Process for manufacturing aluminum from bauxite or its residue

A process for obtaining at least one metal from a mixture comprising an aluminum compound and at least one compound selected from the group consisting of an iron compound and a titanium compound;

• said process comprising the following steps:
• a. pulverizing the mixture to obtain a powder having particles of below 74 micron and calcining said powder at a temperature ranging between 600° C. and 800° C. to obtain a calcined feed containing aluminum oxide and at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide and iron oxide;
• b. mixing the calcined feed with a carbonaceous material to obtain a blend;
• carbochlorinating the blend by using a stream of chlorine gas at a temperature ranging between 600° C. and 1000° C., to obtain a gaseous stream containing aluminum chloride and at least one chloride selected from the group consisting of iron (III) chloride and titanium chloride;
• wherein the amount of calcined feed and carbonaceous matter ranges between 4:1 and 10:1
• c. condensing the gaseous stream to obtain a chloride condensate containing aluminum chloride constituent and at least one chloride selected from the group consisting of iron (III) chloride constituent and titanium chloride constituent;
• d. treating the chloride condensate to separate the chloride condensate into its constituent includes the step of heating the chloride condensate at a temperature ranging between 140° C. and 160° C. to vaporize the titanium chloride constituent and obtain a first mixture containing aluminum chloride constituent and ferric chloride constituent;
• and subsequently, heating the first mixture in a vaporizer seeded with a reducing agent selected from at least one metal salt in tetrachloroaluminate to reduce iron (III) chloride constituent into at least one form selected from the group consisting of ferrous chloride and iron and collect the aluminum chloride constituent;
• wherein the vaporizer is maintained at a temperature ranging between 185° C. and 350° C., to fractionally separate the aluminum chloride constituent and optionally at least one chloride constituent selected from the group consisting of iron (III) chloride constituent and titanium chloride constituent;
• and
• e. electrolyzing the aluminum chloride constituent in an electrolysis cell to obtain aluminum metal.