Aluminum Recycling and Processing for Energy Conservation and Sustainability John A.S.

Green, editor, p 257-260 DOI: 10.1361/arpe2007p257

Copyright 2007 ASM International All rights reserved. www.asminternational.org

APPENDIX I

Glossary
A alumina. An oxide of aluminum (Al2O3), and the compound from which aluminum metal is commercially obtained. aluminum. A versatile, silvery-white metal. When exposed to the atmosphere, aluminum rapidly forms an oxide lm that prevents it from reacting with air and water. This gives it exceptional corrosion-resistant properties. Aluminum is not found in nature as a free metal, like gold, but is chemically bound to other elements. Aluminum is the most abundant metal in the Earths crust (8.1%). Atomic number, 13; atomic mass, 26.982; melting point, 993.52 K; boiling point, 2698 K. anode. A positively charged mass or surface that attracts negatively charged ions (anions). The anode used in the Hall-Heroult process is composed of carbon. The oxygen-containing anions react on the anode surface, releasing oxygen that consumes the carbon to form carbon dioxide. anode-cathode distance (ACD). The geometric linear distance between the anode and the cathode is a critical measurement in an electrolytic cell. This distance affects the voltage and energy requirement of a cell. anode effect. An aluminum-industry idiom used to describe a process upset where the anode reaction shifts from producing oxygen to uorine, and the cell voltage increases. Anode effects are primarily the result of having insufficient alumina dissolved in the bath and available at the anode for reduction. B bath. An aluminum-industry idiom referring to the cryolite-based electrolyte pool in the reduction cell. bauxite. A prime source of alumina, found as a collection of small, reddish-brown nodules in a light-brown, earthy matrix. Commercial bauxite ore contains 30 to 60 wt% alumina. Bayer process. A process developed by Karl Bayer in 1888 that renes bauxite ore into alumina grains. It is the process currently in use worldwide. C calcining. The process of heating a material to a sufficiently high temperature to drive off volatile components or to oxidize the material without fusing it. The aluminum industry uses calcining in the Bayer process to produce alumina and to prepare coke for anodes. carbon dioxide equivalents (CDE). The preferred unit of measure used to compare the impact of different greenhouse gases. It is calculated by multiplying the quantity of a greenhouse gas emission by the global-warming potential of the gas. The results are commonly expressed in terms of a million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (106 TCDE). carbon equivalents (CE). A unit of measure used to compare the impact of different greenhouse gases. It is calculated by multiplying the carbon dioxide equivalent by 12/44, the mass ratio of carbon to carbon dioxide.

258 / Aluminum Recycling and Processing for Energy Conservation and Sustainability

carbothermic reduction. An alternative process to electrolytic reduction. The carbothermic process reduces alumina in a high-temperature furnace with carbon. castings. Metal objects that are cast into a shape by pouring or injecting molten/liquid metal into a mold. This book divides castings into ingot and shape categories. Ingot castings are produced in molds of very simple cross section, and shape castings are complex structures. cathode. A negatively charged surface that attracts positively charged ions (cations). The cathode surface in the Hall-Hroult process is the molten aluminum pad, which rests directly on the cell carbon lining. The aluminumcontaining cations react on the cathode surface, releasing the aluminum as free metal. chloride reduction. An alternative process to alumina electrolytic reduction in which aluminum chloride is used as the feed to the reduction cell. coke. A carbon product of the crude oil rening industry. Green or raw coke contains 8 to 10% moisture and 5 to 15% volatile organic materials. Coke is calcined in thermal kilns to remove moisture and volatile organic materials. cryolite. Na3AlF6, a mineral that, when molten, dissolves alumina to form aluminum and oxide ions. It is the main component used in the electrolyte bath for aluminum production. D dross. The material that forms on the surface of molten aluminum as it is held in a furnace. It is composed of impurities that have surfaced as a result of gas uxing, oxidized aluminum that is the result of molten aluminum exposure to the furnace atmosphere, and aluminum that becomes entrapped in the surface material. Dross is periodically skimmed off the surface of molten aluminum and processed to recover its aluminum content. dusting. An aluminum-industry idiom used to describe ne carbon anode particles that are lost in the electrolyte bath or atmosphere during electrolytic reduction. Dusting results in a loss of productivity. E electrolysis. An electrochemical process in which the charged species in an electrolyte

