Applications

Aluminium appears in nature in oxidized form. A great deal of energy input is required for the reduction of the oxide into the metallic form. Metallic aluminium can therefore regarded as a carrier of energy which will be released when the material is re-oxidized. The strong affinity to oxygen makes the aluminium an effective reducing agent. This fact and the loaded energy are the basis for various aluminothermic commercial reactions. The appearance of the granules or powder assists in introducing the aluminium in close contact with other components participating in the process and creates a controlled surface area to activate the reaction and heat transfer. The following list of the end uses is not complete, but rather reflects where Alutherm products are being used, classified into three groups :

 

A) Metallurgical reduction

the powders or granules are mixed with the feed mixture. The reaction, inside the furnace, yields the specific ferro-alloy in a molten phase, while the aluminium oxide is floating into slags.

chromium oxide and aluminium powders or grits are mixed to yield the metallic chromium

the adjustment of the oxygen level in molten steels is done by a controlled infection of aluminium pellets or granules into the molten metal. A similar procedure is also applied in the production of specialized steels where the aluminium is also used  the in-situ treatment of slags in the same furnace for better recovery of the various additive metals

 

B) Casting aluminium

 Alutherm produces defined alloy flakes which are absolutely dry and carbon free, are adequate for a continuous controlled feed into the melting furnace.

 

C) Miscellaneous

different sizes of aluminium granules are used for the fabrication of molds for casting various plastic materials. The aluminium improves the heat transfer of the walls of the mold as well as reinforcing it

aluminium powders are added to plastic composite material as a filler in order to give a metallic appearance and electric conductivity when antistatic equipment is required.

Aluminium powders are sometimes added to the sand mixtures used for building a mold or casting channels for supplying extra heat during casting

aluminium granules are mixed with pills of sodacaustic for the production of cleaning regents for sewage piping. when in contact with water, the mixture reacts to give a hot caustic brine which dissolves the various precipitates. Aluminium granules of high purity are also used for the production of various aluminium chemicals