Rusal completes the installation of a crude aluminium cleaning system at KHAZ.
Rusal has completed the installation of an automated system for cleaning crude aluminium in crucibles at the Khakas aluminium smelter (KHAZ). The company has invested USD 2.7 m in the installation of the crude aluminium cleaning system. The introduction of the automated complex will result in an expansion in both the share of alloys and the value-added products produced at KHAZ that are in demand across the rolling, automotive, food, aircraft and construction industries.
Rusal completes installation of the crude aluminium cleaning system at KHAZ
The innovative equipment produced for Rusal in Canada will process metal in a 10-tonne crucible. It will effectively remove alkaline and alkaline earth metals from the molten aluminium and reduce the concentration of non-metallic inclusions. A main advantages of the TAC (Treatment of Aluminium in Crucible) technology is the complete automation of the production process it provides.
Modernization programme to improve quality and purity
“Improving the quality and purity of the products is a key goal in our modernization programme, that is currently being carried out across Rusal’s production facilities. The TAC cleaning system has been operating for two years at the Sayanogorsk aluminium plant, and we are well aware of its advantages – it not only reduces metallurgical losses but also decreases the personnel workload as the process can be completed through automation. Moreover, with the new cleaning system reaching its design performance, KHAZ will be able to significantly increase the pool of potential consumers for its products,” said Rusal CEO Evgenii Nikitin.
The unit will be commissioned in the coming month, and tests with heated metal will be performed soon after. It is planned to put the equipment into commercial operation by the year-end.