A solid-state electrolysis process for upcycling aluminium scrap.

The recycling of aluminium scrap today utilizing a remelting technique downgrades the quality of the aluminium, and the final sink of this downgraded recycled aluminium is aluminium casting alloys1-9. The predicted increase in demand for high-grade aluminium as consumers choose battery-powered electric vehicles over internal combustion engine vehicles is expected to be accompanied by a drop in the demand for low-grade recycled aluminium, which is mostly used in the production of internal combustion engines2,7,10,11. To meet the demand for high-grade aluminium in the future, a new aluminium recycling method capable of upgrading scrap to a level similar to that of primary aluminium is required2-4,7,11. Here we propose a solid-state electrolysis (SSE) process using molten salts for upcycling aluminium scrap. The SSE produces aluminium with a purity comparable to that of primary aluminium from aluminium casting alloys. Moreover, the energy consumption of the industrial SSE is estimated to be less than half that of the primary aluminium production process. By effectively recycling aluminium scrap, it could be possible to consistently meet demand for high-grade aluminium. True sustainability in the aluminium cycle is foreseeable with the use of this efficient, low-energy-consuming process.

Thermodynamic Analysis for the Refining Ability of Salt Flux for Aluminum Recycling.

The removability of impurities during the aluminum remelting process by oxidation was previously investigated by our research group. In the present work, alternative impurity removal with chlorination has been evaluated by thermodynamic analysis. For 43 different elements, equilibrium distribution ratios among metal, chloride flux and oxide slag phases in the aluminum remelting process were calculated by assuming the binary systems of aluminum and an impurity element. It was found that the removability of impurities isn't significantly affected by process parameters such as chloride partial pressure, temperature and flux composition. It was shown that Ho, Dy, Li, La, Mg, Gd, Ce, Yb, Ca and Sr can be potentially eliminated into flux by chlorination from the remelted aluminum. Chlorination and oxidation are not effective to remove other impurities from the melting aluminum, due to the limited parameters which can be controlled during the remelting process. It follows that a proper management of aluminum scrap such as sorting based on the composition of the products is important for sustainable aluminum recycling.

Virtual phosphorus ore requirement of Japanese economy.

Phosphorus is indispensable for agricultural production. Hence, the consumption of imported food indirectly implies the import of phosphorus resources. The global consumption of agricultural products depends on a small number of ore-producing countries. For sustainable management of phosphorus resources, the global supply and demand network should be clarified. In this study, we propose the virtual phosphorus ore requirement as a new indicator of the direct and indirect phosphorus requirements for our society. The virtual phosphorus ore requirement indicates the direct and indirect demands for phosphorus ore transformed into agricultural products and fertilizer. In this study, the virtual phosphorus ore requirement was evaluated for the Japanese economy in 2005. Importantly, the results show that our society requires twice as much phosphorus ore as the domestic demand for fertilizer production. The phosphorus contained in "eaten" agricultural products was only 12% of virtual phosphorus ore requirement.

Thermodynamic criteria for the removal of impurities from end-of-life magnesium alloys by evaporation and flux treatment.

In this paper, the possibility of removing impurities during magnesium recycling with pyrometallurgical techniques has been evaluated by using a thermodynamic analysis. For 25 different elements that are likely to be contained in industrial magnesium alloys, the equilibrium distribution ratios between the metal, slag and gas phases in the magnesium remelting process were calculated assuming binary systems of magnesium and an impurity element. It was found that calcium, gadolinium, lithium, ytterbium and yttrium can be removed from the remelted end-of-life (EoL) magnesium products by oxidization. Calcium, cerium, gadolinium, lanthanum, lithium, plutonium, sodium, strontium and yttrium can be removed by chlorination with a salt flux. However, the other elements contained in magnesium alloy scrap are scarcely removed and this may contribute toward future contamination problems. The third technological option for the recycling of EoL magnesium products is magnesium recovery by a distillation process. Based on thermodynamic considerations, it is predicted that high-purity magnesium can be recovered through distillation because of its high vapor pressure, yet there is a limit on recoverability that depends on the equilibrium vapor pressure of the alloying elements and the large energy consumption. Therefore, the sustainable recycling of EoL magnesium products should be an important consideration in the design of advanced magnesium alloys or the development of new refining processes.

Process for recycling waste aluminum with generation of high-pressure hydrogen.

An innovative environmently friendly hydrolysis process for recycling waste aluminum with the generation of high-pressure hydrogen has been proposed and experimentally validated. The effect of the concentration of sodium hydroxide solution on hydrogen generation rate was the main focus of the study. In the experiments, distilled water and aluminum powder were placed in the pressure-resistance reactor made of Hastelloy, and was compressed to a desired constant water pressure using a liquid pump. The sodium hydroxide solution was supplied by liquid pump with different concentrations (from 1.0 to 5.0 mol/dm3) at a constant flow rate into the reactor by replacing the distilled water, and the rate of hydrogen generated was measured simultaneously. The liquid temperature in the reactor increased due to the exothermic reaction given by Al + OH(-) + 3H2O = 1.5H2 + Al(OH)4(-) + 415.6 kJ. Therefore, a high-pressure hydrogen was generated at room temperature by mixing waste aluminum and sodium hydroxide solution. As the hydrogen compressor used in this process consumes less energy than the conventional one, the generation of hydrogen having a pressure of almost 30 MPa was experimentally validated together with Al(OH)3, a useful byproduct.