COMMENT :
Aluminium outlook mixed; energy prices weighing
The aluminium market outlook is a bit mixed through next year, as both positive and negative factors might keep aluminium prices relatively stable going forward, although high energy prices are expected to weigh heavy on the market, according to key industry players and analysts. A positive for aluminium prices and demand are power costs for aluminium smelters, expected to continue rising in Western Europe, the US and China, thus constraining some production. Also, alumina prices should remain high for some more time; aluminium prices have not risen as much as other base metals; the US dollar is expected to remain weak; LME
stocks are low and Chinese tax changes are discouraging aluminium exports.
NEWS CORNER
Automatic Stub Protection Systems
Automatic anode stub protection systems from VHE of Iceland are an accepted technology in the primary aluminium industry. Recent installations include Nordic Aluminium (Iceland), Soeral (Norway) and Isal (Iceland).
Stub Straightening Systems
Anode stub toe-in is a known and understood phenomenon in all pre-bake aluminium smelters. The high temperature in the reduction cell causes both the carbon anode and the steel yoke to expand. Carbon expands much less than steel when heated.
REFRACTORY
Activated synthesis and sintering of magnesium aluminate spinel
The use of chrome-based refractories has been of concern for metal producing industries due to difficulties in their disposal, based on the fear that the containing hexavalent chromium ions refractories can dissolve in water and thus result in a health hazard[1]. There has been a lot of research in the field of alumina-magnesia aluminate spinel refractories that have been considered as a replacement for the chrome bases refractories in the iron and steel industry [2]. These have also been successful in
cement and lime industries [[3] leading to the belief that they could also be successful in nonferrous industries.
COMPANY PROFILE
Bhoruka Aluminium: One bright spot in Indian extrusions business
India, with its buoyant construction sector and healthy GDP, is expected to see demand for aluminium extrusion to grow at 10-11% per year. Construction, automobiles and consumer durables are the future drivers of growth. India has a huge potential for consumption of aluminium extrusions. A driving need to improve infrastructure, overall growth in the economy and improvement in disposable income will maintain a strong demand in this sector.
Heavily Loaded: The new Siempelkamp crimping press for Europipe
The heavy goods vehicle, transporting the crossbeam of the new crimping press for Europipe from the Siempelkamp factory to the Krefeld port at the end of July, had an overall load of 355 t (391 US tons). It was a spectacular transport. The largest parts had to be transported on a specially made low-loading truck and a ship because they were too heavy for the highway bridges along the way.
NORD makes more than 30 million standard catalogue items including mechanical, electrical and electronic products in drive systems
Getriebebau Nord (GBN) is a true multinational with 31 subsidiaries, turnovers exceeding Euro 320 million and a team of 2400 people spread in over 70 countries – all in a span of 43 years since its inception. The product range includes Geared motors, AC Motors, Frequency inverters; providing optimal drive solutions to our customers.
Eurotherm Business Group creating solutions to deliver measurable results
Eurotherm’s vision is to become the leading supplier of automation solutions and services in chosen markets, harnessing the passion that people feel for Eurotherm. “We will constantly search for competitive advantage and innovation to create value for our employees, customers and shareholders,” said Peter Sherwin, the company’s India Head, Business Development, Heat Treatment, at a recent road show held in Calcutta to demonstrate Eurotherm’s heat treatment mechanism in which segment the company has a strong side. The strong brand image and the company’s linkage to the parent company will be advantageous to penetrate the Indian market.
SPECIAL COVERAGE
Indian aluminium extrusion industry: low key, but promising
Globally it is expected that from the year 2005 to 2010, the annual growth for aluminium extrusions would be somewhere around 4.9%. Talking of the Chinese aluminium extrusion it has seen a phenomenal growth in the last 15 years. As is seen the whole period from 1990 to 2004 is divided into four phases with the growth showing tremendous upsurge from 1999 onwards, while the scenario is not so bright for aluminium extrusion industries in the United Kingdom.
CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION
ALUMINIUM 2008 sets new records
ALUMINIUM 2008 – 7th World Trade Fair & Conference being held from 23-25 Sep. 2008 in Essen, Germany, will feature 840 exhibitors from 41 countries, an increase of 19% compared to the previous event two years ago. ALUMINIUM thus once again tops all previous records in exhibitor numbers and exhibition area. This year the fair will occupy 55,000 sqm in eight halls. It is the world's no.1 meeting place for the Aluminium industry and its applications.
TECHNOLOGY/PROCESS REVIEW
Work Hardening Aluminium Alloys
Strain hardening is a natural consequence of most working and forming operation aluminium and its alloys. In pure aluminium and the non-heat-treatable aluminium-manganese and aluminium-magnesium alloys, strain hardening increases the strengths achieved through solid solution and dispersion hardening. In heat treatable alloys, strain hardening not only supplements the strengths achieved by precipitation but also increases the response to precipitation hardening. Work hardening is used extensively to produce strain-hardened tempers of the non-heat-treatable alloys.
