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AssigneeAtlantic Richfield Company
InventorsEdward L. Cambridge, Raouf O. Loutfy, James C. Withers
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An improved method of producing anhydrous aluminum chloride via aluminum chloride hexahydrate is provided. In a preferred embodiment the method is incorporated into a process for producing aluminum from aluminous ores, and particularly from domestic ore sources comprising (1) acid leaching an aluminous ore to produce aluminum chloride hexahydrate (ACH); (2) calcining the ACH to a specific temperature of above about 450.degree. C. to produce highly reactive aluminous particles containing high residual chloride and low residual hydrogen levels; (3) reductively chlorinating the calcined ACH at a low temperature to produce anhydrous aluminum chloride suitable for electrolytic reduction; and (4) electrolytically reducing the anhydrous aluminum chloride in a fused salt to produce aluminum metal and chlorine which is recycled to step (3).
In a method for producing aluminum by electrolysis of anhydrous aluminum chloride, the improvement comprising substantially dehydrating AlCl.sub.3.6H.sub.2 O, aluminum chloride hexahydrate (ACH), by heating at a temperature greater than 450.degree. C. to produce a hydrogen- and chloride-containing active aluminous material, said hydrogen present in an amount of less than about 0.45 weight percent hydrogen and thereafter reductively chlorinating said material in the presence of a reducing agent and chlorine gas to produce anhydrous aluminum chloride.
A method of producing aluminum from aluminous material comprising:
A method of producing anhydrous aluminum chloride suitable for electrolytic reduction to aluminum and chlorine comprising heating aluminum chloride hexahydrate crystals to a temperature and for a time sufficient to produce a hydrogen- and chlorine-containing active aluminous material, said hydrogen present in an amount below about 0.45 percent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.