we seek to expand our reach and strength-

en our financial results, and Khushroo will play a leading role in supporting the company and helping to ensure our financial objectives are met.”

Khushroo Patel, CEO, GARMCO

will further aid Novelis to “prosper and continue to strengthen its global leading position in aluminium rolling and recycling.” Regarding his new appointment, Fisher says he is “honoured” to lead Novelis and believes there are “immense opportunities ahead” for the company. Looking to the future for Novelis, he states that “we will remain focused on optimising our manufacturing and recycling operations, serving as the preferred partner to our customers, and continue our growth in the premium markets of can, automotive and speciality products.”

New AA members The Aluminum Association has announced the addition of three new member companies: Gresham, Smith, and Partners, PPG Industries and The Valspar Corporation. These additions bring total membership in the Association to 107 companies, a record for the 82-year-old trade association. The three companies join as associate members, which supply the North American aluminium industry with goods and services.

Houghton International Houghton International Inc., a global leader in metalworking fluids and services, announced the appointment of Marcello Boldrini as senior vice president of Houghton International and president of Global Metals. In this newly created position, he will assume the global leadership of Houghton speciality product lines for the major metal industries, including steel and aluminium. He will report directly to Mike Shannon, Houghton Chief Operating Officer. For up-to-date news & views www.aluminiumtoday.com

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INDUSTRY NEWS 3

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Vietnam smelter planned Bulldozers have begun clearing the 114-ha site for the construction of the US$575-million Dak Nong aluminium smelting plant in this Central Highland province. At the ground breaking ceremony for the project, Trade and

Industry Minister Vu Huy Hoang said the plant would be the first of its kind in Vietnam to produce aluminium bars and would play an important role in the sustainable socio-economic development of the Central Highlands.

Hoang added that the plant, with a capacity of 450,000 tonnes, would also play an important role in the comprehensive development of domestic bauxite exploitation and aluminium production projects.

Century smelter closure Michael Bless, Century CEO. “We are convinced that all of these parties did everything within their ability to support our efforts to restart the Ravenswood smelter, and we are grateful for their commitment. We deeply regret the impact of this action on our employees and on the local community, and share in the profound disappointment. We will now turn our attention to the efficient disposition of the facility.”

APPOINTMENTS Tenova Tenova has appointed Andrea Lovato as the new Chief Executive Officer of the company. Effective 1 July, 2015, Tenova has also been organised into two divisions - Metals and Mining - managed by Andrea Rocca (Metals CEO) and Frank Hubrich (Mining CEO). The division leaders will be responsible for the business strategy and results in their respective areas.

Rusal

Century Aluminum Company has announced that it intends to permanently close its Ravenswood, W.V. aluminium smelter, effective immediately. The Ravenswood smelter has been idled since February 2009. The decision to permanently close the Ravenswood plant is based on the inability to secure a competitive power contract for the smelter, compounded by challenging alu-

minium market conditions largely driven by increased exports of aluminium from China. As a result, the economics of restarting and operating the facility are unfavourable. “We have worked diligently with local, state and federal officials, along with the power company, to reopen the smelter but we have been unable to secure a long-term, competitive power contract,” said

William King joins ALFED

Tiwai Point to stay open

West Bromwich-based William King is the latest company to join the Aluminium Federation (ALFED). The company, which employs around 150 people, began life as an ironmongers in the 1820s, expanded during the nineteenth century to incorporate iron and steel warehousing, trading and tinplate production. William King Director Andrew Worley said: ”We are delighted to join ALFED, and look forward to both deriving benefits from membership and contributing to the sector. Management of the distribution chain for all our products is our core focus, and we believe ALFED and its members can help us achieve continual improvement in the aluminium area.”

Fears the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter might close have receded for now but a new agreement only guarantees it will remain open until 2018. In a deal, Meridian Energy has won an increase in the price it gets for the electricity it supplies to the company. But it said the price was still less than the smelter would have paid if it had relied on the rest of the market to supply a big chunk of its power. Under previous agreements the smelter had the right to do this. Meridian will now supply most of the smelter’s 572 megawatts of power, but fuel 80 megawatts from Contact Energy into that mix. It said the agreement committed Meridian to cover the full 572

megawatts currently used at the smelter at more competitive rates for the smelter than would have applied if it had chosen to rely on other suppliers. The smelter meanwhile reiterat-

UC Rusal has announced the appointment of Bob Katsiouleris as Director of European Sales. Bob Katsiouleris will join Rusal following a successful period as Senior Vice President for Marketing, Sourcing and Sales at Nyrstar, where he was accountable for the company’s global commercial activities and supply chain management.

ed that its power was still too dear and was pinning its hopes on a cut to its transmission costs. This matter is being debated by the Electricity Authority.

Alba: Line 6 environmental permission Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba), has been recently granted the environmental permission for its Line 6 Expansion Project from the Supreme Council for Environment, Kingdom of Bahrain. The environmental permission, vital to Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project, was granted based on Aluminium International Today

Nadine sept oct.indd 2

detailed environmental and social impact assessments carried-out by a competent consultant and overseen by the Line 6 expansion team. To date, one of the top ten aluminium producers’ in the world, Alba’s Line 6 Expansion Project will make it the largest single site smelter in the world upon its com-

pletion. Expected to begin production in early 2019, this project will boost the company’s per-annum production by 514,000 metric tonnes upon full ramp-up, bringing its total production capacity to approximately 1,450,000 metric tonnes per year. Speaking about environmental

permission for its Line 6 Expansion Project, Alba’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Murray said: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Supreme Council for Environment - Kingdom of Bahrain. The receipt of this permit reaffirms the commitment and support of the Government of Bahrain.” September/October 2015

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4 INDUSTRY NEWS

IN BRIEF ALFED calls for support Manufacturing in the UK should come much higher in the government’s priorities, according to the UK’s aluminium trade body. Addressing the Aluminium Federation’s (ALFED) annual lunch at the House of Lords, its President, Simon MacVicker, Managing Director of Bridgnorth Aluminium, welcomed the development of the UK’s first Industrial Strategy for Metals, but highlighted the severe decline in the country’s aluminium capacity in recent years.

Rexam adds ‘Metal Recycles Forever’ logo

Rexam has announced the first commercial use of the Metal Recycles Forever logo in the UK market, printed on cans produced for micro-brewing customer Concrete Cow. The logo, endorsed by all members of Metal Packaging Europe, provides a definitive symbol for the packaging industry.

Alufoil Trophy 2016 EAFA, the European Aluminium Foil Association has announced that entries for the 2016 Alufoil Trophy competition are now open and will be accepted until 20 November 2015. The trophy is now recognised as the most highly valued award in the sector, with categories covering every aspect of aluminium foil and closures use. Applications include packaging, construction and automotive, as well as industrial and decoration.

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Alcoa realigns downstream Alcoa has realigned its downstream segment as the company’s value-add portfolio expands. Alcoa’s downstream portfolio will become two segments, one with a core focus on aerospace, and the other centred on the construction and commercial wheels markets. The realignment sup-

ports Alcoa’s transformation strategy to build its value-add portfolio for greater profitability. With Alcoa’s successful acquisition of RTI International Metals, Inc. (NYSE: RTI), the recent acquisitions of Firth Rixson and TITAL, and other innovation-led organic growth investments, the compa-

Novelis: Next-gen alloys Novelis has announced the development of the Novelis Advanz 7000-series of high-strength alloys designed for safety-critical components of vehicle structures. Two to three times stronger than any automotive aluminium used in high volumes today, Novelis Advanz 7000-series products can be used to manufacture components such as bumper systems, crash ring components and door intrusion beams. The new alloy series will offer a significant weight reduction when compared to current high strength steels in the marketplace, enabling automakers to further reduce the weight of vehicles while ensuring high levels of passenger safety. “As more automakers look to reduce vehicle weight and improve fuel economy, high-strength

aluminium alloys are playing an increasingly critical role in vehicle design,” said Jack Clark, Senior Vice President and Chief Technical Officer for Novelis.

ny continues to deepen its reach into the high-growth aerospace market. The Engineered Products and Solutions (EPS) segment, led by Group President Olivier Jarrault, has been streamlined to enable a core focus on Alcoa’s position as a premier aerospace partner.

Outotec acquires Kovit Outotec has acquired the Canadian based Kovit Engineering Limited from its founders. Kovit Engineering is one of the leading technical consulting and engineering companies specialising in surface and underground mine tailings solutions. The acquisition complements Outotec’s existing dewatering and tailings treatment solutions and services as well as strengthens Outotec’s position as a global provider of sustainable tailings management solutions. The parties have agreed not to disclose the acquisition price. The acquisition will not impact Outotec’s financial guidance for 2015.

New Combilift facility

MATECH BV: New website The new website from MATECH brings a recognisable but fresh appearance, more news and social media, up-to-date and a full range of product information. Visitors can view the website by searching: www.matech.nl

For up-to-date news & views www.aluminiumtoday.com September/October 2015

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Combilift Ltd recently formally inaugurated the construction process of its new €40 million, 46,000m² manufacturing facility and global HQ in Monaghan, Ireland. In the presence of local dignitaries and Combilift’s current work-

force of 350, Managing Director Martin McVicar and Technical Director Robert Moffett turned the first sod on the 40 hectare site which will house a multi-function facility including a dedicated R&D building, purpose built testing

area and adjoining administration offices. The facility is larger than originally announced and the expansion will position Combilift to double its current €150 million turnover by 2020. Aluminium International Today

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6 INDUSTRY NEWS NEWS IN BRIEF Gulf industry to showcase development Gulf Industry Fair 2016 (GIF) will be unveiling a serious of events and initiatives at the Fair to enhance its reputation for being the GCC’s exclusive annual industrial promotion showcase, championing economic diversification and industrialisation across the GCC. The 2016 annual industrial event is scheduled to take place from February 9th – 11th 2016.

ISRI Design for Recycling The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI), has released a call for entries for the 2016 Design for Recycling (DFR) Award. Interested parties can enter online before the January 15, 2016 deadline: www.isri.org

EEF expanding Emirates Extrusion Factory LLC [EEF], the private equity arm of Dubai Investments PJSC [DI], has announced plans to commission its third extrusion line at its plant in Techno Park, Dubai. The company is expecting to increase its production capacity by another 7,000 Metric Tonnes per annum.

ALBA: Safety campaign Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C (Alba) has launched the ‘Go to Work and Come Back Home Safe’ Campaign. The Campaign’s objective is to create awareness on the importance of employees working safely with the aim to return home to their loved ones.

Alupro: IBA Protocol Following approval from Defra and the Environment Agencies, revisions are being introduced to the protocol that account for aluminium packaging recovered from incinerator bottom ash (IBA). Three revisions to the protocol are designed to obtain a more accurate rate of the aluminium packaging currently being recycled in the UK or exported for recycling, the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) has announced.

For up-to-date news & views www.aluminiumtoday.com September/October 2015

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www.aluminiumtoday.com

Sustainability agenda Constellium has detailed its progress on sustainability in its recently published ‘Business and sustainability Performance Report 2014’. “The progress we continue to make is a proof of our commitment to sustainability. Every day, thanks to our people’s contribu-

tions and the cooperation with our external stakeholders, we make continuous advances on doing business responsibly and delivering sustainable products to the markets in which we operate,” said Ingrid Joerg, Chairwoman of Constellium’s Sustainability Coun-

cil and President of Constellium’s Aerospace and Transportation business unit. More details on our sustainability highlights and recycling approach are available online at www.business-sustainability.constellium.com

Alufoil deliveries pick up The European domestic market for aluminium foil made a welcome return to growth in Q2. It improved by 0.3% compared with the same period in 2014. This means that the shortfall on total deliveries has narrowed to just 0.7%, down markedly from the 2.5% seen in the first three months of 2015, according to new figures released by EAFA, the European Aluminium Foil Association. From January to June deliveries in the EAFA region* were 439,300

tonnes (compared with 442,200t for the first six months of 2014). Once again thicker gauges, used typically for semi-rigid containers and technical applications, led the way with an increase of 4.5%, continuing the growth established at the end of last year, following a considerable period of decline. *EAFA region covers EU 28, Armenia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro, Norway, Russia, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey.

White House Clean Power Plan The White House is announcing final regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which will reportedly require that the nation’s existing power plants cut emissions 32% from 2005 levels by 2030. This reflects an increase from the 30% target originally proposed in the draft regulation released last June.

Aluminum Association President & CEO Heidi Brock commented: “The aluminium industry remains committed to the continued availability of reasonably and predictably-priced power as a cornerstone of American manufacturing. While we recognise the importance of minimising greenhouse gas emissions as a policy goal, it is critical that these decisions are made in

a global context. Through voluntary efforts, the carbon impact of producing primary aluminium in North America has dropped by 37% since 1995, meaning that aluminium made here is some of the cleanest in the world. Regulations that increase the cost of electricity hurt our global competitiveness and drive aluminium production to high-carbon regions overseas.”

2015 DIARY November 4-5 UK Aluminium Conference* The two-day event will feature speakers from companies such as Sapa, Aston Martin, Rexam, Jaguar Land Rover and Alcoa. www.alfed.org.uk/events

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9 - 11 N. America Automotive Lightweight Procurement Symposium 2015*

21st International Industrial Exhibition of ferrous and nonferrous products, as well as state-of-the art equipment, contemporary solutions and technologies. www.metal-expo.ru.en/

Focused on automotive lightweighting, supply/process chain and procurement

11 - 12 Aluminum USA*

The US market is the third-largest global market in the aluminium industry. Over the last five years the demand for aluminium in the US increased by roughly 30%. www.aluminium-messe.com

15 - 17 ARABAL* The Arab International Aluminium Conference and Exhibition (ARABAL) is the premium trade event for the Middle East’s aluminium industry. Hosted by Ma’aden, Saudi Arabia. www.arabal.com

*Pick up a free copy of Aluminium International Today at this event For a full listing visit www.aluminiumtoday.com and click on Events Diary Aluminium International Today

9/14/15 2:12 PM

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USA UPDATE 9 5

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In the sustainability spotlight The “greenness” of aluminium and other materials used to manufacture goods has become increasingly important – not just in North America but around the world – amid growing concerns of climate change and other environmental issues. Myra Pinkham* explains “Sustainability has long been a major advantage of aluminium as not only can it be recycled forever but a great portion of the energy used to produce primary product is hydro power, as opposed to steel which is produced using coking coal,” observes Lloyd O’Carroll, the principal and research analyst for O’Carroll Aluminum Bulletin, Richmond, USA. But it hasn’t been resting on its laurels. In fact, the aluminium industry has made great strides to become even greener over the past few decades and is committed to continue doing so. Jessica Sanderson, director of sustainability, for Novelis Inc. says that as demand for aluminium grows it will become increasingly important for the industry to find ways to further decrease its energy usage and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Aluminium is not alone in pursuing this goal: “There has been a tremendous effort to increase sustainability throughout corporate America (and around the world) since the late 1970s,” Timothy Hayes, principal of Lawrence Capital Management, New York, says, sparked by a general change of mindset triggered by the 2008 spike in energy prices. He observes that even now energy prices are at record lows, this mindset continues. Hayes says, in addition to the obvious environmental benefit, having greater energy efficiencies is also positive for companies’ bottom lines. While all

companies aim to be more profitable, he says this is especially important for the more commodity based upstream producers. “That is why the big aluminium producers tend to focus so much upon the cost side,” he points out. Energy use is the single largest input for aluminium production, according to Marshall Wang, senior sustainability specialist for the Aluminum Association. There is no doubt that the North American aluminium industry is cleaner than it has ever been, Wang says, noting that a peer-reviewed aluminium lifecycle assessment study released by the industry last year showed that the energy needed to produce new primary aluminium was down more than a quarter since 1995 and that the industry’s carbon footprint was down nearly 40%. “This is equivalent to 37 million barrels of oil saved and 25 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent GHG reduced per year,” he explains. How did the industry do this? Wang says first and foremost, U.S. and Canadian aluminium producers are using more carbon-free, renewable hydropower for primary production with 75% of North American production being produced using hydropower today vs. 63% in 1991. That, according to Gervais Jacques, chief commercial officer for Montreal-based Rio Tinto Alcan, is considerably higher than what is happening worldwide. He estimates that only about 30% of the

world’s smelters currently use hydropower for their production and that rate is likely to decrease to as low as 24-25% by 2020 given that most of the growth in primary aluminium production is expected to come from China and Chinese smelters tend to rely upon coal as their energy source. Wang says that the industry has not only significantly reduced its carbon dioxide emissions but it also reduced its intensity of perfluorocarbon emissions by 85% since the early 1990s through a voluntary effort in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for which it was recognised by the EPA with its 2001 Climate Change Protection Award. Advancements in aluminium production technologies, including improved computerised process controls, has also helped companies to produce aluminium more efficiently. One example of this is the continued advancements of Rio Tinto Alcan’s AP technology, including its next generation AP6X (formerly known as AP60) pot technology that the company began operating at its new 60,000-tonnes-peryear Arvida smelter at its Saguenay-Lac-StJean, Quebec, technology centre, which it says is the most technologically advanced aluminium smelter in the world. It is also being used at its upgraded Kitimat smelter in British Columbia, which started up in late June. Jacques says by incorporating its AP6X technology at Kitimat it has resulted in