are attracted to electrodes, where they react with the electrons of the electrical current. Positively charged ions migrate to the cathode, and negatively charged ions migrate to the anode. electrolyte. A nonmetallic electrical conductor in which current is carried by the movement of ions. extrusion. The process of forcing the metal ingot (or billet) to ow through a die to create a new cross section. F feedstock energy. These values represent the energy inherent in a fuel that is used as material. For example, aluminum production uses coke as the raw material in carbon anodes. The energy contribution of a feedstock is expressed in terms of caloric or fuel value plus the tacit/process energy used to produce the feedstock. G global-warming potential (GWP). Greenhouse gases differ in their abilities to trap heat. Global-warming potential is used to express the greenhouse effect of different gases in a comparable way. The heat-trapping ability of one metric ton of CO2 is the common standard, and emissions are expressed in terms of a million metric tons of CO2 equivalent, or 106 TCDE. greenhouse gases (GHG). Atmospheric gases that contribute to climate change by increasing the ability of the atmosphere to trap heat. H Hall-Heroult process. An electrolytic process for reduction of alumina, developed independently by Charles Martin Hall and Paul Lewis Toussaint Hroult in 1886. This process is commonly referred to using both names, the Hall-Heroult process. It is the process used worldwide for commercial aluminum production. I ingot. Ingot, as used in this book, describes an aluminum casting of simple shape. It includes billets, pigs, sows, T-bar, and other simple cast seminished shapes.

Appendix I: Glossary / 259

K kilowatt-hour (kWh). A unit of energy. L life-cycle assessment (LCA). An internationally recognized analysis model of the impact of a product on energy, environment, economic, and social values. The LCA extends from cradle-to-grave: from material acquisition and production; through manufacturing, product use, and maintenance; and nally, through the end of the product life in disposal or recycling. The LCA is particularly useful in ensuring that benets derived in one area do not shift the impact burden to other places within a product life cycle. O on-site energy. The energy used within a facility. This is sometimes called primary energy. Electrical on-site energy is the kilowatt hours used and does not include the secondary energy required for generation and transmission of electricity. Fuel on-site energy use is based on the caloric heating value of the fuel and does not include the secondary energy required to produce and transport the fuel. P pad. An aluminum-industry idiom used to describe the body of molten aluminum that accumulates within the Hall-Heroult electrolytic cell. polarization. The nonuniform concentration gradients that form near electrodes during the reduction process. The reactions occurring at the anode and the cathode create localized conditions that are different from the bulk of the bath. The reactions deplete the supply of reactants and increase the quantity of products. Additionally, in aluminum electrolysis, gas is generated at the anode, which lowers the effective bath conductivity. An electric overpotential is required to overcome the effects of polarization. pot. An aluminum industry idiom used to describe an electrolytic cell. The term was derived from the shape of the rst cells.

potline. An aluminum-industry idiom that describes the arrangement of a long row of interconnected electrolytic cells (pots). potlining. An aluminum-industry idiom that describes the refractory and carbon materials used to line the interior of the cell (pot). primary aluminum. Refers to aluminum metal produced directly from alumina feedstock by chemical reduction. Q quad. A common abbreviation for a quadrillion Btu (1 quad = 1015 Btu). R red mud. The residue of insoluble materials that results from extracting alumina from bauxite ore. It is also referred to as bauxite residue. reduction cell. A container holding single or multiple anodes, cathodes, and an electrolytic bath used for reducing a material. reverberatory furnace. The most commonly used furnace type in the aluminum industry. The furnace is box-shaped and consists of a steel shell with refractory lining. Fuel is red directly into the box, either from the roof or, more typically, from the sidewall. Heat is transferred to the molten metal with convection and radiation. rolling. A process that results in the reduction of the cross-sectional area of a metal shape as it is passed through rotating rolls. S secondary aluminum. Aluminum metal that is produced from recycled aluminum products and wastes. T tacit energy. A term used to describe an energy value that equals the combination of on-site energy (primary energy) consumption, the process energy required to produce and transmit/transport the energy source (secondary energy), and feedstock energy (energy inherent in fuels used as materials). This book uses the superscript tf to denote any value that includes the tacit and feedstock energy contributions. The book does not include the energy

260 / Aluminum Recycling and Processing for Energy Conservation and Sustainability

used to make the equipment or buildings that house the process steps (tertiary energy). U urban mining. A term that describes the large source of aluminum available through urban recycling programs as compared to bauxite mining.

V value chain analysis. A method that captures the energy and material inputs and outputs of each processing step (link) and builds the cumulative value for each product along the chain. A value chain analysis, or cradle-toshipping dock analysis, is an integral part of a life-cycle analysis.