By Alton Tabereaux, Contributing Editor. The largest waste by-product generated in the Bayer bauxite refining process is bauxite residue, commonly called red mud. An enormous quantity of caustic red mud is generated worldwide every year, posing a very serious and alarming environmental and safety problem. The storage of red mud is a challenge for alumina […]
By Alton Tabereaux, Contributing Editor. Production by Country As prices generally increased throughout 2017, world primary aluminum production increased 3.4% compared with the previous year (Table I). China is the world’s largest producer of electrolytic aluminum, making up over half of the global output. The terminal consumption of electrolytic aluminum in China is mainly concentrated in […]
Alcoa Corporation and Rio Tinto introduced a revolutionary process that could dramatically improve the carbon footprint of the primary aluminum process. The patent-protected technology, developed by Alcoa, is designed to eliminate all direct greenhouse gas emissions from the traditional aluminum smelting process. “This discovery has been a long-sought goal for the aluminum industry, and this announcement […]
Alcoa Corporation plans to restart three of five potlines at its Warrick Operations aluminum smelter near Evansville, IN, which had been previously closed in March 2016. The remaining two potlines will be classified as curtailed capacity and will remain idle. The three restarted potlines will directly supply the Warrick rolling mill, which serves the North American […]
Alcoa Inc. completed its separation into two standalone companies — Arconic Inc. and Alcoa Corporation (learn more about Alcoa Corporation). Arconic commences operation as a global leader in multi-materials innovation, precision engineering, and advanced manufacturing, with the aim of serving diverse markets including the aerospace, automotive, building and construction, commercial transportation, industrial solutions, and energy. “Today […]
Alcoa Inc. completed its separation into two standalone companies — Arconic Inc. and Alcoa Corporation (learn more about Arconic). Following its separation from Alcoa Inc. (now known as Arconic), Alcoa Corporation has begun operating as an independent, publicly-traded company producing bauxite, alumina, and aluminum products. “We are launching Alcoa Corporation as a world leader in […]
Responding to the growing industry trend towards multi-material part design, Alcoa has developed an advanced new joining technology. Resistance spot riveting (RSR™) was developed join dissimilar materials (aluminum, high strength steels, magnesium, and composites) using the same equipment implemented for conventional spot welds, providing automakers the flexibility to switch between RSR and conventional welds, depending on […]
Posted in:
By Goran Djukanovic, Aluminum Market Analyst & Consultant. Uncertainty hangs over the primary aluminum industry in U.S., or what has been left of it. Plummeting aluminum prices and high electricity costs resulted in closure or curtailment of some three-fourths of primary aluminum production in the last five years, leaving less than 1 million tonnes of […]
By Alton Tabereaux, Contributing Editor. A conspicuous transformation occurred in the world’s primary aluminum industry during the past five years with the construction of “Mega” aluminum smelters (>1 million tpy) in China, which have boosted aluminum production to levels not previously experienced by companies. Nine aluminum companies had an annual production greater than 2 million […]
