1. INNOVATIONS IN THE NORTH AMERICAN ALUMINUM INDUSTRY
Alton Tabereaux
Alcoa (retired)
Enter speaker notes here.

2. Types of Major Innovations
Reduce Energy Consumption
Increase in Production
Reduce Environmental Risks or Emissions
New Aluminum Products
Improve Metal Purity or Metal Quality

3. What are the major innovations in Alumina Refineries in North America?

4. Timeline for Innovations in Alumina Refineries in North America
Seed Classification
TECHNOLOGY
Co-Generation
Electricity & Steam
Sodalite scale inhibitor
Single Streaming Digestion
Oxalate
Removal
Hydroxamated Polymer
Flocculants
Bayer Process
(1887)
Red Mud Dry Stacking
Super-saturation Control
Continuous Precipitation
Counter Current Decantation
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
EQUIPMENT
Fluid Flash
Calciners
Gas Suspension Calciners
Deep
Thickeners
Pressure Decanters
Fluid Bed Calciners
Hydro-cyclones

5. 1950’s-1990’s: Fluid Bed, Fluid Flash & Gas Suspension Calciners
(1)
1950’s-1990’s: Fluid Bed, Fluid Flash & Gas Suspension Calciners
25-30% Reduction in Energy Consumption
Alcoa Pt. Comfort Alumina Refinery
Alcoa Mark III & Mark VI Flash Fluid Calciners
1950’s: Fluid Bed, Alcoa
1960’s: Fluid Flash, Alcoa Fluid Flash:
Alcoa, Pt. Comfort, TX and RTA, Vaudreuil, Saguenay
Gas Suspension Calciners:
(1989) Sherwin, TX
Rotary kiln:
Gramercy & Burnside, LA
US Patent , April , Alcoa

6. (2)
1970’s-1980’s: Continuous Precipitation of Alumina Hydrate(1) and Alumina Hydrate Production from By Seeding Bayer Liquor (2)
Increase Production
(1) 1971 US Patent 3,607,113 A, R.H. Featherston, Reynolds Metals.
(2) 1981 US Patent 4,305,913, J.L. Anjier, Kaiser Aluminum.
220 Precipitators – Sherwin Alumina Refinery

7. 1980’s: Bayer Process Improvements
(3)
1980’s: Bayer Process Improvements
Alcan - Treatment of Bayer Process Red Mud Slurries, US Patent , 1991
Reduce Environmental Risks
Alcan Deep Thickeners
Alcan Pressure Decanters
Implementation:
High rate pressure decanters (HRD),
Automated security pregnant liquor filtration,
Deep Cone/Hi-rate red mud thickeners & washers.
Red mud dry stacking

8. 1990’s: Co-Generation of Electricity & Steam
Reduction in Energy Consumption
The cogeneration plants deliver more than 75 percent energy efficiency, compared with percent for other power plants,
Pt Comfort, Sherwin,

9. 1990’s: Modified Synthetic Polymers
(4)
1990’s: Modified Synthetic Polymers
Jul 23, 1996, CYTEC Technology Corp, Blends of hydroxamated polymer emulsions with polyacrylate emulsions, US Patent No: 5,539,046
Increase Production
Hydroxamated polymers (HXPAMS)*
liquid/solids separations and selective flocculation of red mud with higher setting rates in Bayer Process.
Sodalite scale inhibitor
eliminates sodalite scale from heat exchangers in the Bayer Process.
*Polyacrylamides (HXPAMs)

10. What are the major innovations in Aluminum Smelters in North America?

11. Timeline for Innovations in Aluminum Smelting in North America
Dual
Ducts
TECHNOLOGY
Point
Feeders
SPL Kiln Treatment
STARprobe
Computers
End-riser Prebake
Cells
Side-riser Prebake Cells
Søderberg Anode
Dry Scrubbers
Slotted
Anodes
LCLL SPL Treatment
Hall Cell
AlF3
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
“Hall” PB
Potlines
N40
Potlines
P100
Potlines
P220
Potlines
Alcan APEX 310 Cells
AP60
Potlines
Potlines
1st Søderberg Potline
P155 & P69
Potlines