*US Correspondent Aluminium International Today

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September/October 2015

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10 USA UPDATE

a big improvement in fuel usage there – enabling Rio Tinto to reduce emissions by about 50% at the same time as it increased production, also by 50%, to over 400,000 tonnes per year. “It is all about efficiencies, productivity and size,” he explains. “Not only are the new pots bigger, but they are higher amperage and more efficient, therefore the productivity per pot is much higher with the new technology.” He says the way the emissions are collected and treated with the new technology vs. the older one is also like night and day, allowing the use of the same resources more efficiently and resulting in the production of more aluminium both per pot and per square foot. Largely through licensing agreements, Jacques says more than eight million tonnes of the 53 million tonnes of aluminium produced worldwide is done so using the various versions of the AP technology. “Given current market conditions there isn’t much demand for new smelters right now, but when companies consider new smelting projects, I have no doubt that the AP6X technology will be considered,” Jacques says. Upstream sustainability, however, does not stop at the aluminium smelters and alumina refineries, O’Carroll points out. Plans in place at bauxite mines are expected to result in only minimal disturbance to the environment and a level of site rehabilitation that has never been seen before. “One under-reported story is the increasing role of secondary, or recycled, aluminium production in the United States,” Wang says noting that currently 70% of raw aluminium production in the United States is secondary – a direct reversal of the situation in the 1980s when only 30% of US production was recycled. He adds that the United States recycles more than twice the amount of aluminium than it did in the 1980s and that recycled metal is an ever-growing percentage of U.S. aluminium supply, “And since making recycled aluminium is more than 90% more energy efficient than making primary metal, this obviously has a major impact on industry sustainability.” There is much potential for recycling and increased recycled content of aluminium and aluminium containing products going forward. This is especially true, Novelis’ Sanderson says, since it is estimated that about 75% of the aluminium that has been produced since it first became commercially available in the early 1900s is still in use today. “As with all metals there is a saturation point as to the amount of material that can be produced to support recycling efforts moving forward, but we are not there yet with aluminium, given the greater

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Novelis is also looking “ at new alloy development with the hope that it will lessen the sorting that its

”

alloys need to do

says Jessica Sanderson urbanisation and the fact that aluminium has been going into a wider range of product lines with its use to lightweight automobiles and other transportation equipment,” Sanderson says. Maintaining that, it will still be some time before all of that demand can be met by recycling. The success of aluminium recycling, however, varies product by product and region by region. “When it comes to automotive (and other types of transportation equipment) and aluminium in buildings, there are already very high recycling rates,” says Catherine Athenes, sustainability council leader and marketing director for French-based Constellium. “But packaging is a bit more challenging because it also has a lot to do with putting collection systems in place and with consumer behaviour.” This is despite the perception of used beverage cans (UBCs) being the most

universally recycled end product. Clearly recycling of UBCs has been a success story, at least for the cans that have been collected. Sanderson notes that the can to can lifecycle is only about 60 days from when a beverage is purchased to when it is put back onto the shelf, but making that happen involves a lot of collaboration. Therefore UBC recycling rates vary widely region by region with Brazil, for example, boasting 98% recycling rates while Athenes says Europe has brought its UBC recycling rate to just under 70%. It has been a bit more challenging to raise UBC recycling rates in North America, Sanderson says, given that there isn’t as much of an economic incentive as there is in some other areas of the world and the supply chain is much more complicated. The question is who is going to be responsible for funding collection sites and where the collection sites will be located, she says, noting that often they end up being located at retail stores, which isn’t the most efficient or cost effective way to do it. And even in communities where there is kerbside recycling, often aluminium ends up funding the recycling of other materials given that it is of greater value. Nevertheless North American UBC recycling rates are also moving in the right direction. Wang observes that since the early 2000s industry recycling of aluminium cans, including imported can scrap, has grown by nearly 17 percentage points to 66.5% while consumer recycling has grown more than 12 percentage points to 56.7% in 2014 with recycling rates for aluminium cans far exceeding recycling rates of glass and plastic bottles, which were 34.1% and 31.2%, respectively. Also, according to a report prepared last year by environmental research firm PE International, the energy use in the production of North American can production fell 14% while its carbon footprint fell 20% from 2010 to 2014 and its recycled content increased from 68% to 70%.

“

When it comes to automotive and aluminium in

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buildings, there are already very high recycling rates, says Catherine Athenes, Constellium

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As far as the transportation sector, Wang notes that more and more companies are looking to lightweight materials like aluminium to meet their long-term sustainability goals. Nevertheless, end of life aluminium recycling of automobiles has been hampered by the low concentration – at least to date – of aluminium per vehicle, which hasn’t been great enough to make it worthwhile to dismantle the small pieces of the vehicle – usually hang-on parts – that are made of aluminium, Sanderson says. “But moving forward, when the concentration of aluminium increases and there are more aluminium intensive vehicles, there will be a different approach at the end of life and it will be much more valuable to dismantle parts from the car and to keep them separate in a closed loop approach. But that is still 15 to 20 years down the road for the cars being produced today,” Sanderson notes. Currently when a car comes to its end of life and goes through an auto shredder, the sorting of the shredded scrap is somewhat limited, Athenes observes. While the ferrous and nonferrous scrap is easily separated by the use of magnets and

there is often some basic sorting beyond that, perhaps separating aluminium out. However, that aluminium scrap is generally used for such castings as engine blocks. However, if greater sorting would occur, that would enable the original metal to be brought back to as close to the original metal as possible. “This way you don’t need to use as much primary aluminium to ‘sweeten’ the mix, which is necessary when you use less desirable grades of scrap,” says Hayes. Athenes says there has been some research projects, including one that Constellium is working on with the Colorado School of Mines, to look at different technologies to improve the sorting of shredded scrap. “In the meantime we need to be much more judicious in terms of working with our customers and direct take back programmes so we are taking back all of their production and making sure that stays within a closed loop,” Sanderson says. Closing the loop during the stamping process is becoming more and more of a common practice, Athenes says, but it only works if the OEM is willing to meticulously sort the manufacturing scrap by specific

alloy and to return it to the aluminium producer vs. selling it back to the market. “Constellium is also looking at developing certain new alloys that would potentially be more scrap tolerant at the end of life,” she says, so they would “welcome” more scrap and could be produced using more recycled aluminium and less primary metal without compromising quality and performance. Sanderson says Novelis is also looking at such alloy development with the hope that it will lessen the sorting that its alloys need to do. Both companies say that such development is still in the early stages. “First we need to collaborate with our customers and understand exactly what their performance requirements are.” “One of the biggest opportunities for continued advancement of the industry’s environmental stewardship is by continuing to improve recycling rates for aluminium,” Wang says. “Our research has found that a 10% increase in end of life recycling rates decreases primary energy demand and GHG emissions by 15%.” He says, “while recycling rates for many aluminium products are already very high, opportunities for improvement exist.”

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12 MIDDLE EAST UPDATE

Growth in the Gulf With the planned Line 6 expansion at Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), it is clear to see that the Gulf is continuing its growth efforts. Nadine Firth* spoke to Mahmood Daylami** (pictured) about the Gulf Aluminium Council’s (GAC) upcoming plans and current regional market trends. Q. What are the GAC’s plans for the rest of 2015? A. During the 4th quarter this year, the GAC has its annual Aluminium Market Update, which is a special market review for the GAC members and attended by CEO’s, CMO’s and Senior Marketing Managers of Primary and Downstreams in the Gulf. The GAC will be organising a special meeting in Europe to discuss the EU/GCC Aluminium Trade relationship between EU & GCC aluminium executives and various representatives that are involved in the trade of aluminium. In November, the GAC will also arrange a special Environmental Conference for GAC members only, discussing best practices, relevant environmental issues facing the industry in general and the gulf region in particular. Before the end of the year we will have a two-day seminar for senior managers to discuss various aspects of the aluminium industry, including the challenges, costs, raw materials, finance, downstream and a technology update. All these events are for GAC members only.

bauxite from Guinea. Phase one will be two million tonnes per year with planned production by 2020. Ma’aden has its own bauxite reserve and their refinery construction is complete. Cost reduction will be the other challenge that the smelters will be heavily engaged with during the coming years. Q. Do you see continued growth of aluminium production in the Gulf over the coming years? A. EGA has a plan to boost its capacity by 40,000 tonnes per year by 2017. Also Alba is to finalise its approval process for line 6, adding another 500,000 tonnes a year to their existing production. Q. What are the main reasons behind this growth? A. The main reason is world market demand in the long term. Although the demand and supply currently seems to be in equilibrium, and Chinese exports seem to be causing some distortion.

Q. How is the current aluminium market affecting the industry in the Gulf? A. The Gulf industry is affected like any other region in the world. The volatility of the market and the low price will provide extra pressure to reduce cost and improve productivity and efficiency in all primary and downstreams.

Q. Is there still a high demand for aluminium in the Gulf? Or is there a projection for growth in exports? A. Local demand is increasing, for example, two years ago only 30% of primary production was consumed locally and now it’s 40% with new operations and planned expansion of downstreams it is expected to reach 50% in two years time. Having said that, the GCC aluminium will remain export oriented for primary aluminium for the foreseeable future.

Q. In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges facing the aluminium industry in the Gulf? A. The biggest challenge is raw material, which is imported; this applies to alumina and carbon. However, EGA will start its own aluminium refinery using imported

Q. Is there a current trend for companies in the Gulf to turn their attention towards valueadded products or will primary production remain at the forefront of the industry in the region? A. The downstream industry for value-

added products will be the main focus during the coming years. Q. How is the GAC working with the aluminium industry in the Gulf? A. The GAC is working closely with the aluminium industry through various committees that have been set up for specific issues such as Maintenance, Power, Health, Safety and Environment, also the GAC Board consists of the Chief Executive Officers of all the GCC smelters who meet at least four times a year to discuss common challenges and issues of concern. Q. Do you see continued Research & Development in the industry? A. There are two types of R&D. The first is production technology and associated processes, which are mainly carried out by EGA such as DX technology, which is currently considered the leading technology for aluminium production. The second is R&D that is specific to special equipment to improve on productivity. Q. What does the future hold for the aluminium industry in the Gulf in the short and long term? A. Once Alba’s line 6 is approved, there is no specific plan by any smelter for further expansion for the time being. However, there are plenty of opportunities for the long term that has not yet been decided on. The biggest area of growth will need to be in the downstream for value-added products. However short term and long term, the Gulf aluminium industry will continue to be a major player within the world aluminium industry due to its product quality, reliability, geographic location and efficient modern infrastructure.

*Secretary General, GAC September/October 2015

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14 TURKEY UPDATE

Russia’s Turkish Delight Turkey has always been an important market for metals and mining companies based in Russia thanks to the proximity of the Black Sea ports. To demonstrate RUSAL’s commitment to service this important market as a dependable long-term partner, the formation of a new representative office in Istanbul has been announced. Here, Ihsan Kösoglu, who leads the Turkish office, shares some insights on Turkey’s overall economic situation, the trends of the Turkish aluminium market and RUSAL’s current situation and future there. Turkey has the world's 17th largest economy and is the fastest growing country in Europe. The income per capita has passed $10,000 during the last decade. Some economists classify Turkey as a developed country while others say it is still an emerging market. Turkey aims to be the 10th largest economy in 2023 celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Turkish Republic. Being geographically located in the political and economic centre surrounded by Europe, Russia & CIS and the Middle East, Turkey presents unique business opportunities. With the youngest population in Europe (78 million people with an average age of 29 years) coupled with customs unions with the EU countries make Turkey a key industrial country for Europe. The total annual volume of export has reached $160 billion in 2014 while more than 50% of this volume is exported within the EU. Turkey’s main industries are in the industrial sector (consumer electronics and home appliances, textiles, automotive, ship building and steel), construction, service (transport and tourism), and agricultural. As a result, the production of many of these products is shifting to Turkey from other European countries. During the last decade, Turkey has become the largest producer of electronics and home appliances in Europe producing

21 million units in 2014. Also Turkey is the largest commercial vehicle producer and the seventh largest passenger car producer in Europe reaching to 1,2 million units in 2014 including world famous brands such as Hyundai, Ford, Renault, Fiat, Honda and Toyota. In the first five months of 2015, the unit production has already grown 18%. Such promising and sustainable growth is expected in every sector as Turkey has high quality products, a strong R&D policy and a good service. Steady upward trends Approximately 94% of the Turkish aluminium market is dependent on aluminium raw material imports, as the country does not have natural energy resources to produce aluminium. There is only one aluminium smelter with a 60,000mt annual capacity while Turkey demands around 1 million mt every year. About half of Turkish aluminium is imported from Russia thanks to the proximity of the Russian Black Sea ports. A reasonable share of raw aluminium also comes from the Arabic states. Aluminium consumption per capita in Turkey was very low 15 years ago, only about 3kg. However, primary aluminium consumption has experienced a steady upward trend within the last five years, from 571kt in 2009 to 1053kt in 2014. Growth has come from foil consumption

in packaging and extrusion consumption in construction. Turkey has become not only an aluminium importing country, but also an aluminium exporting country, with the growing demand for the products created by Turkish extruders. During the last five years, Turkey’s economic growth average has been 5.36% allowing positive aluminium consumption trends on the aluminium market. RUSAL recognises the importance of the fast growing Turkish market forecasting aluminium demand growth at 5.8%, increasing to 1480kmt in 2020. Primary aluminium demand in Turkey is expected to be supported by automotive and spareparts production development, increasing semi and fabricated products exports, particularly in Europe, and the recovery of domestic construction. The profile of consumed products falls into two main categories; billets and cast products. Focusing on castings, automotive alloys for wheels is estimated at 170kt whereas continuously cast sheet for foil and other flat products makes up about 410kt. About 30kt of wire rod are traded in Turkey and imported rolling slabs are consumed for tool plate applications only. Supplies of aluminium to Turkey are estimated to comprise 62% commodity aluminium and 38% alloys and wire rod. Commodity imports have historically been supplied from Russia and CIS states

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due to the geographic proximity to the Black Sea ports, with minimal presence of Middle Eastern and Indian metal. In the last two years, shipments from South Africa have increased and are now exceeding 30kt. For alloys the picture is quite different, with Turkish market growth in alloys being largely supplied from new smelter capacity in the Middle East. Imposing new duty tax on imported primary aluminium Turkey, besides being a candidate country, has a customs union with the EU since 1996. Therefore one may see the new duty tax imposition as a result of the EU harmonisation process. As these taxes will be binding Turkish aluminium market players, RUSAL does not expect any imbalance within the context of competition. However, this new challenging environment may have a negative effect on Turkish exports to the EU. As a large primary aluminium supplier of Turkey, RUSAL will not be deterred with the duty tax imposition from being strongly committed to keep on serving existing and new customers in Turkey.

Strengthening brand value RUSAL has been supplying aluminium to Turkey through various agents and traders for about 15 years with imports for combined alloy and commodity, totalling 490kt in 2014. The company aims to take close to 50% of incremental demand during 2014-2020, accounting for 235kmt of additional supply. Higher sales will be supported by a change in sales structure direct to end-users, expansion of billets capacity at KrAZ, increase in production of primary foundry alloys and wire rod at the company’s smelters enabling a doubling of VAP sales, and a change in contract structure for commodity metal after 2018. Although RUSAL holds a dominant position in the market, customers often do not see the RUSAL brand behind the trading companies through which we supply to Turkey. This is why it has been crucial for the company to find a new communication channel with endconsumers that would raise awareness of and promote RUSAL’s brand value. As such, the establishment of a direct representative office should help communicate a stronger local position for the company by promoting our

key competitive advantages including reliability, quality and sustainability. The main tasks for our office will be promoting RUSAL as a brand, developing a portfolio of customers in desired segments and establishing relationships, sufficient to achieve our desired market share. Also we will be actively seeking new business opportunities in the region. In conclusion, today RUSAL sees a positive development of bilateral economic relations between Russia and Turkey. Russia is second in Turkish turnover after other EU countries, while Turkey is seventh for Russia. The Turkish share of Russian turnover is roughly 4%, with minerals (about 60%) and metals & metal goods (about 20%) being the key Russian export items. In particular, the annual growth of metal export is estimated at more than 35% and I am determined that RUSAL will keep on playing an important role in the elaboration of friendly constructive relations between two countries. This positive trade environment will differentiate RUSAL from our competitors in the Turkish market.  Contact www.rusal.ru

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Spent potlining: A myriad of opportunities By Dawei Yu1, Vishnuvardhan Mambakkam1, Andre Hernandez Rivera1, Donghui Li1 and Kinnor Chattopadhyay1,2

simulations and advanced characterisation techniques. Additionally they have developed potential alternate applications of SPL. Some of the potential applications of SPL developed at the University of Toronto are discussed in the following sections. SPL as a flux Investigations were performed on the recovery of metals from molten nickel/ copper converter slags with the utilisation of SPL as an additive. In a nickel/copper smelter, converting is a common practice for sulphur and iron removal from the molten matte by injecting air or oxygenenriched air. During the converting operation, substantial amounts of valuable metals (Ni, Cu, and Co) are lost in the molten converter slag in the forms of oxides (dissolved in the slag) and sulphides (entrained matte droplets) due to the oxidative

environment and turbulentnature of the converting operation, which necessitates further metal recovery from the converter slag. Metal recovery is performed in an electric matte settling furnace, in which the molten converter slag is kept at high temperatures (~1200째C) for 2-5 hours. Reducing environment is created in the matte settling furnace by adding coke as the reductant. Because the matte phase is denser than the molten silicate slag phase, the matte droplets gradually settle through the molten slag to the bottom of the furnace, which allows further recovery. The carbon value in the SPL could create a reducing environment, improving the matte recovery by reducing the dissolved oxides of Ni, Cu and Co into metallic/ matte form. The fluorides in the SPL could decrease the viscosity of the molten converter slag, thus accelerating the settling of matte droplets through the molten slag. Thermodynamic simulation

100 0 wt% 0.2 wt% 0.5 wt% 1.0 wt% 1.25 wt% 1.5 wt% 2.0 wt% 3.0 wt% 4.0 wt% 5.0 wt%

Fig 1. Matte recovery as a function of the settling time with the addition of varying amounts of SPL first cut into the molten converter slag

Matte recovery (wt%)

