## How do we get to Aluminium ##### Primary + Secondary = Total Production ![Total production, and primary and secondary production of aluminium [22]. | Download Scientific Diagram](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Wellmer-Friedrich-W/publication/251014848/figure/fig5/AS:307350872313910@1450289566970/Total-production-and-primary-and-secondary-production-of-aluminium-22.png) ### Primary Aluminium Production 1. **BAUXITE MINING** - Mine [[Bauxite]] from topsoil 2. **REFINING via BAYER PROCESS** - Chemically Extract [[Alumina]], an aluminium oxide compound through the [[Bayer Process]] from within the Bauxite ore --> [[Sustainable Refining]] 3. **SMELTING via HALL HEROULT PROCESS**- [[Alumina]] is then converted to Aluminium through [[Smelting]] using the [[Hall–Héroult process]] ![Comparison of primary and secondary aluminium production [13]. | Download Scientific Diagram](https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Reza-Beheshti/publication/311178751/figure/fig3/AS:434113023877131@1480512018937/A-schematic-flow-chart-of-the-primary-aluminium-production-35_Q320.jpg)  ![[Pasted image 20210718121435.png]] --- ### Secondary Aluminium Production - Recycled Aluminium - Existing aluminium is recycled into pure metal - The process uses less energy, reduces landfill wastes, international transport costs and reduces emissions. - Look for the % recycling rate of a company that uses aluminium as a material. Eg. Apple had 66% in 2009, 70% in 2015 > the process of recycling aluminum scrap into aluminum that can be used again is an environmentally sound process that is **92% more energy efficient **than primary production > A **10% increase** in aluminum end-of-life recycling rates decreases industry greenhouse gas emissions by **15 %.** > **Really high recycling rates** are seen beyond just aluminium cans from building/construction industries to auto. More than **90 % of aluminum** used in automotive and construction applications is recycled. #### Secondary Aluminium Production Process 1. Extract used aluminium from waste streams to find Aluminium Scrap 2. Separation and contaminant removing technologies like Laster Induce Breakdown Spectroscopy and Colour Sorting help improve the quality and value of the scrap 3. Scrap is collected and sorted then put into a melting furnace 4. Additional metals / compounds can be added to get to the right material needed for a specific application > Note that aluminium does not lose it's strength or performance during the recycling process. So it could be infinitely recycled. > Large waste to value opportunity as Americans throw away close to $1 billion worth of aluminum cans each year.  ![[Pasted image 20210717213344.png]] > Proportion of Secondary Aluminium Production / Recycling will greatly drive the sustainability equation