12. Development of Prebake Cell Technology for the past 100 Years in NA
“Hall” kA
N kA
“Arvida” kA
P kA
P kA
P kA
P kA
P kA
A kA
A kA
Alcoa 1900’s
Alcoa 1940’s
Alcan 1940’s
Alcoa 1950’s
Kaiser 1950’s
Reynolds 1960’s
Alcoa 1960’s
Alcoa 1970’s
Alcoa 1980’s
Alcoa 2000’s
Increase Production & Reduction
in Energy Consumption

13. 1891 to 1926: “Hall” Prebake Cells in North America
“Hall” Cells continued to operate in NA for years
USA
New Kensington, 1891
Massena,
Niagara Falls, 1903
Tennessee, 1914
Baden,
Canada
Shawinigan, 1901
Arvida,
kA Potlines

14. 1960’s: Alcoa P100 Prebake Cells (Anode Quarter-Riser Bus)
Anode riser bus
Alcoa P100, kA
prebake cells:
Wenatchee (1 potline)
Rockdale (2 potlines)
Warrick (5 potlines)
First “Quarter” Riser Cell
(Two risers, or bus conductors) on sides of cells.

15. 1963: Alcoa P155 Prebake Cells First “Modern” Prebake Technology in NAkA
prebake cells,
Point Henry, AU (1963)
Baden, SC (1966)
Sebree, KY(1973)
Grand Baie, CA (1980)
Laterrière, CA (1989)
Alcan Laterrière smelter

16. 1986: Alcoa A817 Prebake Cells (about same time as the Pechiney AP30 prebake cells)
300 kA Prebake cells
280 kA test cells at Massena, NY.
5 Side Risers.
1986: Startup of two potlines A817 cells at Portland smelter, Australia.
Alcoa Portland smelter, Australia

17. 2000’s: Alcoa Management Decision that Impacted Future Innovations
Alcoa decided not to make investments to improve the A-387 (+300 kA) prebake cell technology for future new smelters,
For example, Alcoa purchased RTA AP35 prebake cell technology for the Fjardaál and Ma’aden aluminum smelters.

18. : Apex A310 Prebake Cells
Alcan five experimental prototype prebake cells at Arvida R&D Center
275 kA & 310 kA
Individual “pair” anode drive control.
Alcan A310 cell with 16 anodes

19. Alcan Management Decisions that Impacted Future Innovations:
APEX A-275 & A-310 prebake pilot test cells were successful,
Good performance
Stable magnetics
Individual anode jack motor / controls
Alcan management decided not to invest in using their prototype APEX A-310 prebake cell technology in future smelters,
However, 11 years later Alcan acquired Pechiney Aluminum AP in 2003.

20. 2013: RTA AP60 Potline in North America
Increase Production
2013: RTA AP60 Potline in North America
Phase I. February Startup of the first of 38 AP60 cells at the AP Technology Center. Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec,
capacity 60,000 tonnes per year
Phase II: kA produce 460,000 tpy.
Investment: US $1.1 billion

21. 1990: Treatment of SPL in a Rotary Kiln Process
Reduce Environmental Risks
1990: Treatment of SPL in a Rotary Kiln Process
1990:
Reynolds started its SPL treatment plant at Gum Springs, AK using a rotary kiln process.
Calcium fluoride product is sent to land field
110,000 Tonnes per year capacity

22. 2008: Alcan Caustic Leaching & Liming (LCLL) SPL Treatment
Reduce Environmental Risks
2008: Alcan Caustic Leaching & Liming (LCLL) SPL Treatment
Extracts fluorides from SPL
Facility will have the capacity to treat 80,000 t/y SPL.
RTA generates 25,000 tpy in Quebec.
RTA stockpile is 650,000 tonnes SPL.
Plan is to also process competitors SPL.
Jonquiere, Quebec

23. 2000’s: Carbothermic Reduction
Reduce Energy Consumption
2000’s: Carbothermic Reduction
Alcoa & Elkem
2009: Successful tests conducted at Kristiansand, Norway.
2011: Alcoa will continue R&D; moved the reactor to the Lista smelter.
Alcoa Acquires Full Ownership of Carbothermic Smelting Technology March 3, 2011