Spent potlining (SPL) is a well-known waste product from the aluminium electrolytic cell. Due to the presence of leachable cyanides and fluorides, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) classified the SPL as a hazardous waste material in 1988[1, 2]. It is also listed as a special waste in Canada[3]. There is a big variation of SPL compositions reported in the literature[1, 3-5, 6-18] , which is due to the variation in the cell lining components, dismantling procedures, and how long the pot has operated[3]. Approximately 53,127 thousand tonnes of primary aluminium was produced worldwide in the year 2014[19]. For each tonne of primary aluminium produced, about ~25 kg of SPL is generated[8]. So the SPL generation rate is approximately 1 to 1.5 million tons per annum, and this is a significant environmental burden to the aluminium industry. The current disposal options are: Secured landfills which require costly remediation[9], use as a feedstock for other industries (e.g. steelmaking[17, 20] , mineral wool industry), fluidised bed combustion[16], pyrohydrolysis and pyrosulfolysis, etc[1]. Previous studies[3] indicated that more than 50% of the total amount of SPL generated is stored in lined/ unlined sites/buildings, waiting for further treatment. This not only represents a significant environmental hazard, but also opens up more opportunities for efficient waste management of SPL, and using it as a resource and strategic raw material[21]. At the University of Toronto, the Process Metallurgy and Modelling Group (PM2G) is working extensively to understand the chemistry of SPL through thermochemical

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1. Process Metallurgy and Modelling Group (PM2G), Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada 2. CEO, Innovative Extractive Technologies Ltd., Canada Aluminium International Today

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SiF4

3,000

Moles

2,250

1,500

750

0 1,100

Fig 2. Experimental setup for the matte settling in the molten converter slag

Fig 3. (A) Cross section of the converter slag after matte settling with 2 wt% SPL first cut; (B) Microscopic image of the matte droplets settled to the bottom of the crucible

was performed by equilibrating varying amounts of SPL (0~5 g) with 100g molten nickel converter slag, and the chemical compositions of equilibrium phases were calculated. Based on the compositions of the molten slags, viscosities of the molten slags were also calculated with the Viscosity module of the FactSage. A MATLAB program was written to simulate the simultaneous settling of a large number of matte droplets in the molten converter slag measuring 1m deep, as a function of the addition of SPL first cut. Fig.1 illustrates the simulation results, in which the matte recovery is plotted as a function of the matte settling time by adding varying amounts of SPL first cut. As can be seen, addition of SPL first cut substantially accelerates the matte settling process. By adding 1.25 wt% SPL first cut, matte recovery of 90% could be achieved after settling for 100 min, comparing to the matte recovery of only around 20% by conventional settling process in 240 min. Experimental work was also performed to investigate the effect of the addition of SPL on the matte settling process. Varying amounts of SPL first cut were mixed with solid converter slag, and kept at 1200°C in an electric furnace (Fig.2) for one hour. The solid products were examined. Fig.3 shows the cross section of the converter slag after settling with the addition of 2wt% SPL first cut. As can be seen, most of the matte droplets settled to the bottom of the crucible, confirming that the addition of SPL first cut could accelerate the matte settling process. SPL as a raw material to manufacture SiC bricks A patent by Brosnan in 2002[22] proposed a method for treating SPL by crushing the waste and adding SiO2 at high temperatures (around 1800°C). The high September/October 2015

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1,200

temperature is required to overcome the kinetics of the solid-solid phase reaction, and in addition destroys the harmful fluorides and cyanides. The fluorides will be converted to fluoridic gasses (refer to Fig.4). An investigation was conducted as to whether this process could be improved by using a pre-treatment step. The step that was used in the investigation was a two-step leaching process, as presented in “Recovery of carbon and cryolite from spent pot lining of aluminium reduction cells by chemical leaching”[23]. This paper presented a two-step leaching process designed to leach Na3AlF6, Al2O3, CaF2, and NaAl11O17. With the removal of these components, there will be more surface area of carbon exposed and available to react with the silica, thus aiding in the kinetics. To investigate whether this pretreatment could improve the SiC formation process, SPL samples were subjected to two different tests (refer to Fig.5). In the first test, SPL is put through the SiC production process without leaching. SPL is ground and added to SiO2 in a molar ratio of 3:1. The mixture is then put into a low-oxygen furnace (N2 is blasted in to create a reducing atmosphere) and heated to 1800°C. The gasses are gathered using a water column, and fluoride yield is measured. Solid product is retrieved and SiC is separated out by floatation. In the second test, SPL is first leached with 2.5 mol/L NaOH, then washed with water, and then leached with 9.7 mol/L HCl. The solid by-product is retrieved and XPS was used to measure fluoride yield. Then, the process from the first test is done on the solid by-product. Fluoride gas and SiC yield are measured again. SPL as a raw material One solution to remove fluorides from SPL, and simultaneously generate revenue, can

1,300

1,400 1,500 1,600 Temperature (Celcius)

1,700

1,800

Fig 4. SiF4 and HF emissions from SPL-fluxed SiC production thermodynamic simulation

be to produce hydrofluoric acid, which is done in the fluorine industry with the mined mineral fluorite[24]. This creates economic pressure to continue to mine, and lead to environmental concerns. However, by recycling the fluoride content in 1st cut SPL, it may be possible to scrub the fluoride containing gasses to produce HF acid, and economically support the recycling process. Globally, more than four million tonnes of fluorspar is mined annually. Part of the fluorspar contributes to the one million tonnes of production of HF annually[25]. HF is important in the production of fluorocarbon polymers like teflon, intermediate compounds for a wide range of drugs like Prozac and insecticides, and in electronics[25]. It is also used as a catalyst in forming alkanes from smaller alkenes. Industrially it’s used to produce synthetic cryolite, the main constituent in electrolyte melt[25]. To deal with the cyanides in both 1st cut and 2nd cut SPL, the most economical method would be combustion, at temperatures as low as 200°C [26]. Another advantage would be that the typically high carbon content can be exhausted, reducing the mass of the remaining solid product, with the possibility of utilising the combustion energy for other localised processes. In order to define the appropriate combustion conditions, FactSage simulations were carried out based on a 1st cut MSDS. Temperatures between 500°C and 1800°C were studied, and dry air was added in stoichiometric proportion to the carbon in SPL[27]. Provided that equilibrium conditions are reached, it is at 800°C that most of the fluorides would be in solid form, with some undesirable fluorides leaving in the off gasses. Lower temperatures favour Aluminium International Today

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H2O

NaF

Leach SPL with 2.5M NaOH to remove Na3AIF6 and Al2O3

NaAIF4

Leaching pre-treatment step [2] Wash the leftover solid with water to remove NaF

Heat mixture in low-oxygen furnace to at least 1800°C

SiC Production Step [1]

Leach SPL with 9.7M HCI to remove CaF2 and NaAl11O17

Treat fluoridric flue gasses with water column or other treatment method

Use leftover solid as “waste” in SiC process [1]: Brosnan D.A. Process for Recycling Spent Pot Liner: USA, 6471931B1 [P]. 2002 [2]: Zhong-ning S, Wei L, Xian-wei H, Bi-jun R, Bing-liang G, Zhao-wen W. Recovery of carbon and cryolite from spent pot lining of aluminum reductions cells by chemical leaching (J). Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China, 2012:222-227

Fig 5. Process flow sheet for both pre-leaching + SiC formation

lower fluoride emissions, so if the intention is to keep most fluorides in the solid phase, combustion needs to be at lower temperatures. There is less incentive to lower temperature combustion because of the need to scrub the off gasses, disposal of solid waste, and no revenue generated from the byproducts. An alternative would be to combust at temperatures above 1300°C, with the purpose of converting most of the fluorides into gas. The higher the temperature, the less NaAlF4 gas is formed, and the more NaF is produced, while HF increases slightly (refer to Fig .6). The solid products would include alumina, Ca2Mg2Al28O46, CaMg2Al16O27. Additionally, there were no liquid products detected at between 1300°C and 1500°C. At temperatures approaching 1500°C, HF can be water scrubbed along with the other fluoride gasses as impurities (see Fig.7). They would need to be further concentrated to produce commercial hydrofluoric acid. Additional ideas The idea of using SPL to produce SiC is rooted in the thought process that SPL can be used to contribute to future lining material, rather than fluxes. SiC is an impressive engineering material due to its abrasiveness and resistance to reduction. Thus, it serves well as a liner for an aluminium electrolysis cell (closing a loop back to the aluminium industry). However, other portions of the SPL can also be used to create liner material. For example, a thesis was published in 2014 detailing a possible liner material made from graphite, alumina and silicon carbide[28]. Since dross (excess alumina scraped off and sometimes amalgamated

Mass (grams)

Crush waste (90% of particles have diameter <1mm), add to SiO2 (ex. sand)

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0 500

825

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Fig 6. Main fluorine containing species in the combustion of gasses

1st cut SPL

Combustion (950-1050°C) Fig 7. Combustion process to eliminate cyanide and fluorides from 1st cut SPL

Fluoride containing gasses

Non-toxic calcine

Cement or landfilled

with SPL) is also a problem for the aluminium industry, solutions are required for that as well, and this possibility takes care of portions of SPL and dross. Another possibility is to make use of the concentrated carbon and fluoride content, along with limited other halogens, to produce perfluorocarbon, or PFCs. If successfully purified, the stable compounds may be used in medical applications as oxygen carriers in place of autogenic blood[29]. PFCs have the advantage of being biologically inert, and able to dissolve 50 times more oxygen than blood plasma[30]. Thus, they are useful in surgeries that may require additional oxygen supply[29]. It may also be used in liquid ventilation, filling the lungs with liquid PFCs carrying oxygen in place of nitrogen in air, where

Water Scrubbing

HF acid, NaF, NaAlF4

Non-fluoride off-gasses

ESP or Bag filters

acute lung damage has occurred[31]. Although technical issues in regards to the purification of the SPL gasses, PFC applications may hold promise in the future of medicine. Conclusion The process metallurgy and modelling group (PM2G) at the University of Toronto, looks at SPL as a strategic material as opposed to a hazardous waste. In the 21st century, better waste management procedures are required to deal with SPL, rather than procedures like landfilling and seawater leaching. The way forward will be to use SPL in value added applications, ensuring proper waste handling and disposal, and making the environment much cleaner and safer. 

For the full list of references, visit www.aluminiumtoday.com/features and click on spent potlining. You can download a pdf of the full version of this paper for free September/October 2015

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Smelting success EGA DX+ smelting technology selected for Alba expansion From inception in 1979, Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has been committed to continuous innovation in the aluminium smelting process. This has been clearly reflected over the last 25 years or so through EGA’s continual in-house development and industrialscale installation of enhanced proprietary smelting technologies that deliver higher production volumes, improved current efficiencies and environmental benefits – together contributing to the production capacity of EGA’s smelter assets totaling 2.4 million tonnes per year and placing EGA among the five largest primary aluminium producers in the world. The success of EGA’s technology development efforts has not gone unnoticed. To the contrary, EGA has rightfully earned a global industry position as a valuable provider of smelting technologies. This was recently re-affirmed by Aluminium Bahrain BSC (Alba), selecting EGA’s DX+ Smelting Technology in December 2012 for its Line 6 Bankable Feasibility Study; followed by the milestone decision by Alba to select the September/October 2015

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same technology for its Line 6 Expansion Project. Announced in early-July 2015, the multi-billion dollar project will entail a new 1.4 kilometre long potline that will boost Alba’s annual production by an additional 514,000 tonnes per year. Construction of the new Line 6 is expected to start in the first half of 2016, with commissioning scheduled for early 2019.

Other smelters have also shown interest in EGA Smelting Technologies. DX+ Smelting Technology was developed at EGA subsidiary Dubai Aluminium (DUBAL, also known as EGA Jebel Ali). Five DX+ Smelting Technology cells built in the Eagle pilot line at the DUBAL plant began operating at 420kA in 2010, with the amperage being increased

(DX+Smelting Technology (a)

DX+Smelting Technology (b)

(DUBAL Eagle pilot line)

(EMAL Potline 3)

Amperage Specific energy consumption Current efficiency

449.0 kA

455.0 kA

13.38 kWh/kg Al

13.41 kWh/kg Al

94.9 per cent

94.7 per cent

Output

3.43 t Al/pot/day

3.47 t Al/pot/day

AE frequency

0.064 AE/pot/day

0.090 AE/pot/day

AE duration PFC emissions *

14.5 s

9.7 s

17 kg CO2 eq/t Al

16 kg CO2 eq/t Al

Carbon consumption

0.409 C/kg Al

0.415 kg C/kg Al

0.048 per cent

0.038 per cent

0.026 per cent

0.024 per cent

(a) From 29.04.2013 to 12.01.2014, complete period of Operation at 450 kA before shut-down of DX+ Smelting Technology pilot pots. (b) Q2 2015: Three months’ operation of the full potline of 444 pots at 455 kA. * The values of CO2 equivalent are calculated using the IAI Tier 2 Method and IPCC Second Assessment Report.

Table 1. Performance parameters – DX+ Smelting Technology

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Five DX+ Ultra pilot pots

Three months’ operation from 16.05.2015 to 15.08.2015

Amperage

454.6 kA

Specific energy consumption

12.83 kWh/kg Al

Current efficiency

95.3%

Output

3.49 t Al/pot/day

AE frequency

0.009 AE/pot/day 8.3 s

AE duration PFC emissions *

1 kg CO2 eq/t Al

Carbon consumption

0.404 C/kg Al

Fe 0.029% Si 0.028% * The values of CO2 equivalent are calculated using the IAI Tier 2 Method and IPCC Second Assessment Report.

Table 2. Performance parameters – Five DX+ Ultra Eagle pilot pots

DX+ Smelting Technology cells, installed at EMAL Potline 3 – the longest potline in the world

in successive increments to 450kA by the end of 2013. The exceptional performance capabilities of DX+ Smelting Technology have since been demonstrated at EGA subsidiary Emirates Aluminium (EMAL, also known as EGA Al Taweelah), where 444 DX+ cells were installed in the 1.7 kilometre-long EMAL Potline 3 constructed during EMAL Phase II. EMAL Potline 3 was fully commissioned by mid-2014 and has been operating steadily at 455 kA since 11 March 2015 (it is ultimately expected to operate at 460 kA). The comparative performance of DX+ Smelting Technology at the two sites is summarised in Table 1. DX+ Smelting Technology offers several operating benefits in terms of current efficiency, energy consumption and environmental performance indicators; as well as the added advantage of higher productivity. By design, the industrial version delivers:  Superb productivity of 3.4 tonnes/ pot/day, on average, at exceptionally high purity levels (above 99.9%). This gives rapid returns on capital expenditure, plus excellent creep potential, promising even Aluminium International Today

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better yields per pot.  An energy-efficient design that enables specific energy consumption to be 13.4 kWh/kg Al and current efficiency above 94.5%. This saves energy and reduces operating costs.  Reduced environmental impact through lower fossil fuel consumption (a direct benefit of enhanced energyefficiency) and reduced carbon consumption (anodes) of less than 0.415kg C/kg Al. Moreover, the anode effect (AE) frequency of DX+ Smelting Technology cells is very low after stabilisation following start-up but more importantly, EGA’s proprietary advanced control logic restricts the average duration of AEs to less than 10 seconds.  Fully engineered versatility, allowing operating capability plus inherent potential for developing even higher amperage performance capacity. A complete and sustainable solution Moreover, the cost per tonne to construct a smelter incorporating DX+ Smelting Technology is highly competitive when compared to other technologies, while the construction period is also significantly shorter. Dependability, prolonged pot life and improved workforce output further contribute to reduced operating expenditure and lower total cost of ownership. These factors, together with increased productivity, improved energy efficiency and reduced environmental impact, mean that DX+ Smelting Technology provides a truly sustainable solution. Importantly, EGA has the capability to supply complete end-to-end smelter solutions, comprising advanced bankable technology, engineering, project development, long-term raw material supplies, a worldwide marketing and sales network, training and award-winning operational excellence. Indeed, as part of the contract to supply DX+ Smelting Technology to Alba, EGA will provide comprehensive support for

the Line 6 Expansion Project. Experienced support teams will be seconded to the project, and an engineering package of more than 800 documents – including manuals, drawings and training – will be provided as part of EGA’s Technology License Agreement for DX+ Smelting Technology. Next generation technology Further efforts to develop lower CAPEX and even lower energy, high amperage reduction cells have led to the design of DX+ Ultra Smelting Technology. By introducing various voltage drop reduction initiatives that address the key energy consumers in a reduction cell, DX+ Ultra Smelting Technology will achieve substantially reduced specific energy consumption than earlier generation cells. Enhancements to overall cell design enables shorter pot-to-pot distance, in turn translating into lower CAPEX per installed tonne of capacity and higher production per building surface area. The end-result is a best-in-class solution. DX+ Ultra cells are designed to operate at above 440 kA with specific energy consumption of less than or equal to 12.5 kWh/kg Al. In 2014, five DX+ Ultra Smelting Technology demonstration cells were built and commissioned in DUBAL’s Eagle line, replacing the five DX+ Smelting Technology cells. One of the pots has been constructed with a heat recovery system (HRS) in place and has, since startup in May 2014, achieved a heat recovery rate of around 200 kW. The performance capabilities of DX+ Ultra Smelting Technology are summarised in Table 2. Moving forward, EGA is already working on a new smelting technology concept that relies on building a high amperage technology (above 600 kA) with even lower energy consumption (below 12 kWh/kg Al), which will compete extremely well against other technologies.  Contact www.ega.ae September/October 2015

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FORGING A STRONGER FUTURE Without sustainability, the whole world will eventually grind to a halt. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we take our responsibilities very seriously. We put safety as our number one priority and look after our precious resources by using advanced technology to preserve energy and reduce our carbon footprint, to take care of the planet, our people and the future. www.ega.ae

