Method for processing aluminum spent potliner in a graphite electrode ARC furnace

Patent · Tue Dec 24 04:00:00 EST 2002

OSTI ID:874961

O'Connor, William K ^[1]; Turner, Paul C ^[2]; Addison, Gerald W ^[3]

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1. Lebanon, OR
2. Independence, OR
3. St. Stephen, SC

A method of processing spent aluminum pot liner containing carbon, cyanide compositions, fluorides and inorganic oxides. The spent aluminum pot liner is crushed iron oxide is added to form an agglomerated material. The agglomerated material is melted in an electric arc furnace having the electrodes submerged in the molten material to provide a reducing environment during the furnace operation. In the reducing environment, pot liner is oxidized while the iron oxides are reduced to produce iron and a slag substantially free of cyanide compositions and fluorides. An off-gas including carbon oxides and fluorine is treated in an air pollution control system with an afterburner and a scrubber to produce NaF, water and a gas vented to the atmosphere free of cyanide compositions, fluorine and CO.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the United States Department (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 6498282
• Application Number: 09/596,438
• OSTI ID: 874961
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/588/
added
afterburner
agglomerated
air
aluminum
atmosphere
carbon
compositions
containing
control
crushed
cyanide
electric
electrode
electrodes
environment
fluorides
fluorine
form
free
furnace
gas
graphite
including
inorganic
inorganic oxide
iron
iron oxide
liner
material
melted
method
molten
molten material
naf
off-gas
operation
oxide
oxides
oxidized
pollution
pot
potliner
processing
produce
provide
reduced
reducing
scrubber
slag
spent
submerged
substantially
substantially free
treated
vented
water