Plasma Metallurgy of Aluminum

Plasma reduction of alumina into aluminum was first proposed and published in the 1970s. At that time, the concept was scientifically sound but technically and economically unfeasible. Today, thanks to key technological breakthroughs, plasma metallurgy of aluminum becomes a real and competitive alternative to the Hall–Héroult electrolysis process.

Why Now? — Three Key Enablers:

1. Our RF Plasma Torch Technology – We have developed advanced RF plasma torches in the 5–15 MW class with grid-to-plasma efficiency above 70%. This breakthrough makes plasma metallurgy industrially feasible for the first time.

2. Solid-State Power Supplies – Reliable, flexible and efficient solid-state RF power supplies make continuous industrial operation possible.

3. Hydrogen Market Maturity – A developed and rapidly growing hydrogen market provides stable and cost-effective feedstock for plasma reduction.

Energy Efficiency and Competitiveness

• Specific energy consumption: 8–9 MWh per ton of aluminum

• Competitive with, and in fact lower than, the 12–15 MWh/t required by the Hall–Héroult process.

Scale and Productivity

• 1 MW plasma module produces as much aluminum as a 400 kA electrolytic cell.

• A 5 MW module can outperform even the world’s largest 700 kA Hall–Héroult cells, delivering 2–3× higher productivity.

Beyond Aluminum — A Platform for Metals

Plasma metallurgy is not limited to alumina reduction. The same approach forms a platform technology applicable to other oxide reductions and advanced metal production, including:

• Magnesium (Mg) from MgO

• Titanium (Ti) from TiO₂

• Chromium (Cr) from Cr₂O₃

• Manganese (Mn) from MnO₂

• Silicon (Si) from SiO₂

• Rare Earth Metals (e.g., Nd, Pr, Ce, Y) from their oxides

• Tungsten (W) and Molybdenum (Mo) from WO₃, MoO₃

This umbrella technology opens the path to direct plasma metallurgy of multiple strategic materials, with aluminum as the flagship case.

Process Flow

The process integrates alumina feeding, hydrogen plasma generation, reduction, and product separation into a compact, modular system as in Fig. 5 here Block Diagram.

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