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Fig 1. Raw SPL

An industrial ecology SPL solution

In the natural world, the waste from one species is the food for another species. In the same way, looking at how ecological systems operate can optimise industrial resources. This article describes how the principles of “Industrial Ecology” are used to realise a safe, sustainable solution for spent potlining (SPL). By P Black* & B Cooper* This solution sees the SPL detoxified and refined into products that have genuine value in energy intensive industries. The solution has been proven over 15 years with more than 200,000 tonnes of SPL from four aluminium smelters completely transformed, with no residual materials, and sold in a developed market. The SPL Situation Primary aluminium smelters are faced with increasing expectations that they will find alternatives to landfilling and/or long-term storage of hazardous waste materials such as SPL. SPL is hazardous because of the presence of cyanide compounds, soluble fluoride and an alarming potential to combine with moisture and generate explosive gases1. This material is subject to close regulatory control including the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal2. In its raw form, SPL varies in size from fine dust to lumps of up to one metre (Fig. 1). It typically presents a wide range in mineral and chemical composition as different materials in the pot lining are mixed together. Over the typical life of a pot (five to eight years), materials such as aluminium metal, calcium, fluorides and sodium infiltrate the cathode lining and cause it to deteriorate. Complex chemical reactions result in the formation of various carbides, nitrides and cyanide within the pot linings. When the linings are removed, the resulting SPL also

contains aluminium metal and sodium metal. SPL readily absorbs atmospheric water, which reacts with these components. The explosive gases evolved are hydrogen, methane and acetylene. Pawlek3 noted that about 25kg of SPL results from each tonne of aluminium metal produced and that while in the past, most of the SPL has gone to landfill, “this practice must change if the industry wants to claim a reasonable degree of sustainability and environmentally tolerable emissions.” As alternatives to landfill, various methods for treatment of SPL have been well researched and described in the literature3,4,5. Drawbacks associated with most methods include one or more of the following:  Not all of the SPL can be processed (e.g. the carbon SPL can be handled but not the refractory SPL or vice versa)  The SPL brings unwanted hazards (e.g. where the nepheline in the refractory portion of SPL provides an attractive flux for clay brick making but the fluorides may present environmental, health and safety concerns)  Residual waste materials without ready disposal options other than landfill. The industrial landscape is also rapidly changing with new commercial standards emerging for the purpose of scrutinising sustainable manufacturing methods. For example the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Standard Version 1 (December 2014) states under Criterion

6.7 for Spent Pot Lining (SPL): “The smelter shall maximise recycling of carbon and refractory parts from SPL, and will demonstrate that they continuously review alternative options to land filling of SPL. SPLs shall not be discharged to fresh water or marine environments.” 6 The Industrial Ecology Hope A particular boost to the emergence of Industrial Ecology came with a 1989 article in Scientific American by Frosch and Gallopoulos,7 who put forward the concept of an industrial ecosystem as a more integrated concept than the traditional industrial model of raw materials being used to make products for sale and waste to be disposed of. They further observed that “corporate and public attitudes must change to favour the ecosystem approach, and government regulations must become more flexible so as not to unduly hinder recycling and other strategies for waste minimisation.” Applying Industrial Ecology principles to the situation for SPL leads to the question: “what is the optimal approach to re-using SPL?” Manufacturers of energy intensive products such as cement and clay bricks are faced with increasing energy costs and societal expectation of reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.8,9 SPL is rich in particular substances that have beneficial energy saving and carbon dioxide emission reduction properties when used in cement and clay brick manufacture. The key valuable constituents in SPL are:

*Regain Services Pty Ltd, Australia www.regainmaterials.com

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26 PRIMARY

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Spent pot lining

Other by-products

SPL PREPARATION

SPL TREATMENT

PRODUCT MANUFACTURE



Cyanide destruction  Neutralisation of reactive materials

Manufacture of new products using detoxified SPL

Recovery  Crushing  Classification



Mineral products

Fig 2. SPL Processing Flow Diagram

 Carbon as a source of thermal energy  Sodium that acts as a flux  Fluorine that acts as a mineraliser for cement  Alumina and silica useful raw materials.

A flux is a substance that lowers the temperature at which solid materials enter a liquid phase and/or increases the quantity of liquid at a given temperature. For the clay brick industry, Sodium is an effective flux, lowering the firing temperature required to achieve a given quality of clay brick product and delivering energy savings and CO2 emission reductions. 10,11,12 A mineraliser is a substance that accelerates reaction rates and promotes the formation of desired materials; in cement clinker, this results in a higher quality product with reduced residence time and less energy needs. 13, 14 Fluorine is a widely used and effective mineraliser.5, 16 Sodium contributes to the clinker melt through its fluxing properties. Sodium also leads to a beneficially more reactive clinker where the clinker raw materials have low to moderate alkali levels. Sodium can be used to balance the important alkali/sulphur ratio in production circumstances where the clinker plant has excessive sulphur levels (e.g. from using petroleum coke as fuel). However, the hazards associated with SPL and the highly variable nature of the material have thwarted realisation of these benefits.15,16 Simply adding crushed raw Objectives • 100% beneficial use of SPL with no residue • Low cost of SPL re-processing • Lower energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions for manufacturing products such as cement and clay bricks • Positive impact on the environment.



SPL to cement kilns can degrade cement process performance due to the wide fluctuations in chemical constituents. SPL Solution Promise Given the SPL situation, the regulatory environment and community concerns, a long term sustainable and cost-effective solution must be found for SPL reduction, re-use or recycling. Aluminium smelters are improving pot lining technology to extend the life of pots, but reducing SPL generation does not solve the present storage and landfill issue. Also the volume of SPL will continue to increase as demand for aluminium increases. The opportunities for re-use and recycling inherent in the Industrial Ecology framework allow a solution to be formulated around: (a) Increasing interest in energy savings and CO2 emission reduction in the cement and clay brick industries (b) Knowledge that chemicals and minerals in SPL and other residual materials from primary aluminium smelting could enable substantial gains in energy and CO2 emission reduction for these industries. The Industrial Ecology framework is instrumental in formulating the design of an SPL solution and sets the tone for engagement with aluminium smelters, regulatory agencies, community stakeholders and potential markets. SPL can then be viewed as a promising resource to be “mined” for economic and environmental benefit, building wide regulatory and community support.

The objectives and strategies formulated to realise this promise are in Table1. SPL Processing Model Design of a process to enable SPL recovery, detoxification and manufacture of valuable products follows from the objectives and strategies outlined above. A simplified flowsheet is shown in Fig 2. SPL Preparation involves (a) recovery of material from storage or directly from pots; (b) segregation of aluminium metal, carbon materials and refractory materials; (c) sorting into like material streams and (d) crushing and size classification. The cyanide and explosion hazards in SPL are eliminated through the SPL Treatment process. Neutralisation of the reactive compounds is achieved by bringing on the reactions that generate the explosive gases in a controlled environment such that no more gas can be generated. The Treatment Process becomes almost self-sustaining by re-using the gases generated to destroy Cyanide by thermal oxidation i.e. heating the material in the presence of oxygen. No residual materials are produced because there are no other chemical processes or additives. Mineral products with beneficial fluxing and mineralising properties are manufactured by refining the detoxified SPL material. Other smelter by-products can be added at this point. An Industrial Ecosystem Like ecosystems in the natural world, a solution based on Industrial Ecology principles must fit within a framework that optimises resources. The SPL solution is based on a multi-party ecosystem (Fig 3) which integrates the physical components of the system with an enabling platform comprising:  The technology to detoxify SPL  The technology to use the products in cement and clay brick manufacture  Regulatory approvals for technology and products

Strategies 1. Secure support of regulatory agencies, environmental groups and community stakeholder groups through effective communication and education in Industrial Ecology principles 2. Develop and commercialise a chemical process to eliminate the explosive gas and cyanide hazards at the smelter, so that only refined products are shipped from the smelter, not hazardous waste materials 3. Use industrial mineral trading and marketing to identify target markets, support the products and promote and distribute products. Encourage industries to move away from hazardous waste processing fees and issues and to see the economic value in SPL-derived products 4. Gain classification of SPL-derived products as safe to transport and use. Thus the refined products are not subject to Basel Convention protocols and meet the by-product requirements of the EU directive on waste 5. Establish and maintain integrity of the SPL solution by ensuring all materials are accounted for and by involving only reputable and trustworthy service providers and end-use customers.

Table 1. SPL Solution

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28 PRIMARY

Description

SPL Processing Savings from SPL Usage Net

www.aluminiumtoday.com

GHG Emission

Thermal Energy

Electrical Energy

0.2 t CO2e 4.2 t CO2e 4.0 t CO2e

1.5 GJ 17.5 GJ 16.0 GJ

50 kWh 400 kWh 350 kWh

ufacturing”, Scientific American (Special Edition, September 1989) 8. “Cement roadmap targets – CO2 emission reduc-

Table 2. Summary of Emission and Energy Aspects for One Tonne of SPL  Trading of refined products  Optimised marketing and logistics  Research knowledge to support

innovation and ongoing development.

Case Study The system described above has been developed over a period of 15 years, providing SPL treatment services for four aluminium smelters in Australia. More than 200,000 tonnes of SPL have been processed through this system. The process is typically based on the smelter site near the raw material (SPL) which is detoxified and refined before being shipped outside the smelter boundary. All SPL is used and there are no residual materials. Refined products are used in cement plants and/or clay brick plants in Australia, China, Philippines, Thailand, Morocco, Ecuador, Costa Rica and El Salvador. The refined products have been classified as safe to export and import by governmental and/or environmental regulators in these countries. The success of the solution is a result of developing how to realise the potential value in the products and then developing the market for the products. Cement and clay brick manufacturers accept that quality-controlled products derived from SPL are valuable to their business, so they are not seeking rent for processing hazardous waste. The innovation and uniqueness of this SPL detoxification technology has been recognised internationally with patents granted in Australia, Canada, USA, New Zealand, South Africa and UAE. To validate the Industrial Ecology concept, a Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) was conducted to determine the net effects of treating SPL for the purpose of downstream utilisation18. The results confirmed net benefits for emissions and energy savings, as shown in Table 2. Conclusion Regulatory and societal pressures for material stewardship are growing, in the resource-conscious Circular Economy. A key step in the aluminium industry becoming fully sustainable is the complete beneficial re-use of SPL. This transformation and re-use of SPL can be achieved safely within an Industrial Ecosystem by: 1. De-toxifying to eliminate the cyanide and explosive gas hazards in the SPL September/October 2015

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trolysis, Dusseldorf: Aluminium-Verlag Marketing and Kommunication, 2010. 6. Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI) Standard Version 1 (December 2014) Part 1: Principles and Criteria 7. R. Frosch and N. Gallopoulos, “Strategies for man-

materials making them safe to transport and use 2. Refining the de-toxified SPL material into quality-controlled products that use the valuable chemicals and minerals to deliver energy savings and CO2 emission reductions in cement and clay brick industries 3. Certifying that the refined products do not require waste regulation (e.g. Basel Convention protocols) because they are no longer a hazardous waste. This described solution has demonstrated its success as an innovative model of Industrial Ecology, with more than 200,000 tonnes of first-cut and secondcut SPL transformed from a hazardous waste into valuable products which are consumed in a developed market. The principles of Industrial Ecology can engage and educate industry, regulators and the community in helping to realise a safe, sustainable SPL solution.  References 1. “Flammable gas causes explosion”, Loss Prevention Case Studies, www.shipownersclub.com, The Shipowners’ Protection Limited, 2010, 19 - 20 2. Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal 3. R. P. Pawlek, “Spent potlining: an update”, Light Metals 2012, ed. C. E. Suarez, The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, 2012 4. G. Hollywell and R. Breault, An overview of useful methods to treat, recover, or recycle spent potlining, The Journal of the Minerals, Metals & Materials Society, 65(11), 2013, 1441-1451. 5. M. Sørlie and H. Øye, Cathodes in aluminium elec-

Aluminium Industry

tions”, The International Energy Agency,http://www.iea. org/publications/freepublications/publication/Cement_ Roadmap_targets_viewing.pdf, 2012 9. “Energy Saving Concepts for the European Ceramic Industry”, Intelligent Energy Europe, 2009 10. A. S. Smith, “To demonstrate the commercial viability of incorporating ground glass in bricks with reduced energy emissions and energy savings”, The Waste and Resources Action Program, 2004. 11. R. Kirby, “Potential energy saving from the use of recycled glass in brick manufacturing”, Centre for Environmental Economic Development, California Department of Conservation, 2006 12. W. Goldfinch, “A new paradigm for the brick industry”, presentation to Think Brick Australia, (Australian clay brick industry body), 2009 13. V. Johansen and J. Bhatty, “Fluxes and Mineralizers in Clinkering Process”, Innovations in Portland Cement Manufacturing, Portland Cement Association 2011 14. L. Hills, V. Johansen and F. Miller, “Solving raw material challenges”, Construction Technologies Laboratories Inc. Cement Industry Technical Conference, 2002 15. H. A. Øye, “Treatment of spent potlining in aluminium electrolysis, a major engineering and environmental challenge”, Energia Vol. 5, No.1, Centre for Applied Energy Research, University of Kentucky,1994 16. “Beneficial reuse of spent potliner waste”, Cement Industry Environmental Consortium (CIEC), Ongoing Research, www.cieconline.net/Res/Research.htm 17. “Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on waste and repealing certain directives” Official Journal of the European Union, November 2008, page 305/11 18. B. Cooper, “Considerations for Dealing with Spent Potlining”, Proc. 11th Australasian Aluminium Smelting Technology Conference, 6-11 Dec 2014, Eds. B Welch, M Skyllas-Kazacos, UNSW School of Chemical Engineering. *Regain Services Pty Ltd, Australia

Cement Industry

Enabling Platform

Smelter A

Technology to de-toxify material

Smelter B

Regulatory approvals for technology and products

Cement Plant A Cement Plant B

Technology to utilise and maximise value of products in manufacturing

Cement Plant C

Manufactured products that are rich in:

Clay Brick Plant A Clay Brick Plant B Clay Brick Plant C

- Carbon as a source of thermal energy - Sodium that acts a a flux - Fluorine that acts as a mineraliser for cement - Alumina and silica that are useful raw materials

Smelter C Smelter D

Product Marketing and Logistics

Body of research and knowledge

Clay Brick Industry

Regulatory Stakeholders Community Stakeholders Fig 3. Industrial Ecosystem for SPL

Aluminium International Today

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PACKAGING 29

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Aluminium packaging supports UK recycling Rick Hindley* discusses how the UK’s aluminium packaging industry is helping boost recycling: With increasingly challenging recycling targets, industry partners are working together to maximise aluminium recovery for recycling and to improve data collection.

Alupro is a membership organisation representing the leading aluminium packaging producers, fillers and reprocessors in the UK. The role of Alupro is to lead industry efforts to meet, and exceed, statutory recycling targets for aluminium packaging. Alupro’s campaigns have been helping drive up the UK’s recycling rate for aluminium packaging for 26 years. From a starting point of less than 2% in 1989, today the recycling rate for all aluminium packaging stands at 48% and the recycling rate for aluminium drinks cans has reached 60%. Alupro works in partnership with local authorities, the waste management industry and major brands to increase the amount of aluminium that is kept in the recycling ‘loop’. It does this through advocacy programmes, and by running consumer information campaigns to encourage citizens to recycle more. In addition, Alupro works with other organisations representing the wider packaging sector to deliver consistent messaging about the importance of recycling all packaging materials. Through these diverse yet targeted efforts, Alupro maintains a high profile for aluminium in the eyes of consumers, industry and government. Producer responsibility and the true recycling rate Alupro is committed to ensuring that the measurement of aluminium recycling is as accurate as possible, and recently led a review of aluminium protocols to ensure they reflected the changes of aluminium

in the waste stream. The work resulted in the introduction in January 2015 of a new protocol accounting for the aluminium packaging recovered from incinerator bottom ash (IBA) for recycling, as happens in other European countries. Estimates predict that the new protocol could see as much as 10,000 tonnes of recovered aluminium being counted towards the targets set for the recovery of aluminium packaging. The development of the new protocol is part of Alupro’s strategy to optimise the accounting of aluminium recycling and to thereby arrive at the ‘true’ recycling rate. The UK’s recycling performance data is based on a market-driven system whereby accredited reprocessors issue Packaging Recovery Notes (PRNs) to producers and retailers for every tonne of material delivered for recycling. With European and UK recovery targets set to increase, Alupro is keen to ensure that all the aluminium recycled is accounted for, but a low market price for PRNs and the complexity of the annual accreditation process has meant reprocessors have opted out of the system and material is going unreported as a result. Unlike for the producers and retailers there is no obligation on reprocessors to become accredited, and because of the system’s perceived complexity and the low price of aluminium PRNs many have chosen not to and so their tonnages are simply not captured. The resulting gaps in the data mean that recycling performance appears weaker than the reality.

In light of this, Alupro has been lobbying for an overhaul of the current monitoring approach to ensure that the data reflects the true recycling rate, and has recommended a range of approaches to making participation easier for recyclers and exporters. Essentially, the PRN system needs to be reviewed now so that the true achievements of the industry, as well as of the UK as a European Member State, can be accurately recorded.

*Executive Director of the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation, Alupro, UK www.alupro.org.uk Aluminium International Today

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with increasing sales of goods packaged in aluminium. Improvements in sorting and handling technology make it easier to separate aluminium from other materials and achieve good prices for quality material, as reflected in the new protocol allowing for aluminium recovered from IBA to be included in recycling figures. As a result of improved technology, the recycling of smaller fractions of the aluminium stream, including foil trays, aerosols and closures, has also become much less challenging and collectors are taking advantage of developments.

