Date:
Monday, February 28, 2022
Location:
Anaheim Convention Center, Room 204B
Sponsored by:
TMS Light Metals Division; TMS Aluminum Committee
Organizer:
Linus Perander, Yara International
Hear from invited presenters working in industry and academia as they look back at 50 years of light metals development and discuss a vision for the coming century. The session will conclude with a panel discussion featuring the participating speakers.
Learn about additional light metals programming planned at TMS2022 on the Technical Program web page.
This in-person session at TMS2022 will also be livestreamed for virtual attendees to view in real-time.
Featured Speakers
György (George) Bánvölgyi, Bán-Völgy Limited Partnership
Presentation Title: "An Overview of the Last 50 Years of the Bayer Process"
About the Presentation
Over the last 50 years, the world’s alumina production has increased dramatically (from 21 Mt in 1970 to 133 Mt in 2020), but the primary energy consumption of the alumina production has decreased significantly. The bauxite and NaOH consumptions are determined by the quality of the bauxite feedstock; the process technology and equipment has relatively minor impact. Nowadays about 95% of the world’s alumina production is based on the Bayer process—in exceptional cases, the combined Bayer-sintering processes. It is deemed therefore to be reasonable that this overview focuses on the Bayer process. The development of the Bayer process will be discussed primarily through the Light Metals proceedings of the last 50 years and will cover the following topics: an introduction to bauxite, Bayer process, and bauxite residue; chemistry of the Bayer process; development of the Bayer process technology (by principal unit operations); reduction of energy consumption; process control; equipment and capacity development of production lines; quality control; and bauxite residue (red mud) as a principal by-product. In closing, the tendencies from the assessment of the development of the past fifty years and a likely roadmap for the foreseeable future will be outlined.
About the Presenter
György (George) Bánvölgyi is a chemical engineer (MSc), patent attorney, senior process consultant, and technical director of Bán-Völgy Ltd, Budapest, Hungary. He graduated in 1972 from Veszprém University of Chemical Engineering, Hungary. His expertise covers processing of bauxites of different types and grades using the low or high temperature digestion processes, process modelling, material, and energy conservation of the alumina production. Bánvölgyi specializes in on-site techno-economic evaluations leading to process concepts, feasibility studies, and de-bottlenecking proposals. Further specialties are the environmental aspects, valorisation of bauxite residue, prevention and removal of scales, control of the impurities, and coordination and conducting of research and development projects. He has travelled extensively and given lectures at various conferences. He is principal inventor and driver of the Improved Low Temperature Digestion (ILTD) Process aimed at manufacturing alumina from gibbsitic bauxites in an environmentally sustainable manner, significantly improving its profitability. Bánvölgyi has authored or co-authored 42 publications and was awarded with the Commemorative Medal of the International Committee for Study of Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium.
James Metson, University of Auckland
Presentation Title: "The Evolution of Smelting Aluminas"
About the Presentation
The aluminum smelting industry is fortunate in utilizing a dominant raw material—alumina—that performs a range of functions in the process and has proved remarkably flexible in responding to an evolving industry. However the biggest challenge the industry faces is now upon us in the greening of the process in an increasingly carbon-constrained world. This presentation will deal particularly with the calcination of alumina, both what we will need of alumina and the prospect of what we can do about the energy footprint of the process. The announcement in June 2021 of Rio Tinto’s study into using hydrogen in alumina refining is but one example of some of the thinking in this direction, following on from an Alcoa initiative in electrically sourced refinery steam. In the calcination process the challenge is also to best understand the alumina product we are likely to require as other innovations are embedded in the smelting process.
About the Presenter
Jim Metson is deputy vice chancellor, research, at the University of Auckland. He is a physical chemist with research interests in materials and particularly the science of surfaces. He was a co-founder of the Light Metals Research Centre at Auckland University and founding member of the MacDiarmid Institute for Materials Science and Nanotechnology. He has worked extensively with international industry, particularly in aluminum reduction technology, gas dry-scrubbing, and alumina refining. He was the program chair for the Alumina and Bauxite Symposium at the TMS 2011 Annual Meeting & Exhibition.
Marc Dupuis, GeniSim Inc.
Presentation Title: "Review of Different Types of Models Related to Aluminum Reduction Cell Design and Operation"
About the Presentation
Hall-Héroult cells are multiphysics in nature and very challenging to model. The aluminum industry has invested huge resources in the development of mathematical models to support its cell design and operation. First, here is the cell thermo-electric model that, once validated, can correctly predict the cell heat balance and ledge profile. Second, the very complex magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) cell model, that once validated, can correctly predict the cell stability threshold. Today, it would be unthinkable to design efficient high amperage cells without the help of those two types of models. A third type of model is the bath bubble flow model used to support the effort to minimize the bubble layer impact on the bath electrical resistance below the anodes. This type of model is now a subset of a new emerging type of model currently under intensive R&D development: the alumina dissolution model. Of course, many more types of models have been developed to support cell and potroom design, including potshell, busbar and anode beam mechanical models, potroom ventilation computational fluid dynamics model, etc. Finally, the dynamic cell simulation model should become very important in the years to come to act as the kernel of “digital twins” in emerging digital twin-based cell control logic.
