Patent · US Expired

Method and reactor for production of aluminum by carbothermic reduction of alumina

US6440193B1 · kind B1 · utility

16Cited by
7References
16Claims
0Family size

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Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 21, 2001
Grant dateAug 27, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 21, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
  • CPC primaryC22B21/066
  • WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for carbothermic production of aluminum where molten bath aluminum carbide and aluminum oxide are produced in a low temperature compartment (2), and continuously flow into a high temperature compartment (3) where the aluminum carbide is reacted with alumina to produce a top aluminum layer (31), where the aluminum layer (31) forms a layer on the top of a molten slag layer and is tapped from the high temperature compartment (3) at outlet (5), and where off-gases from the two compartments are treated in reactors fed by one or more columns (9, 19). According to the invention the low temperature compartment (2) and the high temperature compartment (3) are located in a common reaction vessel (1) where the low temperature compartment is separated from the high temperature compartment by an underflow partition wall (4). The present invention also includes precipitating and filtering aluminum carbide from the tapped molten aluminum, followed by degassing and casting to form aluminum shapes such as ingots (62). The present invention further relates to a reactor for production of aluminum by carbothermic reduction of aluminum.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.