Photo by: Orbite Aluminae
TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – Canadian technology development firm Orbite Aluminae will use a brick-and-mortar approach to complete construction of the decomposer and calcinator at its high-purity alumina (HPA) production plant, at Cap-Chat, in Quebec.
The TSX-listed company is currently converting its HPA pilot plant into a state-of-the-art full-scale 1 t/d facility, which could reach 3 t/d of HPA within 12 months of its commissioning without requiring further significant capital expenditure.
“We have selected the brick-and-mortar approach instead of a castable monolith for the inner lining of the decomposer and calcinator. The extensive testing of the replacement materials at our Technology Development Center confirms that the materials selected will provide both the required purity of end product and the operational longevity that we were looking for,” Orbite CEO Glenn Kelly said.
Orbite expected to start refractory installation in January and commercial production in the second quarter of 2015. The project had been subject to several delays, a budget blowout and a senior management changeover.
Originally positioned to become a smelter-grade and high-purity alumina products producer, Orbite changed its strategic approach to first focus on its waste monetisation initiative in 2015, after which the plant would be modified into using the company’s chloride process, as well as adding a scandium and gallium recovery circuit.
Orbite’s proprietary technology can produce HPA, smelter-grade aluminium and other valuables from a wide variety of feedstocks, including aluminous clay, bauxite, fly ash and hazardous red mud without leaving waste.