24. 1960’s-2010’s: Inert Anodes (IA)
Reduce CO2 Emissions
1960’s-2010’s: Inert Anodes (IA)
Alcoa, Reynolds, Alcan, (and others) had major R&D programs in the past to develop inert anodes (IA) without success.
Alcoa is actively continuing it’s R&D program to develop inert anodes.
To date no fully acceptable inert anode materials have been identified.
Moltech Inert Anodes, LM 2006, pp.391

25. INERT ANODES INOVATIONS
Thinking Outside the Box!
Think unconventionally!
Creative
Thinking!
Novel
Thinking!
Think from a new perspective!
Think differently!

26. Future Innovations: Aluminum Electrolysis with SOM Inert Anodes
Reduce CO2 Emissions & Energy Consumption
Future Innovations: Aluminum Electrolysis with SOM Inert Anodes
INFINIUM, Inc. is developing an inert “solid oxygen membrane” (SOM) electrodes for the production of light metals: aluminum, magnesium, titanium,
Oxygen produced at anode
50% reduction in energy consumption
2013 ARPA-E PROJECTS
U.S. Dept. Energy
Dr. Adam C. Powell IV

27. What are the major innovations in Cast Shops in North America?

28. Timeline for Innovations in Aluminum Cast Shop in North America
ALLOY
Shape Casting Alloys
Lithium Aluminum Alloys
Grain Refiners
Beverage Cans Alloys
Duralumin
6061 Alloy
7055
A318, A A380, A500/600
5182
7050
2017
A356
2024
A356
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Aluminum Extrusion
Continuous Casters
SNIF Inline Degasser &
SELEE ceramic foam filters
EMC
Casting
LiMCA
Hoopes Refining Cell DC
Casting
Deep
Bed Metal Filtration
Maxicast & Airslip Casting
PROCESS
October 7-11, 2012 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Robert Sanders, JOM 53, (2) 2001, pp.21-25

29. 1905: Aluminum Extrusion New Aluminum Products
1905: Alcoa’s first extrusion tests.
1923: Horizontal presses with preheated billets.

30. 1930-1934: Master Alloys - Chemical Grain Refiners
Improve Metal Quality &
Increase Production
: Master Alloys - Chemical Grain Refiners
Alcoa: Nock, Pacz, & Rosenhain
Titanium additions to aluminum; became established practice.
Improve casthouse productivity,
allowing faster DC ingot casting speeds,
resistance to hot-cracking, as well as
improving surface finish and mechanical properties

31. 1935: Direct Chill (DC) Casting
New Aluminum Products
1935: Direct Chill (DC) Casting
Alcoa: William Ennor
First devised the concept.
Introduced at Alcoa plants in the 1930’s.
Alcoa patent in 1942.

32. 1940’s -1950’s: Continuous Casting
New Aluminum Products
1940’s -1950’s: Continuous Casting
The continuous caster can be attributed to Properzi’s invention in 1948 with the 1st commercial application in 1966.
Hunter twin-roll caster was commercialized in 1950’s.
1959 Alcan installed a twin-belt Hazelett caster for aluminum alloys.

33. 1950s-1960’s: Continuous Molten Metal Treatment
Improve Metal Purity
1950s-1960’s: Continuous Molten Metal Treatment
Alcoa 94 Deep-bed Filtration (DBF):
Used tabular aluminum balls and chat to trap oxide inclusions as the metal flowed from the holding furnace to the casting pit.

34. 1973: SNIF® In-Line Degasser
Improve Metal Purity
1973: SNIF® In-Line Degasser
Union Carbide: SNIF® (Spinning Nozzle Inert Flotation)
Sealed in-line degassing equipment that processes molten aluminum using spinning nozzles to produce a large number of small gas bubbles prior to casting which removes:
hydrogen, alkali metals and non-wetted non-metal particles
SNIF® Spinning Nozzle Inert Flotation) In-Line Degasser

35. 1973: Ceramic Foam Filters (CFF) Continuous Casting
Improve Metal Purity
1973: Ceramic Foam Filters (CFF) Continuous Casting
SELEE: Ceramic Foam Continuous Casting Filters.
First cost-effective media to remove non-metallic inclusions from molten aluminum.