Aluminium recycling in numbers    

The 2014 recycling rate for aluminium packaging in the UK was 48%. 45% of drinks cans are used outside the home. 60% of all aluminium drinks cans sold in the UK are recycled. Seven out of every 10 aluminium drinks cans sold in Europe is recycled: = 390,000 tonnes of recycled aluminium; = more than 3.12 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions avoided; = the average yearly emissions of about 340,000 EU citizens; = emissions from entire cities like Cardiff, Florence or Alicante.

 75% of aluminium packaging collected for recycling in the UK is reprocessed in the UK  It now takes more than 40% less aluminium to make a drink can than it did in 1972.  The aluminium reprocessing industry has cut CO2 emissions by 50% since 1997.

Local authority/

Metal capture

Households

waste partnership

rate

Kent Resource Partnership

38%

(0.33 US$)

4.5

630,000

Metal

Cost/

ROI

% change

household

(months)

+9%

21p

Bedford

39%

69,000 +19% 33p

Shropshire

48%

120,000 +23%

25p

9.2 4

Table. Metal matters campaign results

This will become even more important as the Circular Economy Package from the EU is expected to set challenging recovery targets for all materials. The sector will need to record recycling tonnages accurately in order to demonstrate compliance with the anticipated ambitious new targets. Filling in the gaps Alupro is funding a third party study to identify the ‘real’ tonnage of aluminium packaging captured for recycling. An independent environmental consultancy is carrying out the research which aims to determine how much aluminium packaging is reprocessed or exported, beyond that reported by the accredited organisations. The study will involve contacting reprocessors and exporters of aluminium packaging that are not currently in the system, to determine the additional amount of aluminium packaging being recycled but not reported. It will also involve conversations with trade associations to help capture remaining missing data. Alupro is confident that the current reported figures are the consequence of September/October 2015

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weaknesses in data collection rather than the performance of the recycling system itself, and is hoping that this new study will show the true recycling performance and help shed light on the disparities. The initial phase of the study will be completed by the time the Q3 PRN figures are released in October. The alternative total is expected to provide a sound basis for ongoing comparison with PRN figures, by accounting for non-accredited reprocessors and exporters. Supporting the recovery of aluminium Low weight but high value, aluminium punches above its weight in the waste stream. Aluminium is a valuable material that consistently holds its own in the markets, commanding the greatest value per weight of any material collected from households. In 2014, more than 170,000 tonnes of aluminium packaging – primarily drinks cans, aluminium foil and aerosols – was placed on the UK market. When collected for recycling this material would be worth in excess of £60 million (US$ 94 million) to collectors. And it’s a growing market,

MetalMatters Local councils in the UK collect recyclable materials from most households at the kerbside, and aluminium packaging represents up to 25% of the value of materials collected. Aluminium represents 1% (by volume) of the domestic waste stream but commands the highest price per tonne for any recyclate collected at kerbside. According to the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) Best Practice Guide on the collection of aerosols and aluminium foil, the high value of aluminium means that even small amounts yield reasonable cost savings for authorities that have a revenue sharing agreement with their waste management firm or materials recovery facility (MRF). In recent years, Alupro has developed campaigns to encourage councils to increase the range of metal packaging they collect at the kerbside, including aerosols, foil trays and household foil to meet householders’ desire to recycle more at home. A two year campaign in partnership with the aerosol and foil container sectors encouraged local authorities to add foil trays and aerosols to their collections and has led to a marked improvement: Today more than 96% collect aerosols at the kerbside, and more than 75% collect foil trays. Fortunately, it is easy to engage with residents about metals recycling and to motivate them to recycle more. The fact that metal can be continuously recycled into an array of ‘new’ and valuable items, resonates with consumers. Alupro project manages a programme called MetalMatters – an industry partnership programme funded by metal packaging manufacturers, reprocessors and leading brands. Through MetalMatters, Alupro offers a range of support to local authorities who are expanding or promoting their recycling activity, including funding for communications campaigns to help boost participation. Aluminium International Today

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Two leaflet drops, typically six weeks apart, inform and remind householders about what and how to recycle and explain what happens to metal packaging after it is collected. The communications materials are tailored to fit with existing local authority or waste partnership branded campaigns. To date the MetalMatters campaign has been delivered in more than 55 local authorities throughout the UK, directly targeting more than 3.2 million households. It has been proven to work across all recycling scenarios, including urban and rural areas and co-mingled or source-separated collection schemes. What’s more, the revenue from the additional metals collected has generated some impressive returns on investment, with most authorities covering their costs within 12 months of the campaign rolling out. MetalMatters not only generates an uplift in materials collected for recycling during the campaign, but importantly has a sustained positive impact long after the campaign has been delivered. Every Can Counts Alupro also manages the Every Can Counts programme, which focuses on developing the infrastructure for collecting drinks

Aluminium International Today

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cans used outside the home – in particular in workplaces and situations where people are ‘on the go’. Every Can Counts is a partnership between the major European and UK beverage can manufacturers, aluminium reprocessors and leading drinks brands. Every Can Counts supports organisations wanting to set up or improve drinks can recycling amongst their staff and/ or customers. The programme provides assistance with finding a recycling service provider, supplies collection containers and offers help with promotion of the recycling scheme, including an extensive range of free communications materials. Results show that introducing Every Can Counts not only boosts recycling of drinks cans, but stimulates interest in recycling of all materials. Every Can Counts is also working to raise awareness of recycling drinks cans ‘on the go’ and has run campaigns in shopping centres, town centres, tourist sites and at events, including major music festivals. The Every Can Counts model developed by Alupro in the UK is now being replicated in other countries in Europe, including France, Austria, Greece, Romania and the Republic of Ireland, and was most recently launched in Spain.

Conclusion From funding independent studies to track the destinations of used aluminium, to working with local authorities to boost household recycling, Alupro’s activities span the entire sector. Voluntary support from industry makes Alupro’s work possible. The campaign has even attracted funding from businesses not included in the PRN system (including household foil rewinders and caps and closure manufacturers), because they see the value of working with the wider industry to promote the recyclability of aluminium packaging. The communication programmes will continue, encouraging citizens to recycle more of their aluminium packaging, more of the time. Recent campaigns have included “Leave Your Cap On”, which explains to householders that aluminium caps and closures can be recovered from the glass stream, and a summer special for the recycling of barbeque and picnic packaging. In the meantime, Alupro and its member organisations are hoping to reveal the real recycling figures later this year.  Contact www.alupro.org.uk

September/October 2015

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As from July, 10 , 2015, ECL has joined Fives th

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As from July, 10 , 2015, ECL has joined Fives th

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ROLLING 35

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Aerial view, Alunorf 1969

Aerial view, Alunorf 2010

Alunorf: Anniversary revamp Aluminium Norf GmbH (Alunorf) is celebrating the 50th anniversary of operation with an extensive revamp. Alunorf, in Neuss, Germany, is a 50/50 joint venture owned by Hydro and Novelis. The current investment of approximately €80 million into Hot Mill 1 will increase capacity by 150,000 tonnes per year and is in addition to other recent projects totalling about €50 million. This secures a world-leading position for Alunorf, a key asset in Hydro’s aluminium cluster with Rheinwerk Neuss, the smelter and recycler, and the Grevenbroich plant for finishing of high-end rolled products. On April 30, 1965, then-owners Alcan (Now Novelis) and VAW signed the agreement to found and build Alunorf. Two years later, production started. First full-year capacity was 60,000 tonnes in 1968, achieved by 400 employees. By adding a second hot mill, Alunorf became the only aluminium plant in the Aluminium International Today

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world with two hot mills and today is the largest site of its kind, shipping 1.5 million tonnes per year. (This size would have created a predominant market position, so the concept of two competing owners remains mandatory.) Hydro acquired its 50% share in Alunorf with the acquisition of VAW Aluminium in 2002, creating Europe’s leading rolled products group with substantial synergies among Grevenbroich, Rheinwerk and Alunorf, including a closed loop to recycle material after use. Beverage can sheet Beverage companies across Europe are increasingly switching to aluminium packaging due to ease of transport, enhanced ability to preserve their products and its recyclability, while

economic growth is also fuelling increased consumption of canned beverages. These statistics have played a part in the way Novelis is investing in Alunorf. In 2014, the company invested approximately €15 million in finishing capacity for beverage can sheet. The new slitting line is designed to slit can body stock coils in all gauges. Alunorf is the largest and most technologically advanced aluminium manufacturing facility in Europe, casting sheet ingots and rolling semi-finished products that serve a range of applications. It is an essential part of Novelis’ operations network and in serving the European can sheet market. The plant also recycles beverage can process scrap.  Contact www.alunorf.de September/October 2015

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36 ADVERTORIAL

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Danieli Fröhling order from Hydro Aluminium

THERE’S MORE TO IT THAN MEETS THE EYES Sophisticated and innovative technological solutions to improve your competitiveness

COLD ROLLING

Hydro Aluminium has a number of rolled products operations in Grevenbroich, Germany, employing about 2,000 people. A total production capacity of 440,000 metric tons per year includes aluminium foil and lithographic products, aluminium strip, coil coating for can lids, and products for the automotive and building industry. Hydro Rolled Products GmbH is a long-standing partner for Danieli Fröhling, with frequent business relations since the 1970’s. The first line for production of lithographic strip has been built in Grevenbroich in 1985. Meanwhile, Hydro Aluminium is one of the market leaders for the production and sales of lithographic strip, with around 30% share of the total market. Aluminium strip for printing applications has to meet various special requirements. It has to have a perfect surface with no scratches or impurities, absolute evenness and thermal stability as well as certain mechanical properties. Therefore, plant and equipment for the processing of such strip needs to be extremely accurate with respect to smooth handling, highest accuracy and cleanliness during operation. Danieli Fröhling received an order for a new CNC slitting shear for the lithographic strip centre in Grevenbroich. The proven CNC shear principle, invented by Danieli Fröhling in 1991 and regularly improved over the past two decades, will form the basis for this new application. All knife heads (in pairs) can be individually adjusted for cutting width, cutting gap, immersion as well as parallelism of top and bottom knife to each other. This is necessary to provide the best knife positioning during the cut thereby ensuring absolutely no cutting marks on the strip and lowest possible stresses induced during the cutting operation. The special control mechanism provided by a number of sensors allows regular calibration cycles in a horizontal as well as vertical direction within a few seconds whenever this is deemed necessary by the operators (for instance at temperature changes, knife change, alloy change, etc.). Up to three finished strips may be produced at the same time plus trimming of the incoming strip. Close width tolerances of final material are guaranteed. Final strip width can be chosen stepless and within a range between 380mm up to 1660mm with a thickness range from 0.1 up to 0.5mm. Furthermore, the shear is provided with special media couplings that allow operation either from left to right or from right to left (seen from operator’s side). Already in the design phase, Danieli Fröhling will consider all necessary measures to ensure an extremely short installation time to guarantee minimum impact on the running production at customer’s site. Contact www.danieli-froehling.de

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The widest 6-high cold rolling mill On 31st March 2015, 10 days ahead of schedule, the world’s widest 6-high cold rolling mill for aluminium produced the first coil in the plant of Kamensk Uralsky (KUMZ), Russian Federation. By Tommaso Settimo* The project involved the installation of a new cold rolling mill that is processing primarily incoming coils from the KUMZ existing hot mill at first, and once fully installed from the new Danieli 1+1 hot rolling mill. The advanced 6-high single stand cold rolling is a ‘Diamond Mill’. With this installation, Danieli solidifies its position in the aluminum flat product market following the Diamond Mills ordered by Nikkei Siam Aluminum (NSA) in Thailand and Aleris Duffel in Belgium. This ‘Diamond’ mill represents the latest cutting-edge rolling technology. The mill being supplied is of particular note in that it will produce coiled flat sheet up to 2,800mm wide for aerospace applications, in thicknesses from 8mm down to 0.2mm. The 6-high design of the Diamond Mill is up to this technological challenge and will equip KUMZ to roll an

extensive assortment of strip products, encompassing a broad range of widths and thicknesses as well as a wide variety of alloys, including aerospace products, to address KUMZ’s current and future requirements. The key technological features of the mill required for this project include a 6-high stand with intermediate roll dynamic shifting, using parallel rolls; advanced mill stand stabilisation for the roll stack across a wide range of material parameters and rolling phase, the Danieli’s HI-RES coolant spray design with constant stand-off distance and electrical valves to regulate the 26mm pitched spray nozzles across the entire strip width, coupled with Hot Edge Sprays (HES) covering the strip edge, with all systems installed in automatic closedloop control for ease of operation while providing the highest level of strip flatness performance.

First Coil Rolled

This project also includes the DAN-ECO2 Fume Cleaning & Coolant Recovery System to ensure the most stringent emission standards are achieved with reduced operating costs obtained by the recovery of the rolling oil and the DAN-PURITY Coolant Plate Filter to ensure improved process performance and product quality with the additional benefit of extended coolant life. Danieli Automation’s HiPAC, dynamic model-based Level 2 system, Level 1 electrics; coil handling by pallet conveyor system linked to a coil preparation station, coil inspection station and high bay storage system and Innoval technology, process and product support. On 19th May 2015, with the grand opening ceremony, the cold rolling mill was officially inaugurated, with the satisfaction and interest of the Regional governor, Mr Skornyakov CEO of KUMZ Mr Alzetta COO of Danieli. 

First coil rolled down to final thickness of 1.2mm (from 9mm) in 5 passes

*Project Director, Danieli Italy Aluminium International Today

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DANIELI ALUMINIUM TECHNOLOGY FOR COMPETITIVE HOT AND COLD PLATE / STRIP AL PRODUCTION

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DANIELI ALUMINIUM TECHNOLOGY FOR COMPETITIVE HOT AND COLD PLATE / STRIP AL PRODUCTION

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AUTOMOTIVE 41 5

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Enhanced safety through lightweighting

Hydro crashtest

In this article, European Aluminium* looks at ways aluminium offers innovative solutions for car manufacturers. Consumers and manufacturers alike need their cars to offer maximum protection from road accidents. Aluminium combines lightweight and strength, making it the natural partner for carmakers looking to the future. For example, the Tesla Model S has been awarded the highest ever safety rating in both Europe and the US, and is equipped with a full aluminium body. Aluminium components are designed to reach a certain safety performance at the lowest weight, so aluminium structural components can be made up to 40% lighter than steel while maintaining the same level of safety. Why does a lightweight design improve safety? Vehicle lightweighting reduces the likelihood of road accidents, as the vehicles are easier to handle and have shorter braking distances, both key factors in accident avoidance. Reducing vehicle weight also limits the crash forces that must be managed and the energy absorbed during an accident, thereby reducing the overall impact and damage caused by a crash. However, simply making a vehicle smaller is not the ideal solution to reduce its weight. The larger the vehicle, the greater the interior survival space and the available crush space. Making cars lighter while maintaining their size is therefore the best solution from a safety perspective. This is made possible by aluminium, which is significantly lighter than alternative materials. A question of design It is not just the weight and size of the vehicle that determine its safety credentials. The design and materials used in a car also play a role in absorbing crash energy and protecting passengers.

The aluminium industry is continuously developing new alloys to improve the safety performance. For example, wrought aluminium absorbs a lot of crash energy per weight, especially at high degrees of deformation (crush zones). Not only does this protect the passengers, it also benefits the pedestrians on the street. Kilogram for kilogram, aluminium can absorb double the crash energy than steel. Aluminium crash management systems are designed to fold predictably during a crash, allowing the vehicle, rather than its occupants, to absorb as much Crushed element

of the crash energy as possible. Many cars with aluminium crash management systems have been awarded five stars by the European New Car Assessment Programme. For example, Audi A3, Mercedes C-class, Range Rover, Opel Insignia, and Opel Astra, all feature aluminium crash management systems. On average today, aluminium represents 10% of the weight of new cars, with more than 40% of new cars in Europe being equipped with aluminium crash management systems. In order to fulfil the various safety

requirements, modern vehicles include a stiff, stable passenger cell to ensure the necessary survival space in the event of an accident, surrounded by deformation zones where the crash energy is efficiently absorbed without exceeding critical acceleration levels. When developing the car body structure, the most important thing is to find a suitable compromise between structural stiffness, the capacity to absorb crash energy, and further body requirements (e.g. package). Aluminium is an ideal material for solving these often conflicting goals with maximum performance and lowest possible weight. Aluminium components are generally about 50% thicker than comparable steel body components, making the structure significantly more rigid for the same weight. Additional possibilities to increase the body stiffness are offered by the use of closed multihole extrusions and large, structural high quality die castings of sophisticated design. Depending on the available package space, it is therefore possible to improve the stiffness of the car body structure while maintaining a weight reduction of up to 40 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 50% compared to a steel design. In the future aluminium could also help improve the safety of trucks. Earlier this year, European legislators have agreed to allow truck fronts to be approximately 80cm longer in order to improve both the aerodynamics and the safety of the trucks. If these future trucks are equipped with optimised aluminium crash management systems, the severity of car to truck accidents could be greatly reduced. Aluminium provides car and truck manufacturers with the optimum mix of lightweight, energy absorbing and high strength properties to make future vehicles both fuel efficient and safe. î ˛

