Alcoa Inc.

Elkem As

Carnegie Mellon University

The United States of America As Represented by the Department of Energy

Elkem Asa

Richard J Fruehan

Mark Weaver

David J Roha

Anders Schei

Gerald E Carkin

Yun Li

James H Cox

John F Elliott, Deceased

Gerald Carkin

Mark L Weaver

An agglomerate comprising alumina, carbon, and a binder for use in a vapor recovery reactor of a carbothermic alumina reduction furnace is disclosed. A method for using alumina-carbon agglomerates to capture aluminum vapor species and utilize waste heat from off-gases in a vapor recovery reactor to form a recyclable material is also disclosed.

Use of alumina-carbon agglomerates in the carbothermic production of aluminum

A batch process for producing low carbon aluminum using a single carbothermic reactor furnace is disclosed in which the slag making, metal making and carbon extraction is carried out in a single furnace, single compartment reactor. The AlO and Al vapors generated in slag making and metal making steps are recovered in a vapor recovery reactor, and treated with a carbonaceous material to produce recyclable material comprising AlC. The recyclable material is used to assist with one or more subsequent slag making steps.

Low carbon aluminum production method using single furnace carbothermic reduction operated in batch mode

In a method for recovering Al from an off-gas () produced during carbothermic reduction of aluminum utilizing at least one smelter (), the off-gas () is directed to an enclosed reactor () which is fed a supply of wood charcoal () having a porosity of from about 50 vol. % to 85 vol. % and an average pore diameter of from about 0.05 &#x3bc;m to about 2.00 &#x3bc;m, where the wood charcoal () contacts the off-gas () to produce at least AlC(), which is passed back to the smelter ().

Method using selected carbons to react with Al2O and Al vapors in the carbothermic production of aluminum

A process for continuously smelting iron ore by use of coal to yield molten iron or semi-steel is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of establishing a melt covered by slag; inducing the slag and the molten iron to flow countercurrently to one another, toward opposite ends of the smelter; maintaining iron oxide-reducing conditions in that zone of the smelter towards which the slag flows; maintaining carbon-oxidizing conditions in that zone of the smelter towards which the molten iron flows; continuously or semicontinuously tapping the slag from the reducing zone end of the smelter; continuously or semicontinuously tapping the molten iron from the oxidizing zone end of the smelter; and adding to both zones iron ore, coal, oxygen, and flux at addition rates sufficient to keep the molten iron in the reducing zone substantially saturated with carbon, maintain in the slag being tapped an FeO content of about 5 weight percent or less, and maintain in the molten iron being tapped a carbon content of about 0.5 to 5 weight percent. A slag dam preferably is included in the smelter, to impede the backflow of the slag from the reducing zone to the oxidizing zone. A metal bath dam with one or more flow-through portals also is preferably used, submerged below the slag dam, to impede the backflow of the hot metal.

Two-zone countercurrent smelter system and process

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Murrysville, PA, United States of America

Richard J Fruehan