About the Presenter
Marc Dupuis is a consultant who has specialized in the applications of mathematical modeling for the aluminum industry since 1994, the year when he founded his own consulting company GeniSim Inc. Before that, he graduated with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Laval University in Quebec City in 1984, and then worked ten years as a research engineer for Alcan International. His main research interests are the development of mathematical models of the Hall-Héroult cell dealing with the thermoelectric, thermo-mechanic, electro-magnetic, and hydrodynamic aspect of the problem. He was also involved in the design of experimental high amperage cells and the retrofit of many existing cell technologies.
Jayson Tessier, Alcoa Corporation
Presentation Title: "50 Years of Fundamental Research, Continuous Development, and Technology Innovation within the Aluminum Smelting Industry"
About the Presentation
The world has changed significantly over the last 50 years, and so has the aluminum industry. From the state-of-the-art smelters using Søderberg or small pre-baked cell technologies operating in the 100kA’s, engineers and scientists have pushed the smelting technology up to 600kA, suing side-by-side potroom configuration and point-feeding. Strong from fundamental research, advances in process control and cell materials, improved work practices, and automation, aluminum producers have partnered with universities, engineering firms, and equipment suppliers to increase productivity while reducing energy consumption and environmental footprint. This presentation will review some of the main developments that happened over the last 50 years.
About the Presenter
Jayson Tessier is manager, pot design and pilot operation, continuous improvement – aluminum smelting & casting technology at Alcoa Corporation. He is an aluminum reduction technology specialist with more than 15 years of experience in different aspects of the Hall-Héroult process and holds a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Université Laval. Starting as a summer student and intern at the Alcoa Deschambault smelter, Tessier joined Alcoa in 2011 as a research engineer within the Smelting Technology Development group. From operation improvement to sensors development, his activities aim to improve Alcoa smelters productivity and energy consumption. He later took the managerial role for the pilot operation group for the Hall-Héroult process. More recently, his leadership was expanded to lead the smelting modelling team. Since 2004, Tessier has published more than 40 scientific papers in journals or international conferences, including the TMS Annual Meeting. He is the co-recipient of the 2020 TMS Light Metals Subject Award - Aluminum Reduction Technology and served as session chair and subject chair in past TMS conferences.
John Grandfield, Grandfield Technology
Presentation Title: "50 Years of Aluminum Cast House Technology Development: Lessons from 5 Case Studies"
About the Presentation
There are many processes used in cast shops to produce cast product, and there have been reviews of the development of these processes. A full review of cast shop technology cannot be tackled here, but the technology progression in five key areas—inclusion removal, inclusion detection, extrusion billet, rolling slab direct chill casting, and degassing technology—is explored to develop key themes. These themes are: there are always problems to solve and new solutions just around the corner; old ideas can be made good and existing methods made obsolete; persistence pays off; new materials, sensors, modelling, and automation are significant enablers of new technology. As in the past, future developments will be driven by cost and quality, but more than ever by safety and environment and most importantly by climate change. Cast shop furnaces can be switched to green or turquoise hydrogen or renewables and electric furnaces. The path to zero carbon scope 1 and 2 in cast shops is apparent but reducing Scope 3 emissions such as those associated with alloying additions—in particular magnesium—is less clear. Completely hands-free casting is well established but not yet universally adopted. Automated furnace skimming has been developed and is expected to become the norm. The elimination of tapped bath and dross is expected within 15 years.
About the Presenter
John Grandfield is director of Grandfield Technology Pty Ltd, (a consulting and technology firm) and adjunct professor at Swinburne University of Technology in the High Temperature Processing Group. Grandfield has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Metallurgy (RMIT), an MSc in Mathematical Modelling (Monash University), and a Ph.D. in Materials Science (University of Queensland). He has 30 years of experience in light metals research and technology in government and industry laboratories. Grandfield has five patents, has published two book chapters and more than 50 conference and journal papers, and has co-authored a book on DC casting of light metals. He was chair of the TMS Aluminum Committee, editor of the Light Metals 2014 proceedings volume, and winner of the 2018 Brimacombe Prize. Scandium is his latest light metal interest.
Dmitry Eskin, Brunel University London
Presentation Title: "From Grain Refining to Casting Defects: Simplicity in Complexity"
About the Presentation
The link between grain refinement and casting defects such as hot tearing, cold cracking, and macrosegregation has been recognized for decades. Actually, the grain refining practice serves primarily this purpose—to produce high-quality defect-less billets/ingots. The mechanisms behind this connection are, however, rather complex and multi-dimensional. Without recognizing these mechanisms and their complexity and interrelation, the occurrence of defects under particular conditions remains a mystery that is almost impossible to decipher. Different mechanisms may act in different proportions and drive the system in different directions, depending on the particular casting conditions. So oversimplification of the analysis leads necessarily to the complexity. On the other hand, knowing these complex mechanisms makes the analysis of the casting defects and the ways for their prevention a rather transparent and simple task. In this presentation, the interrelation between the grain refinement and the casting defects will be explained and illustrated with the data published in TMS Light Metals proceedings over the last 50 years.
