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The nature and impacts of fines in smelter-grade alumina

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Abstract

Fines in smelter-grade aluminas are recognized as a significant process problem in aluminum smelting. However, understanding the nature of this fine material and how it impacts the reduction process are less clearly understood. The combination of new analytical methods such as variable pressure scanning electron microscopy and very high field solid state nuclear magnetic resonance provide new insights into the phases present and their spatial distribution within aluminas, and suggest how such fine materials are generated, particularly during calcination in the alumina refinery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Light Metals Research Centre, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Linus M. Perander & James B. Metson

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand

    Zoran D. Zujovic & James B. Metson

  3. Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Warwick, UK

    Tom F. Kemp & Mark E. Smith

Authors
  1. Linus M. Perander
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  2. Zoran D. Zujovic
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  3. Tom F. Kemp
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  4. Mark E. Smith
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  5. James B. Metson
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Correspondence to James B. Metson.

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Perander, L.M., Zujovic, Z.D., Kemp, T.F. et al. The nature and impacts of fines in smelter-grade alumina. JOM 61, 33–39 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-009-0164-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-009-0164-x

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