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Montserrat

Aluminium fluoride for aluminium smelters

Hydrogen fluoride is an essential chemical for the production of fluorocarbons and aluminium fluoride. Aluminium fluoride is an essential chemical for aluminium metal production. Fluorine was added to Australia’s critical minerals list in 2023.

Hydrogen fluoride is mainly produced from fluorspar, which is obtained from the mineral fluorite. Fluorspar is relatively high cost and has been identified as a critical material by the USA, Europe, Japan and Canada.

Australia does not mine any fluorite, or produce any fluorspar, hydrogen fluoride or aluminium fluoride, and so must import all its requirements. The Australian demand for hydrogen fluoride is small, and it is imported at high cost. Conversely, Australia is a significant producer of aluminium and so its demand for aluminium fluoride is high.

Australia is the largest producer of primary aluminium metal without its own domestic aluminium fluoride production, so Australian aluminium smelters rely entirely on imported aluminium fluoride, typically more than 80% from China. The average aluminium fluoride price (FOB China) has been more than US$1,350/t for the past two years.

Most modern aluminium smelters produce excess bath, for which the only meaningful market is new smelters, which require bath to commence operations. Aluminium industry forecasts suggest that the global bath market will increasingly be in surplus, because far fewer new smelters are being constructed. All the major global aluminium producers are eager for alternative applications for excess bath, to avoid the unpalatable options of on-site storage or landfill.

ALCORE intends to construct commercial hydrogen fluoride and aluminium fluoride plants in Bell Bay, Tasmania. The aluminium source for the initial aluminium fluoride production is likely to be aluminium hydroxide, as this is lower risk and allows a faster path to production.

The initial plant is proposed to transform 1,600 tonnes per year of aluminium smelter bath into hydrogen fluoride and other industrial chemicals. A proportion of the hydrogen fluoride will be further processed to aluminium fluoride. The relative amounts of hydrogen fluoride and aluminium fluoride produced can be optimised to suit market demand.

In 2022, ALCORE received a $7.6 million grant from the Australian Government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative (MMI) to support this plant. ALCORE is matching grant funding dollar-for-dollar for the project.

ALCORE’S longer term plan is to expand the plant by 15 times, which will process all of Australia’s aluminium smelter bath and supply more than 80% of Australia’s aluminium fluoride requirements.

Pilot Plant at ALCORE Technology Centre on the NSW Central Coast

ABx’s 83%-owned refining technology subsidiary, ALCORE, has developed a world-first process to recover hydrogen fluoride from aluminium smelter bath. This is combined with aluminium hydroxide to produce aluminium fluoride.

Aluminium fluoride monthly prices FOB China (source: China Customs Statistics)

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