Development of Technology Knowhow and Plant Engineering For the Production of High Purity Alumina from Kaolin Aluminum Fluoride from Fluorosilic Acid and Heavy Metals Extraction from Phosphoric Acid

Starting date: April, 2018.

End date: April, 2020.

PI: Prof. Ahmed Elshazly

Funded by: ASRT

Summary:

The proposed technical alliance aims to establish cooperation between industry, research institutions, universities, consulting engineering firms, and end users toward development of complete technology packages ending with three real products of much higher benefit. A special character of this proposal is the participation of a design and engineering consulting firm in the alliance. This feature is unique to this proposal and it ensures closing the innovation cycle of transforming R&D results into new technology, and potentially to real products of high added value:

Objectives and Impact:

1- Production of High Purity Alumina (HPA):

High Purity Alumina (HPA) of purity > 99.99% is an essential and high-value material for the LED lighting, electronic substrates, TV and mobile phones display screens, semiconductors, aerospace, defense, cosmetics, medical industries and many others. The global market price for the 4N HPA which will be produced from Kaolin ore ranges around 25000 USD/ton and its demand is ever increasing.

2- Production of High Bulk Density Aluminum Fluoride

Fluorosilicic acid is a harmful by-product of phosphoric acid production process which requires considerable effort and cost to get rid of its harmful effects, in order to abide with the environmental abatement laws. Therefore, it is necessary to convert it into a valuable product such as aluminum fluoride. Aluminum fluoride is used by aluminum producers to reduce the melting point of electrolytes in the smelting process and hence increase production efficiency. Its market price is 12000 EL/ton.

3- Extraction of Heavy metals from Phosphoric Acid

The extraction of heavy minerals including uranium and heavy metals from phosphoric acid is a well-known technology, but it should be undertaken under the supervision of the Nuclear Material Authority in Egypt (NMA) which already runs a small scale unit with a small production capacity for the preparation of the yellow cake.

SDGs that the project achieve: GOAL 9: Industry Innovation and Infrastructure