*www.european-aluminium.eu Aluminium International Today

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42 AUTOMOTIVE

End of life scrap recycling of automotive sheet The next major challenge for the aluminium automotive sheet suppliers is to further reduce the cost differential with steel by the incorporation of more recycled scrap in the alloy formulation. This is more difficult than using press shop scrap as this time the scrap source is from either domestic waste streams or from shredded end of life vehicles. Geoff Scamans* explains A significant study, within the Innovate UK supported Realcar project, involved the scrapping of ABS intensive vehicles that comprised 40 Jaguar XJs and two Jaguar XKs previously used for engineering testing. These vehicles were subjected to the current End-of-Life vehicle directive whereby all fluids, batteries and tyres are removed and pyrotechnics deployed. In addition the engine and wheels were removed for separate recycling. The vehicles were then crushed, shredded and separated and the resulting aluminium fraction was taken and melted in a rotary tilt furnace and cast into ingots. The composition was then analysed to determine its suitability as a future recycled automotive source. However the resulting alloy contained high levels of iron from residual steel and rivets, silicon from aluminium casting alloys and copper from wiring and connectors as well as other undesirable trace elements JLR have lead a second Innovate UK supported project, Realcar 2, which was completed in august 2015 and evaluated the use of aluminium scrap derived from the UK domestic waste stream that is presently a landfilled by-product of Mechanical Biological Treatment (MBT) recycling plants. The main challenge in the project was to find a viable means of separating the aluminium fraction from the NF (non-ferrous) concentrate that is

the output from the MBT plant. The best separation results achieved were with an air knife separator following eddy current separating and shredding. During the project we became aware of considerable development in automated separation technology for non-ferrous scrap streams by companies such as Steinert, Tomra Titech and Redwave. These companies have all developed separator systems for food streams and mineral streams that are now being applied to metallic scrap streams. Their X-ray transmission (XRT) systems have the potential to supersede the dense media filtration systems used to extract the non-ferrous fraction from shredded automotive scrap (Zorba) as defined by the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries (ISRI) in the United States who have defined the various terms for mixed scrap metals. The three companies are all also developing X-ray fluorescence (XRF) based systems that have the potential to sort scrap into individual alloy types. This will be vital for the separation of the wrought and cast alloy grades from the aluminium fraction. Novelis are leading the field and in their newly opened scrap recycling facility in Nachterstedt they have three scrap processing lines that can each deliver 25 tonne/hour to the casting pits for rolling block production. Two of the lines are for used beverage cans (UBCs) and can related

scrap and the third line is for automotive press shop scrap and other suitable end of life wrought product scrap. They have bought two XRF separation systems for this line from Tomra Titech. The XRF sorting systems were developed from the portable XRF-systems used for rapid on-site measurements of scrap metal composition. When a metal is excited by primary X-rays it emits characteristic secondary X-rays that depend its composition. These characteristic X-rays are captured by sensors and immediately evaluated and this makes the sorting of mixed metal waste by composition possible regardless of its colour or surface contamination. One element, several elements or the combination of two or more elements can be used as sorting criterion and the threshold values and sensitivities of each single element are variably adjustable. XRF sorting technology has already been applied to the sorting of Zorba by Redwave. In the first sorting step all metals, except aluminium, are positively separated to provide a heavy metal fraction and an aluminium fraction. A second separation step is then used based on the detection of the alloying elements copper, zinc and iron in the aluminium alloys to separate the alloys with high iron, copper and zinc from a much purer fraction that has a composition that falls within the specification of an ABS alloy like AA6111.

*Chief Scientific Officer, Innoval Technology September/October 2015

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W E

C O N V E Y

Q U A L I T Y

Defined Cooling of Hot Bath Material

XRF sorting technology has significant advantages compared to other sorting techniques such as camera or X-ray transmission. Redwave have estimated that by assuming the current revenues for the recovered metals from the XRF sorting of Zorba, that the payback time for the XRF machine could be reached in less than a year. Liquid Metal Engineering of End of Life Aluminium Scrap An alternative approach to enable close loop recycling of ABS has been evaluated at Brunel University. The aim of this work has been to use high shear melt conditioning of alloy melts either to make alloys more tolerant of inclusions and iron as an impurity or to improve the efficiency of iron removal. Oxides of aluminium and magnesium constitute the majority of the inclusions in recycled ABS. Such oxides are usually in the form of films containing closely spaced nano-scale oxide particles in a liquid matrix, which can be dispersed by intensive melt shearing, making them less detrimental to mechanical properties. These dispersed oxides can be used enhance heterogeneous nucleation of both aluminium andiron containing intermetallic particles. Oxide dispersion is rapidly achieved by a simple rotor-stator type of high shear device that is used for conditioning liquid aluminum prior to casting. This technology has been successfully implemented in continuous casting processes to such as the DC casting process and the twin roll casting process. Removing excess iron, gas (as hydrogen) and inclusions are the major issues for the recycling of end of life vehicle scrap. At high iron contents (0.7-2 wt%), iron-containing particles become the primary phase during solidification. These particles have higher density than the melt and this provides an opportunity to reduce iron concentration. High shear melt conditioning can provide a continuous multi-purpose melt treatment process to remove excess iron, hydrogen and inclusions down to concentrations that mitigate their harmful effects. In this recently patented melt treatment process, molten aluminium end of life scrap is transferred continuously from a melting furnace to a melt treatment chamber, where a rotor-stator high shear device is used to disperse simultaneously the inclusions and inert gas bubbles. The dispersed gas bubbles gather hydrogen and at the same time cool the melt to a controlled temperature for the formation of iron particles. The melt containing the particles is then delivered continuously to one end of a holding furnace with a controlled temperature to allow sedimentation of the iron-containing particles followed by sludge removal, while the cleaned melt is removed from the other end of the holding furnace for further use. This technology is under development in an EU FP7 project called RecycAl. This project reached it mid-term review in August 2015. As for the Realcar2 project the scrap source was MBT nonferrous waste that was obtained as light and heavy fractions from a MBT plant in owned by Soldouro in Portugal. This was then processed into ingots in Spain by Inalsa. 

September/October 2015

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9/21/15 11:22 AM

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ENVIRONMENT 45

The struggle for energy efficiency The aluminium sector has always been a rapacious energy consumer. Unfortunately, periodic increases in energy costs are threatening the survival of the industry. In the last eight years, 11 out of the 27 smelters in the European Union have been shut, reducing the EU’s aluminium output by nearly 40%. Here, Darren Halford* shares a few tips for aluminium producers who want to be more energy efficient. Some of the obvious benefits of more energy efficient aluminium production include reduced operational and production costs, as well as increased competitiveness, especially against the new generation of aluminium producers in the Middle East and Asia. Environmental gains and improved consumer welfare are also high on the list of advantages when it comes to increasing energy efficiency. But there are many other hidden benefits that can vary from smelter to smelter. Aluminium production is far from being the most energy-efficient industry sector. In fact, according to the International Electrotechnical Commission, it accounts for 3.5% of global energy consumption. Despite its faults, the aluminium sector also makes a positive contribution to the environment. The metal is extremely easy to recycle, so much so it’s often called an ‘energy bank’, because most of the original input can be recovered during every new recycling sequence. Aluminium’s light weight properties also make it ideal for use on energy-saving vehicles like cars and ships. Continuous analysis To get the record straight, energy efficiency is not a goal; it is a basic principle that should guide the actions of governments, organisations and individuals everywhere. Primary aluminium production entirely relies on electrical power to process the ore into aluminia or aluminium oxide, needed to make aluminium by electrolysis. Old smelters need around 15 or 16 kilowatthours (kWh) to produce one kilo of aluminium, while modern ones, operating at higher current, can manage with ‘just’ 13 kWh. Because it’s such an energyintensive process, aluminium production entails significant electricity costs, which represent anywhere between 30 and 40% of aluminium production expenses.

The first step for any aluminium producer that wants to cut energy costs and become more energy efficient is to put energy monitoring in place. An initial evaluation of the site’s energy consumption is needed to identify the most energy-intensive processes or equipment and where improvements can realistically be made. To perform the initial evaluation, existing equipment can be retrofitted with smart sensors, data loggers and energy monitoring tools. The gathered data needs to be stored, archived and analysed to make relevant recommendations that can help reduce the total amount of energy used. There is a range of industrial automation software available that can be used for energy data management and improving the energy ratings of industrial plants and smelting facilities. Realistic targets After the evaluation, aluminium producers must identify what energy savings can be made and where. Whether it’s on the premises - by revamping or purchasing new equipment - in the supply chain or in building maintenance, any energysaving technique will count towards reducing production costs and improving a company’s carbon footprint and sustainability. Setting targets is essential in the process of becoming more energy efficient, but you have to be realistic. To avoid setting impractical objectives, it’s important to consult all the relevant parties involved in the process before deciding on energysaving targets. Easy wins There are also a few simple changes aluminium producers can make straight away. Take lighting, for example. In the

US, it accounts for over a fifth of general electricity consumption. By replacing older incandescent light bulbs with new, energyefficient ones, any business can reduce its energy consumption. Another popular offender is the humble electric motor. Statistics show that about a third of electricity produced globally is used by these energy-hungry devices. Making sure you don’t over-specify motor requirements means a 10% saving on electricity consumption before you even buy one. By purchasing efficient motors, such as IE3 and IE4 class units, and fitting older motors in variable speed applications with variable speed drives (VSDs), energy savings can go up to 60% for each motor. Intelligent industrial automation After tackling some of the easy energy wins, smelting facilities might want to look at increasing factory and process automation in the long run. According to industry experts, up to 80% of the savings a manufacturer can make come from improved automation – and many of these savings are a result of reducing energy consumption. By implementing intelligent automation solutions such as lighting or building controls, remote monitoring and selfdiagnosis systems, energy consumption can be drastically reduced. The technologies necessary for implementing intelligent industrial automation systems are already available and their capabilities are always improving. Accurate sensors and measurement devices, Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and monitoring methods, Ethernet or other Internet-based industrial communication standards, as well as simple, safe user interfaces are already in operation.

*Director, European Automation Aluminium International Today

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These intelligent automation solutions have been tried and tested. Some, like variable speed drives (VSDs), should really be on the verge of becoming the norm. However, in reality they are only used in around 10% of applications, according to an estimate from GAMBICA, the UK trade body for automation. To gain a competitive advantage, comply with ever more demanding environmental regulations and set up more flexible, sustainable operations, the aluminium sector must get on board the industrial automation train before it is too late. Alternative energy Another long-term solution is integrating alternative energy source micro-generation into the system. Modern switchboards and intelligent automation solutions can easily collect and redistribute energy from multiple sources, like renewables or cogeneration. The latter in particular, could become a hidden gold mine for the aluminium industry. Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP), wherein fuel is combusted to generate electricity and useful heat simultaneously, is increasingly being employed in refineries. In an environment

where smelters are fired up to 960°C, heat is a resource that is never wasted. It’s true, significant capital investment is required to build a CHP plant. However, the benefits both in terms of energy efficiency and as a valuable resource for local communities are remarkable. If we take the example of an alumina refinery, a cogeneration facility should be able to supply the electricity needed to power the refining process and any additional facilities, like office lighting or HVAC. The excess heat from the generator is captured and used to produce steam for the refining process. Furthermore, CHP plants can also produce electricity to be used in local communities or be fed back into the grid. According to the International Aluminium Institute, nearly 55% of primary aluminium is produced using renewable and environmentally-friendly hydropower. Coal-generated electricity makes up 29% of the total, while natural gas accounts for slightly over 13%. Hydropower is particularly popular in Canada, Norway and Russia, with 80% of Russia’s smelters running on electricity generated by Siberia’s famous hydropower plants.

Team effort The final, yet most important point, before engaging in the energy-efficiency battle is to get the entire team onboard. Promoting energy awareness within the company multiplies the chances of success. If your employees and contractors in offices, the supply chain or on the factory floor aren’t onboard with energy-saving initiatives, all your hard work will be wasted. What is needed within the aluminium industry is a cultural shift. Aluminium producers need to start looking at everything they do through an energyefficiency and sustainability lens. The move needs to start in the boardroom and run across the entire operation; otherwise long-term improvements in energy consumption are just dreams that will never become reality. Mentality and company culture are by far two of the biggest challenges industry will face in the years to come and the few aluminium producers left need to understand this before they too have to close their gates. The voracious hunger for the aluminium sector has always had for energy should turn to prudent consumption before it’s too late. 

Specialist designed “Turn-Key” integrated melting plants supplied worldwide for all capacities is an Group Company Visit us at Aluminum USA - Booth 934 Telephone: 586.246.1063 | email: sales@meltingsolutions.com | website: www.meltingsolutions.com September/October 2015

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ENVIRONMENT 47

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Bag failure detection to reduce dust emissions By Audrey Beaumont*, Chin Lim*, Jean Baptiste Robin*, Rahul Jain**, Julian Sowah** & Santosh Kumar** Fives is entrusted with the supply of turnkey treatment plants for aluminium smelters. These plants, based on a dry scrubbing technology, are recognised for their efficiency when it comes to treating gases and fumes emitted by reduction pots (Gas Treatment Centres – GTCs), anode baking furnaces (Fume Treatment Centres – FTCs), or sometimes even both (Fume and Gas Treatment Centres – F&GTCs)[1]. Modern smelters must comply with the most stringent regulatory emissions limits, which include dust limitations (up to 5 mg/Nm3)[2]. This means that a GTC with a 2,000,000 Nm3/h flow is allowed emitting up to 10 kg/h of dust. To cope with this issue, Fives has developed a solution to reduce dust emissions by monitoring the possible damage or natural wear of filter bags. Dry scrubbing technology All dry scrubbing plants (FTCs, GTCs, F&GTCs) are designed with a process pattern, which is basically the same, as gases or fumes are exhausted from electrolytic cells and/or the anode baking furnace through a ductwork, and conveyed to a reactor. A mixture of fresh and recirculated alumina is injected at an optimised ratio into these reactors in order to be mixed with the polluted air. Thanks to the filtering media, charged alumina is trapped on the surface of filter bags and, once fluorinated enough, it is sent to the aluminium electrolysis process while clean gases are exhausted by fans through a main stack and to the atmosphere. All modules of Fives’ modern filters (such as TGT-RI or Ozeos)[3] are equipped with an independent pressure transmitter, monitoring filter bag pressure drop. When this pressure drop reaches an optimised setpoint, a low-pressure compressed air pulse is triggered to clean bags from their alumina cake. Each row of filter bags is cleaned every 10 to 20 minutes,

Fig 1. Detector for vertical duct

depending on the quality and age of the filtering media. Over time, bags can be exposed to leakage due to holes in their fabric. These leaks engender alumina spillage inside filters, hampering plant overall efficiency due to the related surge in fluoride and dust emissions at stack. Operators must therefore carefully monitor these leaks to ensure that the plant complies with regulations in force in terms of dust emissions. Consequently, failing bags must be quickly replaced. In order to quickly identify failing filter bags, Fives has developed various solutions for leak detection. Static leak detectors The principle of static leak detectors is to observe on site dust deposits inside a tube. These detectors offer various advantages as they do not require energy, they are inexpensive and they are independent from any computer software. In order to fit every design of filter outlet ducts, Fives

has developed two kinds of detectors depending on their location. For vertical ducts, the system consists in a glass tube, which is placed outside the filter and enables visualising sediments of dust which deposit by gravity (Fig.1). Gases flow through the top into the detector, fall at the level of the glass tube and go back upwards to continue their way towards the GTC outlet. However, in case of leakage, dust contained in these gases falls in the glass tube by gravity and remains there. For horizontal ducts, detectors operate following the same principle, except that the dust deposit is obtained by microcyclone (Fig.2). Gases flow through the tube of entrance of the horizontal detector. In case of presence of dust, it will face the centrifugal force created by the cyclone and will collide with the detector walls and fall downwards in the glass tube. The rest of gases will stand out from the detector. Both systems have been implemented

*Fives Solios SA, **Qatar Aluminium Company (Qatalum) Aluminium International Today

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Fig 2. Detector for horizontal duct

and have always been coupled in Fives’ most recent plants such as Sohar Aluminium (Oman), Ma’aden Aluminium (Saudi Arabia) and Qatalum (Qatar). In case of electrical failure, static detectors enable keeping control and monitoring filters’ condition. However, these kinds of detectors may not always fully match plant requirements. First of all, they inevitably require regular checks on site by an operator as no electronic monitoring is available. Daily routine walkways are recommended by Fives to control everyday static leak detectors at filter outlets. However Fives’ teams have observed that this frequency is variable between customers and sometimes, a lot of time may elapse before discovering a leak. Moreover, these detectors do not provide optimal precision as the leak is only detected in the entire filter module and not in the specific blowing pipe or bag concerned. Identifying the failing bag(s) is therefore more fastidious as it requires successively opening the four upper filter doors with an overhead crane to look up for the presence of alumina around leaking bags (Fig.3). Each row of filter must be inspected to make sure that all leaks have been spotted. Finally, as detailed earlier, leaks cause a significant rise of emission levels and alumina spillage. Leaks can be costly, as alumina lost on one bag with a severe leak (hole) can reach up to 0.01 ton per hour. Based on an alumina rate of 350 USD per ton, this means that a severe leakage could generate a loss of $84 per bag per day. Manual leak detectors installed in Qatalum have enhanced the very low level of dust emissions. However, this level of performance and the limitation of the financial loss are directly related to the efficiency and reactivity of maintenance September/October 2015

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teams. In Qatalum, alumina spillage has been well reduced thanks to a quick reaction of operational teams once a leakage has been identified in these leak detectors. However, in other sites, this reactivity may be lower, thus causing bigger alumina losses. Fives has therefore developed a complementary system which can be directly installed inside filters and provides information on the specific blowing pipes affected by leaks, increasing maintenance efficiency and reducing filters’ shutdown time. Automatic leak detector Automatic leak detectors are based on a triboelectric probe which measures electrostatic fields created by particles carried out in the gas flow, either via the impact of dust on the probe or via its movement near the probe. A 4-20 mA signal is collected and treated to generate an automatic monitoring of the leak. The cleaning system is triggered one row at a time, following a specific pattern, which optimises bag performance. During a cleaning sequence, a very small amount of alumina dust passing through the filter bag media is detected by the triboelectric probe. The normal dust level is then set and recorded during the cleaning system. However, in case of a leak, a much higher amount of alumina dust is detected by the triboelectric probe. Thanks to the combination of the cleaning sequence pattern and the triboelectric probe’s signal, the system is able to identify the specific leaking row. Therefore, once the maintenance team arrives on the leaking filter, they have information about the bags row to be inspected. The opening of top filter doors with an overhead crane is therefore limited to the strict necessary. In addition, with an automatic leak

