鋁精煉的主要起始材料是鋁土礦. 由於鋁是一種反應性元素,不會自然發生。, 富含鋁的礦石需要精煉才能生產氧化鋁和鋁, resulting in a significant generation of by-product residue.
The biggest downfall in the bauxite refining process, 拜耳工藝, is the creation of alumina refinery residues (ARR)—also known as “red mud”—a toxic sludge that needs to be contained in holding ponds and monitored for long periods of time, at high cost. This sets the stage for potentially devastating environmental and human health disasters if the holding ponds fail for any reason and the red mud gets into local water sources or populated areas. Despite much ongoing research, there is no commercially significant level of red mud beneficial reuse.
ST 設備 & 技術有限責任公司 (STET) has developed a tribo-electrostatic belt separator that is ideally suited for the beneficiation of very fine (less than one micron) 到中等粗糙 (500 微米) 礦物顆粒. The high throughput rate process is energy efficient and capable of increasing available alumina in bauxite while reducing reactive and total silica.
The STET process is entirely water and chemical free, resulting in a dry bauxite co-product that can be beneficially reused in cement manufacture, 不像紅泥. The STET process removes some of the contaminants that would otherwise be rejected by the Bayer process as red mud. 然而, the STET process operates at a fraction of the cost of the Bayer process. 另外, the upgraded bauxite results in savings in the Bayer process, including lower consumption of caustic soda, reduced need for fresh water source, savings in energy due to a lower volume of inert oxides, and a reduction of red mud by-products. In some situations, the tailings for the STET separator; a water-free and chemical-free, low grade bauxite, could even be sold to cement producers to offset processing costs.
另外, STET technology may offer bauxite producers and alumina refiners other added benefits including reduced bauxite logistics costs, 延長赤泥處置場壽命, 通過提高採石場利用率和最大化採收率，延長現有鋁土礦的使用壽命. The water- and chemical-free by-products produced by the STET process are also usable for the manufacture of cement in high volumes without pre-treatment.
If you add it all up, that’s a lot of “wins” you can put to work for your alumina operations. 聯繫意法半導體設備 & 技術 and let us help you gain more from your current operations while lowering your operating costs and increasing your environmental friendliness.
