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Aluminum
Economic Profile and Trends
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Technologies and Equipment
Generic Technologies

Primary aluminum is produced by the Hall-Heroult process which involves the electrolysis of alumina dissolved in a molten cryolite-based electrolyte. Electric current is used to separate the alumina into aluminum and oxygen. Alumina itself is produced from bauxite ore feedstock in a thermal digestion process. Scrap pretreating and melting to produce secondary aluminum takes place in fuel-fired (or occasionally electric) furnaces. Forming processes use mainly electricity to drive casting machines, rolling mills, and other forming and finishing equipment.

Industry-Specific Technologies

Unit Operation Purpose Major Technologies
Electrolysis Remove the oxygen from aluminum oxide to produce aluminum metal Hall-Heroult reduction cell
Process Heating Extract alumina from bauxite ore, pretreat scrap, melt scrap, reheat ingots prior to rolling or other forming operations, recover metal from dross Digesters, scrap dryers, delacquering furnaces, reverberatory melting furnaces, induction furnaces, flotation melters, dross furnaces, walking beam furnaces, soaking pits
Forming Shape aluminum into forms and semi-finished products Casting, hot and cold rolling, extrusion, drawing, finishing, cutting

Source: DOE 1997

Generic Technologies
About 36% of aluminum facilities report using adjustable speed motors to increase efficiency




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