Fig 3. Bag surrounded with alumina

detector, leaks are reported to operators within 20 minutes for FTCs and 40 minutes for GTCs, against several days or even weeks with a static leak detector if routine walkways are not performed often enough. Consequently, automatic leak detectors increase customer’s reactivity in case of leak, thus reducing dust emissions while limiting maintenance operations. This is even more useful in gas treatment plants with in-built wet scrubbers such as Qatalum (Qatar). Indeed, detectors provide live feedback to operators and enable a quick reaction and preventive actions to be taken, thus avoiding alumina accumulation inside the wet scrubbers, an occurrence that can easily go unseen. When a leak appears, dust emissions can rise by more than 45%. It is therefore crucial to discover leaks as fast and as effectively as possible. Automatic detectors have been implemented in Fives’ most recent plants such as Fjardáal (Iceland), Ma’aden Aluminium (Saudi Arabia), Qatalum (Qatar), RTA Alma (Canada), Alouette Phase 2 (Canada) and RTA Arvida (Canada). For plants willing to implement automatic detectors, Fives recommends coupling both automatic and static detectors. As bag leak monitoring is crucial, these static leak detectors will provide a backup solution to ensure an optimal detection in case of failure of automatic devices.  References

[1] M. Coulon, B. Hureiki and C. Lim; Single Fume and Gas Treatment Center for Aluminium Smelters – A Better Approach (Light Metal Age, October 2013) [2] B. Hureiki, Emissions Processing at Qatalum Smelter (AluSolutions 2013) [3] P. Plisson, B. Hureiki and C. Lim; Sustainability improvement in GTCs (Aluminium International Today, May/June 2014) Aluminium International Today

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ENVIRONMENT 49

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enturies old institution has a solution to a 21st century problem By Melanie Williams*

Uses of aluminium are expanding as its advantages for recyclability and lightweighting fit the world’s needs to save greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in transport and to maximise the use of resources via a circular economy. But these advantages are being questioned by NGOs who point to aluminium’s potential for adverse environmental impacts during bauxite mining and alumina refining. GHG savings from lightweighting are also set against high-energy use and GHG emissions during smelting. As a response, consumer brands using aluminium are reacting in different ways. Some are seeking to use more recycled aluminium, whose adverse impacts are considerably lower. A dedicated brand identity for a recycled aluminium product has been created by Novelis, (evercan) to project a different and better image. It is designed to allow beverage companies to deliver soft drinks, beer and other popular beverages in a low-carbon footprint consumer package. Big consumer brands like BMW, Nespresso, Tetrapak, Jaguar Land Rover and others are trying to tackle the image problem of primary aluminium head on. They are working with the whole supply chain to put in place a best practice production standard for all organisations in the aluminium value chain. They formed the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative (ASI), which will launch a third party certification scheme in 2015. These initiatives follow the path trodden by the timber and biofuels sectors, which have both introduced sustainability schemes

and promoted the use of recycled and waste material. Key to the success of such schemes is consumer confidence that the sustainable material is passed verifiably down the supply chain to the final product. They also want to know where the material has come from and that it was produced sustainably according to the principles of the scheme. This is where the difficulties often arise, because modern commodity supply chains are long and involve transport, storage and trading operations. In the biofuels and food commodity sectors, where sustainability schemes are well established, mixing of sustainable and conventional material is the norm and the identity of the original producer is often lost. Materials can be tracked through trading and processing, but the sustainable material becomes diluted with conventional material of unknown origin. This is a disadvantage for consumer products where customers want to know what they are purchasing and that the sustainable material is not mixed with potentially undesirable material. So how will this process work for aluminium where the supply chain is long and processing is on a large scale and will inevitably involve mixing of material? The centuries old London Metal Exchange (LME) has a key part to play in the physical aluminium supply chain, particularly in times of over supply or scarcity. Its unique role as a market of last resort provides an invaluable service to the sector. The LME system of warrants and controlled brands means that, in effect,

it already offers the assurance consumers are looking for. The warrant system assigns a unique identity to each tradeable ‘lot’ of aluminium or aluminium alloy stored in an LME controlled warehouse. A lot is 25 tonnes (primary aluminium) or 20 tonnes (aluminium alloy). The buyer of a lot receives the exact aluminium that corresponds to the warrant number assigned to the lot. To put it another way, the buyer receives the exact metal atoms assigned to the warrant number. Whilst the owner of the lot can change during storage, its unique identity doesn't. In addition, the producer of each lot and the country of origin are known via the LME approved brand system, which means that the identity can be traced back to the individual smelter. The LME system applies to both primary aluminium and aluminium alloy, which is mainly derived from recycled aluminium. This ability to trace aluminium up the supply chain goes a long way to answering the consumers’ desire to know that their aluminium has come from uncontroversial, low-risk and energy efficient sources. As aluminium is then processed via extruding, rolling and casting to make semifabricated and finished parts, it will be up to these operators to track the primary or recycled aluminium from different sources through their facilities, so they can match the information provided by the LME and other traders, about the origin of the aluminium used in the final product. This will then help unlock the potential of aluminium in a low carbon economy, to the benefit of the entire industry. 

*Sustainability Consultant, www.melaniewilliamsconsulting.com Aluminium International Today

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ALU SOLUTIONS

WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

10-11 May 2016, ADNEC, Abu Dhabi The global forum on sustainability in the aluminium industry

WHAT IS ALUSOLUTIONS? AluSolutions is a freeto-attend international exhibition and conference addressing the challenges and opportunities of sustainable aluminium use. AluSolutions will demonstrate how the industry is making continuous improvements in the environmental efficiency of producing aluminium, as well as its sustainability benefits in end-use applications. Maintaining a sustainable aluminium industry While the primary process of aluminium production is energy-intensive, the industry has recently been promoting aluminium’s use-phase benefits as outweighing these environmental disadvantages. Alongside this ‘new look’ for aluminium, recent environmental legislations mean that the primary industry is monitoring the impacts of bauxite mining, how it reduces emissions, saves energy and affects the local environment.

WWW.ALUSOLUTIONS.COM

While further downstream, as the demand for aluminium grows, rolling companies, extrusion companies and casthouses are recycling aluminium to use it over and over again in a closed loop system. The sustainability benefits of aluminium also continue into the end-use phase. In automotive and aerospace applications for example, lightweight technology has lead to a reduction in C02 emissions, while packaging made from increasing amounts of recycled aluminium is driving a closedloop circular economy. AluSolutions will explore technology and challenges in the following areas: • Reducing energy and greenhouse gases • Waste management • Biodiversity and land management • Resource efficiency and recycling • Scrap recovery • Aluminium end-use environmental benefits • Diversification of downstream

Organised by:

Official media partner:

Find out more by contacting our team: Sales Ken Clark Sales Director Tel: +44 (0)1737 855117 Email: kenclark@quartzltd.com Anne Considine Area Sales Manager Tel: +44 (0)1737 855139 Email: anneconsidine@quartzltd.com Conference & editorial Nadine Firth Editor, Aluminium International Today Tel: +44 (0)1737 855115 Email: nadinefirth@quartzltd.com General enquiries Esme Horn Coordinator Tel: +44 (0)1737 855136 Email: esmehorn@quartzltd.com

Stay in touch:

Published by

Join the AluSolutions Group @AluSolutions

WHO WILL ATTEND?

WHY ABU DHABI? The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the world’s fourth largest aluminium producer, accounting for more than 50% of the Gulf’s aluminium production.

While the primary aluminium sector across the Gulf is growing year on year, significant focus is also being paid to the downstream products and services sector.

The region is known for its high quality aluminium and the plants are modern, with environmental protection regarded to be amongst the most advanced in the world. The volume of aluminium production in the Gulf region is expected to increase to five million tonnes by the end of 2015, which accounts for 17.5% of the total global output, compared with 3.7 million tonnes in 2012 or 11% of the total world production.

Abu Dhabi is an international business hub and visitors will be able to explore all the area has to offer, as well as taking time to visit the local industry.

Aluminium industry professionals and decision-makers from around the world will attend this event to participate in the conference as delegates and attend the exhibition to source new solutions and network with existing suppliers. Visitors will be decision makers from across the aluminium value chain including: • • • • • • • • • •

Presidents / owners Technical / production directors Factory managers Plant engineers Technicians / engineers Production / R&D / test & inspection personnel Education & training personnel Consultants / researchers Sales & marketing managers Health, safety and environment personnel

CONFERENCE The conference theme will be

“The Sustainability Story” It will provide a platform to discuss the sustainability challenges faced when manufacturing and processing aluminium, as well as a look at the environmental benefits of end-use aluminium products.

The conference will include papers/case studies on: • • • • • • • • • •

ustainable mining solutions S Primary aluminium production Emissions reduction Energy saving Recycling aluminium Achieving a closed loop Life cycle assessment Plant case studies Sorting and collecting aluminium Environmental benefits of end-use aluminium

The conference will run alongside the exhibition and is free to attend for all visitors to the show. If you would like to present a paper please contact: Nadine Firth Tel: +44 (0)1737 855115 Email: nadinefirth@quartzltd.com

ALU SOLUTIONS

WORKING TOGETHER TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

10-11 May 2016, ADNEC, Abu Dhabi The global forum on sustainability in the aluminium industry

WWW.ALUSOLUTIONS.COM

Organised by:

Official media partner:

Stay in touch:

Published by

Join the AluSolutions Group @AluSolutions

WHO WILL ATTEND?

WHY ABU DHABI? The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the world’s fourth largest aluminium producer, accounting for more than 50% of the Gulf’s aluminium production.

While the primary aluminium sector across the Gulf is growing year on year, significant focus is also being paid to the downstream products and services sector.

Abu Dhabi is an international business hub and visitors will be able to explore all the area has to offer, as well as taking time to visit the local industry.

CONFERENCE The conference theme will be

The conference will include papers/case studies on: • • • • • • • • • •

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ENVIRONMENT 53

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EU emissions monitoring

Requirements for reducing air emissions have been evolving over the past couple of decades and today are an intricate mix of limits, targets and caps. In many parts of the world, industries emitting pollutants must not only comply with rigid emission limits, but also need to provide emissions data to numerous different agencies and bodies in order to comply with disparate legislative formats and reporting systems at regional, national and international level. By Stephen Harrison* and Dr Frank Fitch** The European Commissionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) published in November 2010 and beginning to take effect in 2014 and 2015 will standardise the maximum emission levels across a range of industries throughout the European Union (EU). The IED reorganised seven existing overlapping directives related to industrial emissions into a single, clear and coherent legislative instrument and its implications will be cascaded through national governments into local or provincial legislation of EU member countries and enforced by inspectors in their local authorities. The existing directives that will coalesce into the IED are the Large Combustion Plant directive (LCPD); the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control directive (IPPCD); the Waste Incineration directive (WID); the Solvent Emissions directive (SED) and the three existing directives on Titanium dioxide on disposal (78/176/ EEC), monitoring and surveillance (82/883/ EEC) and programmes for the reduction of pollution (92/112/EEC). One of the main reasons for the recast of the Directive was the inadequate and incoherent implementation of best available techniques (BAT) to optimise allround environmental performance across the EU. In addition, the fact that relevant provisions were spread across seven

different legal instruments was deemed to place unnecessary administrative burdens on companies, particularly those with operations spanning Member States. Many primary industrial sectors in the EU are already well regulated in terms of emissions, but the aim of the IED is to harmonise and standardise how they are regulated and how BAT is utilised across the entire region by setting minimum emissions benchmarks and improving the quality and consistency of implementation. For companies already operating above and beyond this benchmark, there will be no change required to their operating protocols. For instance, Sweden and Denmark, where a tax on nitrous oxide (NOx) and sulphur oxide (SOx) is in place, very little additional impact is likely. In these countries industrial companies have already invested heavily in emissions reduction technologies to minimise paying these taxes. It is also predicted that there will be similar low impact in the Netherlands, a leading EU member state in terms of environmental policy, where very low legislated emissions levels are already in effect. The impact of the IED is therefore more likely to be felt in countries like France, the UK and in certain member states in Eastern Europe, which have lagged behind the most leading environmental legislation

in Europe. It will address shortcomings in the newer member states, such as the Czech Republic and Poland, as well as Turkey, a candidate member state, which has never before operated in this sphere of environmental regulation. The IED will describe how measuring and monitoring should take place and will be driven by an increase in the use of BATs via revised BAT Reference (BREF) documents in order to obtain better consistency of implementation across the EU member states. The BAT approach is aimed at identifying and applying the best technology available worldwide and applying it as cost effectively as possible on an industrial scale to reduce emissions and achieve a high level of environmental protection. The IED principally covers control of pollution to the air and to water and focuses on 13 specific pollutants or polluting substances to air: NOx and other nitrogen compounds; sulphur dioxide (SO2) and other sulphur compounds; carbon monoxide (CO); volatile organic compounds (VOCs); metals and their compounds; dust, including fine particulate matter; asbestos; chlorine (Cl) and its compounds; fluorine (F) and its compounds; arsenic (As) and its compounds; cyanides; substances and mixtures that have been proved to possess

*Global Head Speciality Gases & Speciality Equipment, **Industry Segment Environmental Technologies Aluminium International Today

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New or existing scrubber

Combustion or other NOx gas emissions source

Nox, SOx, HCI, particulates, heavy metals

Oxygen/ozone supply Ozone

Raw Nox, NO and NO2

Analysers and controls

carcinogenic or mutagenic properties, or properties that may affect reproduction via the air and polychlorinated dibenzodioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. For many industries, much of the impact for emissions to air will be focused on four pollutants - NOx, SO2, CO and VOCs. The LCP directive, one of the seven existing EU directives related to industrial emissions, has required member states to legislatively limit emissions from combustion plants with a thermal capacity of 50 MW or greater. The directive applies to large thermal plants, many of which are fossil-fuel power stations. NOx reduction technologies The link between this legislation and technology is clear. The roll-out of regional directives like the IED will serve to drive the development and raise the profile of new pollution control technologies around the world by defining and referring to BAT. The BREF documents which outline this BAT will herald new lower Emissions Limit Values (ELV) that will necessitate investment in more advanced pollution control measures. While some claim there is no effective means to remove NOx from their emissions - or rather no cost effective means to sustain the economic viability of such an operation - there is a spectrum of conventional BAT and also some newer, more pioneering technologies available to the power industry to address the important obligation of NOx reduction. Some of these technologies include pollution control unit operations such as Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), Selective Non-Catalytic Reduction (SNCR), which are both outlined in the BREF documents and newly introduced approaches such as low temperature oxidation NOx removal technology. A common approach to controlling September/October 2015

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NOx emissions is to modify the basic combustion process within the furnace. By using oxygen instead of air in the production process, which removes the nitrogen ballast, energy efficiency is not only increased, but one of the most important benefits is the very significant reduction of both direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions, including CO2 and NOx. CO2 emissions can be reduced by up to 50% and, for NOx emissions levels of below 50 mg/MJ can be reached. However, since emissions vary widely according to changes in temperature and air/fuel mixing, modifications to the combustion process impact not only the emissions, but very frequently also the efficiency and operability of the furnace. This renders NOx control a technically challenging undertaking that calls for an understanding of complex issues around combustion chemistry and plant operations, as well as the economic issues related to plant fuel consumption and maintenance. NOx reduction by combustion modification is limited, typically in the 30% to 50% range and must be implemented where it is effective and applicable without significant derating of the combustion furnace. Alternatively, replacement of the existing combustion equipment can be done but this is obviously capital intensive. NOx can also be treated post-combustion and the most commonly specified technique for the removal of high levels of NOx is selective catalytic reduction (SCR), a technology designed to facilitate NOx reduction reactions in an oxidising atmosphere. It is called “selective” because it reduces levels of NOx using ammonia as a reductant within a catalyst system. The reducing agent reacts with NOx to convert the pollutants into nitrogen and water. SCR has been adopted effectively in lowering NOx emissions from gas

fired clean flue gas streams. However, in treating dirty gas streams from industrial processes involving kilns, furnaces and combusting coal or oil with SCR possess a risk of the catalyst being compromised by chemical poisons in the flue gas, or blinded by the dust and particulate matter also resident in the flue gas. SCR must be integrated into a high temperature region of the customer’s process, so if it is not included in the original design of the furnace, later installation will require a major rework of the process. The intermediate technology selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) is also applicable in the high temperature regions impacting the client’s process. SNCR does not make use of a catalyst, but requires a highly defined temperature region to provide a reaction with ammonia. This technology is capable of achieving a 50 to 60% NOx removal. The effective temperature for reduction of NOx through a SCR catalyst is in the range of 200 to 400°C – and for selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) to be effective, the ammonia injection and reduction needs to be in the range of 900 to 1100°C. Additionally, retrofitting NOx reduction solutions such as SCR or SNCR can often be disruptive of the industrial process and can have negative implications with operations and costs. At the pioneering spectrum of NOx removal solutions for the power industry is Linde’s LoTOx technology, which stands for “low temperature oxidation” and has been specifically developed for the control of NOx emissions. LoTOx, which works on “dirty” exhaust gas streams to oxidise and then capture NOx, is a selective, low temperature oxidation technology that uses ozone to oxidise NOx to water soluble and very reactive nitric pentoxide (N2O5). The LoTOx process is applied at a controlled temperature zone within the scrubbing system. LoTOx does not require additional scrubbers but can leverage those already installed to remove other criteria pollutants such as SOx. Dirty gas means gas with other criteria pollutants, typically, particulate matters, SOx and other acid gases. Irrespective of NOx removal, for control of these pollutants, air pollution control devices such as wet and dry scrubbers are required to remove those pollutants. Integrating the LoTOx process within such air pollution control devices is relatively simple and truly results into a multi-pollutant removal system. Inside a wet or dry scrubber N2O5 forms nitric acid that is subsequently scrubbed by aqueous spray and neutralised by the alkali reagent. The conversion of higher oxides of nitrogen into the aqueous phase in the scrubber is rapid and irreversible, allowing an almost complete removal of Aluminium International Today

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NOx, in the region of 90 to 95% from flue gases. The low operating temperature allows stable and consistent control, regardless of variation in flow, load or NOx content, and acid gases or particulates have no adverse effect on the performance of the LoTOx process. LoTOx is a highly versatile NOx removal process but ideally suited where the removal required is greater than 80% or where stack emissions must be below 20 ppm. The LoTOx process offers inherent flexibility in NOx removal. The benefits of this technology include increased capacity, greater flexibility in the choice of feeds, increased conversion rates and reduced emissions. Since this technology is a post-combustion solution that treats the flue gas at the end of the customer’s process, it does not interfere with the process in any way. The system does not utilise a fixed catalyst bed and does not impact system hydraulics, making it robust and reliable, capable of operating without maintenance for periods of two to three years between refinery shutdowns. It is also able to manage unit upsets without impacting overall reliability and mechanical availability.