36. 1994: Liquid Metal Cleanliness Apparatus (LiMCA) & PoDFA
Improve Metal Purity
1994: Liquid Metal Cleanliness Apparatus (LiMCA) & PoDFA
Alcan: Liquid Metal Cleanliness Apparatus (LiMCA)
The LiMCA method measures the total concentration and size distribution of inclusions present in aluminum alloys.
Monitor, in real-time, the evolution of cleanliness along a cast as a function of process parameters and melt-handling practices.
ABB LiMCA CM Continuous Monitoring

37. Increase Production
1970’s: MaxiCast™ Hot Top Billet Casting System & 1983: AirSlip® Air Casting Technology
Wagstaff MaxiCastTM
Minimized the space between molds; casters produce more billets per cast using their existing DC pits.
Wagstaff AirSlip®
Incorporated gas and oil into the MaxiCast System; produce a near perfect billet surface with a finer internal grain structure.

38. 1980’s: Continuous Electromagnetic Casting Ingots
Increase Production & Improve Metal Quality
1980’s: Continuous Electromagnetic Casting Ingots
1966: EMC process invented in Russia.
1980’s: Commercialized by Kaiser Aluminum & Alusuisse.
Ingots have smooth surface and homogenous microstructure; eliminates /reduces scalping losses.

39. 1980’s-2014: Lithium Aluminum Alloy
New Aluminum Products
1980’s-2014: Lithium Aluminum Alloy
Al–Li alloys are primarily of interest to aircraft and aerospace industry due to the weight advantage they provide.
Alcoa currently used in a few commercial jet linier airframes.
The third and final version of the US Space Shuttle external tank was principally made of Alcoa Al–Li alloy

40. Implications for Future Product Innovations
The 2-piece beverage can grew into aluminum’s largest market and greatly influenced rolling and recycling technologies.
What is the next aluminum can?

41. The New Ford F-150 Truck: Military-Grade Aluminum Alloy

42. An aluminum alloy body and bed cuts 700 lbs from its top-selling truck using “military grade aluminum alloys”, Alcoa 5454 BTS alloy, used in Hummers and Bradleys
The chemistry of the aluminum alloy used in construction of the 2015 F-150 body and bed has been standardized to facilitate recycling.

43. What are the major innovations in Reclamation Plants in North America?

44. Timeline for Innovations in Aluminum Scrap, Dross & Can Reclamation in North America
Aluminum Beverage Cans
Salt free processing of dross in rotary furnaces
TECHNOLOGY
UBC Separation
Dry milling of dross
1st Dross Processing
Patent
Dross processing in inclined reactor
Integrated wet & chemical processing
Increase furnaces performance
Separation of mixed scrap
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
FURNACES
1st Rotary furnace with salt flux
Dedicated UBC furnaces
Tilt rotary furnaces dross & scrap
Adoption of reverb furnaces with side bays & metal pumps
UBC delacquering kilns

45. 1980’s: Reverb Furnaces With Molten Metal Pumps
Increase Production
1980’s: Reverb Furnaces With Molten Metal Pumps
Widespread adoption of reverb furnaces with molten metal pumps and side bay for scrap melting,
(USA, all major & minor Aluminum
companies)

46. 1980’s: Tilting Rotary Furnaces
Increase Production &
Reduced Environmental Risks
1980’s: Tilting Rotary Furnaces
Introduction of the Tilting Rotary Furnaces for dross and scrap, processing
IMCO Recycling

47. 1980’s: UBC Delacquering Kilns
Increase Production
1980’s: UBC Delacquering Kilns
Early UBC delacquering kilns, as well as belt decoaters and fluidized decoaters.
Aptros, Gillespie & Power

48. 1980’s: Separation of Heavy Metals From UBCs
Increase Production
1980’s: Separation of Heavy Metals From UBCs
Separation of heavy metals,
(lead, brass, iron, etc.) during UBCs processing using:
air knives,
magnetics and later,
eddy currents separators, (ECS)
(USA, all aluminum companies)

