Optimization of heating-temperature on carbothermal reduction of alumina for production of aluminum

Abstract

Recently the study of aluminum-based surface plasmon resonance sensors (SPR) for real-time, label-free, and multiplexed detections for chemical and biomedical applications have attracted a considerable attention due to the effective stability of aluminum compared to conventional noble metals such as Ag and Au. Currently, the electrolytic Hall-Heroult process represents the conventional and commercialized process for the production of aluminum from alumina. However, this process suffers from higher cost due to its immense energy requirements, and a number of by-processes implicated to reach the final product. In this paper, to overcome such advantages of the conventional process, the carbothermal reduction process of alumina using an induction heating furnace and carbon as a reductant agent were investigated to determine the optimum heating temperature condition for the achievement of a higher yield of the process. The phase diagram for the aluminum-oxygen-carbon represents quite a valuable asset. Therefore it was simulated and used to determine theoretically the temperature and gas conditions used for the experimental process. The optimum heating temperature of 1750ºC was determined based on the analyzing of the experimental results based on the comparison of the obtained Al yield for various heating temperature profiles.