A new approach to identify aluminum dross reduction opportunities using an integrated weighing system

Abstract

Cast house operations involving molten aluminum processing and furnace charging result in dross generation. This undesirable residue is composed mainly of metallic aluminum and oxides, and engenders costs exceeding 1000 USS per MT of dross. Considering that no batch-to-batch measurements of dross weight are generally performed in the cast house, the task of dross reduction has always been complicated since the key process parameters and batch preparation practices affecting dross are not well known. As such, a new integrated weighing device was developed to continuously measure dross generation. The data generated will be used not only to follow-up on long-term furnace performance, with respect to dross generation, but also to complete a statistical analysis aimed at identifying key dross contributors. This paper describes the industrial dross weighing strategy that was developed, as well as the equipment that was installed in a Rio Tinto Alcan (RTA) cast house.