Process for recovery of free aluminum from aluminum dross or aluminum scrap using plasma energy with oxygen second stage treatment
AssigneePlasma Processing Corporation
InventorRichard D. Lindsay
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for recovering free aluminum and aluminum compounds such as aluminum oxide from aluminum dross and aluminum scrap in a furnace heated with a plasma arc torch followed by oxygen injection after significant aluminum separation has occurred is described. The injected oxygen reacts with aluminum nitrides and unrecoverable aluminum in the dross to provide processing energy. High aluminum recovery is obtained with greatly reduced cycle times at lower overall operating costs.
Claims8
A process of recovering free aluminum from aluminum dross or aluminum scrap comprising charging aluminum dross or aluminum scrap to a furnace equipped with a plasma arc torch for heating said charge, heating said charge by providing plasma energy to said charge, continuing said heating with said plasma arc torch until said charge is molten and free aluminum is separated, thereafter discontinuing the plasma heating and injecting oxygen in a controlled amount to said charge.
Method of treating dross with plasma comprising
- (a) supplying dross comprising free metal to a furnace;
- (b) providing plasma energy to heat said dross, said plasma of said plasma energy being thoroughly mixed to provide a plasma having a uniform temperature and contacting said dross with said plasma to heat said dross to thereby release free metal from within said dross;
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- (c) recovering said free metal from the furnace.
A process of recovering free aluminum from aluminum dross or aluminum scrap comprising charging aluminum dross or aluminum scrap to a furnace equipped with means for direct heating of said charge, heating said charge with said direct heating means until said charge is molten and free aluminum is separated, thereafter discontinuing said direct heating and injecting oxygen in a controlled amount to said charge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.