About the Presenter
Dmitry G. Eskin is a professor in solidification research in Brunel University London (U.K.). He made significant contributions to the modern views on casting defects in direct-chill casting, and his current research concerns fundamentals and application of ultrasonic cavitation processing. He is a well-known specialist in physical metallurgy and solidification processing of light alloys and has authored more than 300 scientific papers, seven monographs, and a number of patents. Among his books are Advanced Aluminum Alloys Containing Scandium (1998), Iron in Aluminum Alloys (2002), Multicomponent Phase Diagrams (2005), Physical Metallurgy of Direct-Chill Casting of Aluminum Alloys (2008), Direct-Chill Casting of Light Alloys: Science and Technology (2013), and Ultrasonic Processing of Light Alloy Melts (2015). He has been a member of TMS since 2000 and is a current vice-chair of the TMS Aluminum Committee. Eskin has received the TMS Warren Peterson Cast Shop for Aluminum Production Awards (2011, 2013) and the TMS Aluminum Technology Award (2013).
Alan Tomsett, Rio Tinto Pacific Operations
Presentation Title: "Challenges for the Carbon Transition–Revisiting 50 Years of Anode Technology Development"
About the Presentation
Anode technology has always been a major part of the Light Metals symposia at the TMS Annual Meeting. While there have been many groundbreaking papers over the last fifty years, the biggest challenge today is how to support the transition to low-carbon technology. The International Aluminium Institute (IAI) has estimated that the total emissions from the smelting process was greater than 850 Mt CO2e in 2018. The Light Metals anode papers from the last 50 years have been revisited to identify those that may help with the transition to lower carbon emissions. Major opportunities to be explored are alternative raw materials and inert anodes, reducing carbon consumption in the electrolysis cells, reducing voltage drop through the anode assembly and reducing process CO2 from anode production.
About the Presenter
Alan Tomsett has been involved in research and the industrial application of materials and metals for over 40 years. He studied chemical engineering at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, and at Kyoto University, Japan. Alan has held numerous technical and business improvement roles at Rio Tinto since 1987. He is now technical manager for Rio Tinto Pacific Operations based in Brisbane, Australia. Tomsett has been a member of TMS since 1996 and a member of the Aluminum Committee since 2011 where his contributions include serving as committee chair and editor of Light Metals 2020, chair of the Electrode Symposium (2011), lead editor of Essential Readings in Light Metals, Volume 4 – Electrode Technology for Aluminum Production (2013), and committee secretary (2011 to 2015). He has been an Electrode Technology session chair on four occasions and co-authored several Light Metals and JOM papers.
Arne Ratvik, SINTEF
Presentation Title: "50 Years of Research and Developments on Cathode Designs in Aluminium Reduction"
About the Presentation
Electrolytic production of aluminum has changed tremendously over the last 50 years, and cathode materials and designs are no exception. Over this period, the lifetime of cathodes has doubled from an average lifetime of around 1,000 days; this being a testimony for the many scientific developments since then. This presentation will cover some of the major developments in cathodes over the decades and the implications these have had on modern aluminum production. Major changes in cell arrangement and cell dimensions as well as composition of carbon cathode and refractory materials are only some of the many developments that have been implemented. Also, the compensation of the magnetohydrodynamic forces created by the amperage increase from large cells around 150-200 kA 50 years ago to modern cells reaching 600 kA have been important for maintaining long-lasting cathodes.
About the Presenter
Arne Petter Ratvik is senior research scientist at SINTEF in Trondheim, Norway. He has a dr.ing. (Ph.D.) in molten salts from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) followed by a postdoctoral position at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, related to molten salt electrolysis. Prior to starting at SINTEF, Ratvik worked in the industry for 13 years, both with pyrometallurgical processes and electrowinning of metals in aqueous solutions, including production management. Ratvik has worked with research related to aluminium electrolysis, notably carbon related topics, for more than 20 years in different positions at SINTEF, including research director and research manager as well as a four-year term as head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at NTNU. He has managed several large projects on fundamental studies related to aluminium electrolysis. He has served as a TMS Light Metals session chair several times, as a subject chair for the Electrode Technology Session in 2015, and as Light Metals Editor in 2017. He has co-authored more than 90 papers, mostly related to aluminium production topics.
Panel Discussion
These keynote presentations will be followed by a panel discussion, in which audience members can pose questions to the presenters, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Light Metals 2022 Proceedings
Remember that TMS2022 registrants will receive electronic access to the Light Metals 2022 proceedings volume, along with nine additional conference proceedings, as part of their meeting registration fee. View more information on TMS2022 proceedings.
Additional Light Metals Programming at TMS2022
TMS2022 will feature the following symposia, held throughout the week as part of the conference’s Light Metals technical track:
View the TMS2022 Technical Program web page for more detail on programming plans at the conference.
View Presentation Slides from TMS2021 Virtual Light Metals Keynote Session
Last year’s keynote session focused on the topic of Sustainability in the Aluminum Supply Chain. Slide presentations from this session are now available to view in PDF format through the TMS2021 Virtual website.