49. 1990’s: Salt free dross processing in rotary furnaces,
Reduce Environmental Risks
1990’s: Salt free dross processing in rotary furnaces,
Eliminate salt in non-metallic product (NMP):
1987: Alcan “Plasma Torch”, Dube et.al.
1994: Hydro Quebec, “Droscar”, DC Electric Arc, Drouet, et.al.
1995: “Plasma Processing”, Richard Lindsay, US Patent
1995: AGA, “Alurec”, Oxy-Fuel Burner, Gripenberg, et.al.
1997: Focon, “Ecocent” – Centrfuge, Kos, et.al.
2000: PyroGenesis, “Drosrite”- Argon, Drouet, et.al

50. 2000’s: Increasing Furnace Performance
Increase Production
2000’s: Increasing Furnace Performance
2000’s: Efforts on increasing furnace performance; throughput, recovery and man-power efficiency,
(USA, Slade-IMCO Recycling; Yerashalmi, MDY Engineering, and many others)

51. FUTURE RECLAMATION INNOVATIONS?
Increase Production
FUTURE RECLAMATION INNOVATIONS?
2013 ARPA-E PROJECTS
U.S. Dept. Energy
New automated manufacturing process that can –
produce a finished product from mixed metal scrap in a single processing step.
Energy Research Company (ERCo)

52. What are the major sources of Aluminum R&D in North America?

53. Sources of Aluminum Research in North America
(1) Aluminum Companies:
Alcoa & Alcan invests ~1% of its revenues in aluminum R&D.
Improvement in technologies: reduce energy, reduce emissions, reduce costs, etc.
New aluminum alloys, products, etc.
New processes: inert anodes, carbothermic

54. Sources of Aluminum Research in North America
(2) Federal Governments:
US Dept. of Energy:
Funds new aluminum processes; reduced energy consumption.
National Research Council of Canada
funds University Chairs in Aluminum R&D.

55. Sources of Aluminum Research in North America
(3) Universities
Metallurgical and materials engineering: Basic metals production; Aluminum electrorefining and electrowinning in ionic liquids.
Physical and thermodynamic properties.
Univ. Alabama
Dr. R.G. Reddy

56. Sources of Aluminum Research in North America
(4) Spinoff Venture Capital Companies
Liquid metal batteries,
molten oxide electrolysis (MOE),
SOM electrolysis,
MIT Professor Don Sadoway

57. Sources of Aluminum Research in North America
(5) Vendors & Suppliers:
Pot fume treatment systems
Transformers & rectifiers
Carbon plants & rodding rooms equipment.
DC casting equipment
Molten metal pumps, gas burners
Dross treatment equipment

58. What changes in aluminum companies impacted innovations in North America?

59. I. Aluminum Company Mergers, Acquisitions Bankruptcy Closures in North America – (Negatively Impacted Innovations)
During the past 15 years:
Decrease from +10 aluminum companies to 3 aluminum companies in North America,
Alcoa, Rio Tinto Alcan & Century Aluminum

60. II. Elimination of Aluminum Company Engineering Departments (Negatively Impacted Innovations)
Major aluminum companies in North America eliminated “in-house” plant engineering departments & staffs, (2000’s),
New engineering projects are now contracted by construction companies, (Hatch, Bechtel, Fluor, etc.)
While improving company margins, it is has eliminated people with experience & innovative “know how” within companies.
October 7-11, 2012 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

61. III. Buisness Leadership Changes in Aluminum Companies Negatively Impacted Innovations
Change in directions in the top level managers of aluminum companies,
from hiring managers with technical skills & smelter experience, to “financial” managers.
Emphasize is on short term results for company quarter & annual reports,
Resulted in:
Sharp decrease in # technical mgrs. and process engineers,
Continuous reduction in # workers in potrooms,
Decrease in funding of plant maintenance.

62. Future Innovations in Aluminum
“The metals industry is very conservative due to the very high capital costs associated with technology.”
“Conservative management is afraid to spend money on risky technology”
Prof. Don Sadoway – Molten Salt Forum,1998

63. THE END