Jupiter – Encon Alliance: Advanced Oxy-Fuel Technology
The priority of any large industrial energy user today is to effectively manage energy costs. In the present scenario of escalating energy prices budgeting is nearly impossible. Reduction of energy consumption is critical to sustain energy intensive businesses, such as aluminium and steel. The Jupiter- Encon Alliance provides a practical approach based upon a unique oxy-fuel technology development for those progressive companies that seek to significantly lower fuel consumption and production costs in order to substantially increase their business. This article describes an advanced oxy-fuel combustion technology for re-melting aluminum that significantly reduces energy consumption and emissions. This oxy-fuel combustion technology developed by Jupiter Oxygen Corporation USA is a patented process for combustion of fossil fuels with pure oxygen while excluding air, thereby creating an un tempered high flame temperature and increased efficiency for process heating in industrial furnaces. This process has led to improved heat transfer and longer residence time while maintaining the same process temperatures as with air combustion. The energy efficient combustion process allows aluminium companies to operate at a substantially lower cost due to a dramatic fuel savings of up to 70% for natural gas and waste oil (1). The successful facts of 10 years of day-to-day experience in a US based aluminium re-melting business utilizing this specific oxy-fuel combustion process are summarized(2). The article also introduces the new Jupiter – Encon Alliance established in May 2008 in order to provide a high quality service for Jupiter Oxygen’s technology implementation in India
The Art of Dross Management
While it is generally acknowledged that dross generation should be kept to a minimum, too often, the importance to maximize the aluminium content of the dross is overlooked. Some mistakenly believe that a low metal content is a good thing and that the aluminium is being kept in the furnace. In reality, this metal is most likely being lost due to insufficient cooling and thermiting.
Industrial Experiences in Aluminium Melt Stirring with EMS at SAPA Heat Transfer, Sweden
SAPA Heat Transfer, Finspång, Sweden will report on their work to improve and optimize the aluminium melting operation. The project objectives and implementation of Electromagnetic stirring, EMS at an existing melting furnace in 2005 will be discussed.
Collected long-term data from furnace operations have been evaluated and important results will be presented. Results from the combination of non contact EMS and efficient oxyfuel combustion at SAPA shows an increased melt rate, as high as 34%. The Royal Institute of Technology have conducted further studies to optimizing the stirring effect at the same time verified existing
EMS calculation and simulation models.
TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
Final Acceptance Certificate for the 20-high rolling mill at Fujian Zijin Copper, P.R. China
The sophisticated system is used to roll copper and copper alloy strip at a width of 300-450 mm, and a thickness ranging between 1.5 to 0.01 mm, at a speed of max 600 mpm. The product quality of this new 20-high reversing cold rolling mill achieves the
highest international standards. The products will be widely used in advanced scientific and technological fields, such as aerospace, aircraft electronics, etc.
RAW MATERIALS
Coal continues to be a point of deep concern for metal industry
The global thermal coal market was full of action in July and August. After crossing the record level of $194 per ton in early July, the thermal coal index – the benchmark for Asia – fell sharply in rest of July and early August, primarily on back of cooling crude oil price. But once again in the latter half of August, there was a sharp uptrend on back of supply constraint from Vietnam. Thermal coal prices touched record highs during the last week of June and first week of July. Prices touched high level of $194.79 per ton, on back of reduced supply power plant coal. This was an increase of over 112% since the beginning of the year when the corresponding figure was $91.77 per ton for January.
IN FOCUS
Aluminium Sector Energy Management Practices
Aluminium industry understands the importance of energy conservation and has set up energy management cell (EMC). This cell has members drawn from various sections of the plant who have additional responsibility of energy conservation other than related to maintenance or production. The job of the EMC is to generate the energy management plan, identification and execution of energy conservation projects in the plant.
Industry seeking lower excise duty to its benefit
The Indian aluminium sector is characterised by large integrated players like Hindalco and National Aluminium
Company (Nalco). India has the fifth largest bauxite reserves with deposits of about 3 billion tonnes or 5% of world deposits.
Environment aspect vis-à-vis the mining industry
The manufacture of aluminium involves two important stages (i) refining bauxite to aluminium oxide (alumina) by the Bayer process and (ii) reducing alumina in Hall-Heroult electrolytic cells to the aluminium metal. In Bayer process the bauxite material is crushed and digested in a heated caustic solution. The solution is then filtered to remove insoluble residue (red mud) and the
pregnant liquor is cooled so that precipitation of aluminium oxide occurs. The precipitated material is removed from the process stream by filtration and calcined to produce aluminium oxide.
Global demand is the driving force for Indian aluminium industry
The advantages of aluminium are very well acknowledged for its excellent strength to weight ratio, high ductility, superior resistance to corrosion, high thermal and electrical conductivity, good reflexivity to heat, light and electromagnetic waves, low cost of recycling in terms of energy requirement and easy amenability to surface and colour treatment. Casting of aluminium alloys offers a great degree of flexibility and no other metal can be cast under such a wide range of processes and piece weights varying from a few grams to 100 kg. In terms of availability of its main ore, bauxite (named after the village Les Baux-de-Provence in southern France, where it was first discovered in 1821 by geologist Pierre Berthier), aluminium is fairly well placed with global deposits of over 34 billion tonnes.
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