UTILIZATION OF ALUMINIUM BEARING RAW MATERIALS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINIUM METAL, OTHER METALS AND COMPOUNDS

Purpose and goal:

ABTOMAT aims to find and assess Bauxite alternatives, focusing on the design and development of multi-products flexible metallurgical processes for Alumina, Al2O3-based compounds and Aluminium production from low- grade raw and secondary materials. KTH investigates the novel concepts that decrease environmental footprint of primary aluminium production through utilization of redmud as bed material, oxygen carrier and catalyst in biomass gasification to promote biomass conversion and thereby efficient recovering Fe and other metals.

Expected results and effects:

Propose a first of its kind process concept that enhances material circularity and thereby reduces the overall specific consumption of Bauxite in EU for Aluminium production. Redmud, a waste from alumina industry, will be utilized as a bed material in biomass gasification process. The potential for recovering metals from the redmud via biomass gasification route will be evaluated.

Approach and implementation:

Experiments for biomass gasification will be performed in a lab scale gasification reactor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, KTH. Redmud received from ETI Aluminium, Turkey will be used as bed material. Suitable design conditions will be established. The residue after the gasification will be characterized and the potential for recovering metals will be presented. Three divisions, Energy Processes, Process Technology and Resource Recovery at the department work together.