The company Rusal achieved the production of primary aluminum by reducing the vanadium content tenfold. This is a new achievement in the development of inert anode technology that will reduce the environmental impact of the aluminum industry and strengthen Russia’s position in environmentally friendly aluminum production. This was reported by the company’s press service.
Rusal technical director Victor Mann explained that the reduction of the vanadium content to microscopic values, almost to zero, is a kind of sign that is a characteristic feature of metal produced using inert anode technology.
“Aluminium produced with carbon anodes using conventional technology inevitably contains impurities of heavy metals from carbon anodes (made from petroleum coke). “We now have a great feature where all our customers can reliably distinguish molten metal using inert anode technology,” he said.
Vanadium and some other heavy metals are found in small amounts in carbon anodes used for electrolysis by the global aluminum industry for over a century. Small concentrations of heavy metals from carbon anodes inevitably enter the primary aluminum.
Industry experts note that even a small content of vanadium reduces the electrical conductivity of aluminum, the energy sector in Russia and the world is one of the four largest aluminum-consuming industries, aluminum wire rod is the main material for the production of cables; From backbone networks to on-premises cabling.
“The use of wire rod made of ‘inert’ aluminum opens up new opportunities for our customers; the virtual elimination of heavy metal impurities minimizes energy losses and makes this wire rod an ideal choice for energy-saving solutions,” emphasized Director Alexander Krokhin. Development department of foundry technologies and new products at Rusal.
Alexander Gusev, manager of the “Electrolyzer with inert anode” project at the RUSAL Engineering and Technology Center (ITC), noted that the multifunctional composition of the inert anode is the result of many years of research and improvements in the company’s technology. Solution to many technical and environmental problems.
Let us remind you that RUSAL started testing electrolyzers with inert anode in 2017. The company plans to commercially introduce its inert anode technology in 2026.
Revolutionary technology of previously inert anodes developed ITC was founded in 2002 at the initiative of industrialist Oleg Deripaska, founder of Rusal.
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Source: Gazeta

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