The ozone required is produced from oxygen on site in response to the amount of NOx present in the flue gas generated by the combustion process and the final NOx emission required. Where next? As often happens when legislation is updated in a specific country or region, other countries outside its range adopt certain principles as a blueprint or starting point for their own local legislation. This is why many of the changes taking place in environmental legislation in the EU reflect developments in the United States, where authorities like the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are also striving to level the playing fields across industries. The introduction of the IED is a major development in emissions control in the EU and it begs the question, “What will the next major development in this arena look like?” In line with the consistent trend towards lower emissions levels, it is clear that, as in the USA, the scope of emissions legislation will extend ever wider to cover more factories that have not yet been greatly impacted by regulation. The

existing LCP legislation focuses on huge power plants that run the largest possible combustion units. The IED will stretch this scope and there are already plans to introduce medium combustion plant legislation that will fill a gap not yet been addressed by the IED, to focus on slightly smaller combustion operations related to small scale heating and power generation. Ultimately, it is possible that within the next decade, the impact of EU emissions legislation will be felt on any operation burning material on an industrial scale. As international emissions legislation becomes more sophisticated, it is propelling the speciality gases and instrumentation sectors into completely new levels of technology, beyond traditional solutions where a calibration gas mixture could simply be hooked up to an analyser. Advancements in emissions legislation will therefore continue to challenge gas companies like Linde Gas to be able to supply products that underpin its requirements. Legislators also need to ensure through BAT and BREF documents that the technology actually exists, or can cost effectively be applied, to any new legislative requirements. 

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56 ENVIRONMENT

Keith Allen* discusses the treatment and disposal of fluids from aluminium metalworking.

An approach to metalworking fluids The metal working sector is currently valued at around £100 billion in the UK, split across approximately 80,000 metal machining companies and providing almost 1.5 million jobs. The majority of these businesses rely on metalworking fluids (MWFs) in the machining process and disposing of the resulting wastewater can be problematic. Not only must companies dispose of waste responsibly but there are many factors to consider including the type and volume of waste, different methods of treatment or disposal, the cost of those methods and the environmental impact. Take, for example, the disposal of die casting emulsions in an aluminium casting foundry. Die casting emulsions normally have the problem of a high content of oil and high chemical oxygen demand (COD) values. To avoid the adherence of the aluminium piece, the mould may be sprayed with an emulsion, of which the majority is pure water. Traditionally this type of process water has been collected in a tank. Nowadays, increasingly stringent regulations governing wastewater discharge and greater quantities of wastewater being produced means there is a growing need for more efficient and cost-effective methods to remove metals and other contamination from process wastewater. Legislation such as the Integrated

Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (IPPC) has also sharpened the focus for companies to dispose of their waste in a more environmentally aware way. As part of the guidelines, it is now a requirement to take all measures necessary to ensure the safe collection and disposal of waste oils. As a result, businesses need to treat spent waste MWF before the water component can be discharged to sewers. MWFs and waste treatment options More generally speaking MWFs are a complex mixture of oils, detergents, surfactants, biocides and anti-corrosion agents used for a variety of applications. They can be used as coolants, lubricants and swarf or metal chip removers during machining. They are usually supplied as concentrates and diluted with water before use to produce an emulsion of (generally) 2-10% by volume oil in water. After a period of time, the fluid needs to be replaced and disposed, mainly for contamination reasons or for something as simple as the fluid has become to oily or smelly. One of the most common methods for the disposal of MWF is to use an external waste management company to dispose of the contaminated wastewater rather than treating it on-site. Whilst discharging the responsibility to waste disposal specialists can be the simplest method, it can be

prohibitively expensive, with haulage costs rising. It also means water cannot be recycled, which is one of the biggest disadvantages from an environmental and financial standpoint. The main factors to consider with this option are the type of waste and concentration, the volume of waste and the distance to the disposal site. If limited amounts of waste are produced (less than 10,000 litres p.a.) and the facility is close to a disposal site, this can be an effective option. However on the most part and especially for larger volumes, there are now more efficient solutions available, both from a financial and environmental point of view. For larger volumes, investment in a form of water treatment equipment will result in a waste stream that is less hazardous and, therefore, cheaper to dispose of or is easier to treat downstream. Investment in water treatment equipment, while expensive in the shortterm, can offer significant payback opportunities in the long-term, as well as being beneficial to a business’ environmental policy by reducing the environmental impact of the metal finishing processes. There are three categories of water treatment:  Primary - disposal of two waste streams, categorised by hazard level  Secondary - disposal of water and oil

*Business Development Manager, Lancy Technology (part of NHE) www.nhe.uk.com/process-water-recycling/water-treatment **Energy Technology List (ETL), part of the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA), see www.gov.uk September/October 2015

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Payback Recycling wastewater can have a significant environmental and financial impact. As well as ensuring water entering the system is not hazardous and in a lot of cases can be recycled by the business itself, the return on investment can mean this can be a viable and beneficial MWF treatment option for many companies. Disposal costs can be drastically reduced, up to a factor of 100 and the average payback period following investment in wastewater evaporator equipment is two years. The product can also comply with the Enhanced Capital Allowance (ECA) Scheme in certain circumstances. The ECA scheme means that a business can invest in energy-saving plant or machinery that might otherwise be too expensive. The first year allowances let businesses set 100% of the cost of the assets against taxable profits in a single tax year. This means the company can write off the cost of the new plant or machinery against the business’s taxable profits in the financial year the purchase was made. An ECA is claimed through a business’s income or corporation tax return in the same way as any other capital allowance. HM Revenue and Customs is responsible for the taxrelated aspects of the ECA scheme**.

disposal separately  Tertiary - further improvements to the quality of the waste water stream Primary treatment typically is not a suitable option for many metalworking companies as it consists of holding waste in a quiescent basin to allow oil, grease and lighter solids to float to the surface and heavy solids can settle on the bottom. These materials can then be removed but the remaining liquid may require a secondary treatment before discharge. Secondary treatment methods involve the separation of the emulsified oil from the spent MWFs. This has the effect of substantially reducing the Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and sometimes the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in the fluid, which are contamination standards and measures. If these elements are sufficiently low following treatment, then it may be possible to dispose of water as wastewater with correspondingly low charges. The final treatment stage is tertiary treatment to further improve the effluent quality and there are many different methods including filtration and disinfection. The latest technology uses evaporation (vacuum distillation) for the treatment separation of MWF’s from water. Installing a specialist wastewater evaporation system can virtually eliminate the need for regular wastewater collection and disposal by separating the MWF waste to leave only a very small volume for disposal, which significantly reduces carriage costs. Aluminium International Today

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The leftover water can then be either disposed of via the sewer network or recycled internally. The main advantages of this method are that it is effective for all types of MWF, it is unaffected by fluid variations and contaminates and it produces quick results, meaning payback on investment in equipment takes typically less than two years. It works by heating spent MWF in a specially designed vessel to drive off water, typically leaving around five per cent volume of hazardous waste. Additional tertiary water treatment techniques for the end stream water following secondary treatment can also be applied to reduce the COD level further. This allows recovered water to be reused on site within a manufacturing process or for low-grade use such as floor washing or toilet flushing. Alternative techniques to evaporation include reverse osmosis, nano filtration and ion exchange, however these typically add cost to the treatment of MWF’s that would render them economical or viable in only very particular circumstances.

The Vacudest wastewater evaporator system As part of Norman Hay Engineering (NHE), Lancy Technology provides a single resource for process water recycling requirements, including effluent treatment, wastewater processing and metal and chemical recovery. Lancy Technology is the UK and Ireland partner of H20, the company behind the Vacudest wastewater evaporation system. Each unit is based on a modular design, which enables it to be tailored to meet precise installation requirements. Additional factors such as a maintenancefriendly design and simple control systems, including internet connection for remote diagnostic purposes, are available. One particular aluminium casting company was using an external company for the disposal of its emulsions, however this was resulting in high disposal costs. Furthermore it was situated in a part of the world that had a water shortage, therefore recycling of water was considered when planning a new production line. The company implemented a Vacudest 1200 for the treatment and recycling of 6000m³ die casting emulsions a year which now runs 365 days a year. The company estimated disposal cost savings of up to €100,000 per year.  www.normanhay.com September/October 2015

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58 ENVIRONMENT

www.aluminiumtoday.com

Cleaning up its act

This article looks at sustainable emissions solutions for the aluminium industry.

Spooner installation – 3-chamber RTO

September/October 2015

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air pollution control and energy recovery systems with Spooner engineering and manufacturing expertise across a full range of plant equipment. This combination now provides a single source solution for industrial facilities to their dryer, oven and air pollution control needs, with Spooner as the European licensee for the provision of VOC Abatement Systems in Europe. Spooner’s forced convection technologies incorporate high performance airflow and control technologies together with energy efficient measures throughout. Cleaning emissions and making effective use of excess heat to feed back into the process without disturbance to the process, is a delicate balance, and is where Spooner’s design and engineering expertise also comes in. On production lines the critical 3500

Contact www.spooner.co.uk

CO2 Emission from different control equipment

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Comparison Oxidiser Fuel Consumption (US Units)

CO2 Emission (lbs/hr)

The term “carbon footprint” has been much banded about with today’s increasingly eco-aware population. Arguments still rage about global warming but what we do know is that carbon dioxide, (CO2) is a contributing factor and that humans are responsible for a large proportion of these emissions. Furthermore, the manufacturing industry is often criticised as a key source of harmful volatile organis compounds (VOCs) which, in addition to adverse health and environmental effects often have a far greater greenhouse gas effect than carbon dioxide. In fact the total carbon footprint is not something that can be calculated due to the infinite amount of data, which would be required, whilst CO2 is produced by natural occurrences. Leaving the latter aside, it is therefore accepted that when we talk about industry sources of emissions, we are referring to indirect or secondary CO2 emissions associated with the whole lifecycle of products we use – in other words the higher the demand, the more emissions will be produced. These challenges faced by industrial manufacturers are nothing new to Spooner. Initially in the textile industry, the company revolutionised the industrial drying techniques of the time in terms of both speed and efficiency and eventually doubled the output of what had previously been achieved. A partnership forged with Anguil Environmental Systems in 2008 combined Anguil’s extensive experience of industrial

factors in terms of oven and dryer air flow include distribution, temperature and heat recovery. Whilst the drive for energy efficiency remains key, this becomes secondary to the maintenance of product and process consistency. Such was the task when an aluminium can stock line customer wished to increase line speed whilst also saving energy. Following the original installation of Spooner ovens at this site many years prior, Spooner had subsequently extended the line and then 12 years later, were called back for further line extension work. Spooner’s long standing installation knowledge and business relationship with the customer assisted the design process and mechanics. With an extended oven section, an RTO replaced the existing oxidiser and the indirect heating method refined by the addition of a booster burner. A combination of air to air for pre heating reduced reliance on the burner whilst air to water heating provided hot water for pre-treatment of the aluminium strip recovering energy from the RTO. Increased speed was achieved together with substantial energy savings. Today the site remains cost effective and is still maintained by Spooner. 

2000

CO2 Natural gas emission CO2 Solvent combustion

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Process assumptions: - 10,000 SCFM - 70°F inlet temperature - 5% lower explosive limit - Toluene emissions

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Direct fired thermal oxidiser (flare)

Thermal recuperative oxidiser

Catalytic recuperative Regenerative thermal oxidiser oxidiser

Emission control technology

Aluminium International Today

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62 EVENT PREVIEW: ARABAL

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Ma’aden to host ARABAL 2015 The Arab International Aluminium Conference and Exhibition (ARABAL) is the premium trade event for the Middle East’s aluminium industry and the only conference in the world attended by every single primary aluminium manufacturer in the region. It is the event of choice for anyone interested in the Middle East aluminium industry. ARABAL first began in 1983 with Kuwait

Aluminium Co. bringing together the leading figures in Middle East Aluminium to strengthen ties and discuss the issues of the day to provide an overview about the entire aluminium industry. Over the past 29 years, it has become an event of international repute, bringing together leaders from the aluminium industry across the world to network and conduct business.

The 2015 event, hosted by Ma’aden in Saudi Arabia and combining an international exhibition and strategic conference, will focus on the integration of the aluminium upstream and downstream sectors throughout the GCC. For more information and to register for the event visit: www.arabal.com

Venue ARABAL will take place at the Dhahran International Exhibitions Center, located in Dammam, Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. Why Dhahran – Eastern Province? The Eastern Province is developing at such a rate that it can no longer be described as merely the industrial hub of Saudi Arabia but the industrial capital for the entire Gulf region. Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province is a thriving, vibrant industrial region, hosting several major industrial cities including Dhahran, Jubail, Dammam, and Kohbar. Home to the Kingdom’s main oil and gas fields and the most prestigious Saudi University, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, the Eastern Province is the perfect venue for an event committed to excellence.

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Aluminium International Today

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64 EVENT PREVIEW: ALFED UK

www.aluminiumtoday.com

The future’s light… Reflecting the diversity of the vibrant aluminium sector in the UK is a new event for 2015 – the UK Aluminium Conference. Held on 4th – 5th November 2015 at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, the Conference celebrates the excellence of the UK’s aluminium industry. “For 2015 we are broadening the scope to encompass the whole of the UK aluminium sector, by launching a new conference format,” says Will Savage of ALFED, which is organising the Conference. “Following the success of recent Aluminium in Road Transport Conferences, we have put together an exciting speaker programme, covering areas such as aviation, packaging and recycling.”

The role of aluminium in lightweighting road transport vehicles remains a hot topic, with 2015 seeing the launch of the aluminium-intensive XE and XF models, making Jaguar the first volume manufacturer to offer an all-aluminium model range. In addition to automotive issues, speakers will also cover the latest developments in and prospects for aluminium in the construction, aerospace and packaging sectors, and the UK market for primary and secondary aluminium. The Conference will be of interest to all who work in, or have an interest in the UK’s dynamic aluminium industry. There will be networking opportunities and an exhibition to complement the excellent line-up of speakers. ALFED anticipates an attendance of

Rigaku answers analyser for the identification of light elements in metal and alloy applications.

Dave Mercuro, General Manager, Elemental Products, talks to Aluminium International Today about an accurate, durable, alloy identification process 1. How are things going at Rigaku? This year has been busy for Rigaku Analytical Devices and it looks to continue that way. On June 1st, we announced that Rigaku Raman Technologies would be rebranding as Rigaku Analytical Devices. Following this announcement we launched Katana, a handheld laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) September/October 2015

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2. How does Rigaku work with the aluminium industry? We are currently working with customers who want to optimise their alloy identification. Katana applications include scrap metal sorting, quality assurance in metal fabrication and positive material identification in mission critical operations. This device is easily integrated into existing materials’ verification processes. The aluminium industry will benefit from Katana’s light element identification which enables users to identify a range of light elements including aluminium, lithium, beryllium and magnesium in a matter of seconds to ensure profitability and product quality. 3. What factors led to the development of the new Katana device? The ability to accurately classify metals is of paramount importance to metal applications to ensure profitability and product quality. However, the limitations of currently available handheld metal analysers meant that users did not have access to accurate analysis of

more than 100 delegates, drawn from the aluminium industry, manufacturing companies and suppliers, academia, and those with a commercial metal market interest. “This year we are working with the Advanced Engineering Show, and the timing of the UK Aluminium Conference enables delegates to attend the show,” says Will Savage. “The Conference will also be a great networking event, with speakers, exhibitors and delegates from many countries, reflecting the strong international dimension of the UK industry.”  A conference programme and registration is available at www.alfed.co.uk or by calling (+44) 121 601 6363.

light elements. Traditional methods include instruments that are not able to distinguish all metal grades, and so leave room for material mix-ups 4. Why is it important to identify and classify metals? Fabrication and machine shops prepare and assemble various materials using different processes. The ability to identify alloys on-the-spot throughout the manufacturing process is critical as even the smallest component could have detrimental effects if the incorrect metal type is used. In addition, the rapid growth in value of the scrap metal recycling market has led to increased attention on the materials and parts leftover from manufacturing that can be found in scrapyards for sorting and sale to smelters. 5. How do you view Rigaku’s development over the short-tomid term in relation to the global aluminium industry? With our strong reputation in the analytical world, we are confident that Katana will be established as the optimum handheld solution for metal identification.  For a full version of this interview, visit www.aluminiumtoday.com/features To find out more about Rigaku please visit www.rigakuanalytical.com Aluminium International Today

9/14/15 4:29 PM

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Some things live forever. Like the famous photo of Marilyn Monroe. Like aluminium, which can be recycled and live on in new products. And like Hydro, which has been renewing itself for more than a century.