An Efficient Purification Process for Al: Synergistic Treatment of Waste-Casting Aluminum Alloy by Chemical Deposition and Vacuum Distillation
摘要
Al is the most widely consumed non-ferrous metal, and its recycling plays a significant role in reducing carbon emissions and energy consumption within the non-ferrous industry. The presence of diverse impurity elements in scrap Al poses challenges for efficient impurity removal. This study innovatively combines chemical deposition and vacuum distillation for the separation of Fe, Mg, and Zn from waste-casting Al alloy. It also discusses the underlying mechanism of this integrated process for removing these three impurity elements. Theoretical analysis demonstrates that the integrated process can rapidly and efficiently remove the impurity metals. Kilogram-scale experiments show that with an additional amount of 0.75% Na2B4O7 and a distillation temperature of 1273 K, Fe, Mg, and Zn were successfully separated, achieving removal rates of 60.75%, 99.91%, and 99.97%, respectively. Furthermore, industrial-grade pure Al with a purity of 99.34% was obtained, meeting the national standard Al99.00. This integrated process utilizes waste-casting Al alloy to produce industrial-pure Al, which is of great significance for strengthening the recycling of metallic Al and extending its lifecycle. The integrated process produces no gas or wastewater discharge, making Al recycling more eco-friendly.
Graphical Abstract