Irkutsk National Research Technical University (Irkutsk, Russia):
Burdonov A. E., Associate Professor, Candidate of Engineering Sciences, Associate Professor, slimbul@inbox.ru
Barakhtenko V. V., Associate Professor, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
Zelinskaya E. V., Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences, Professor

RUSAL Engineering and Technology Center LLC (Krasnoyarsk, Russia):
Gavrilenko L. V., Manager, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

The article covers the formation and processing of waste at aluminum production enterprises. Based on the preliminary scientific research conducted, it has been established that the waste processing problem may be solved using the method of photometric separation. The contrast range of the sweepings coarse fraction was studied with the aim to assess the possibility of lump processing and to establish the material composition of the medium-grained fraction of the sweepings in order to evaluate the most contrasting industrial properties required to recover the productive part of the sweepings. An effectiveness study was conducted for material separation and processing indicators. The data obtained were used to develop a photometric separation process for the sweepings that reduces the contamination rates. Photometric separation of a sample with a size class of –20+5 mm allowed isolating an alumina-containing product with a mass fraction of Al 30.14 %, Si 0.41 %, and Fe 0.1 %. The aluminum recovery for the total mass of the sample was 2.76 %. Photometric separation enabled a reduction in the content of Si in the product by a factor of four and of Fe by a factor of 4.7. Separation of a sample with a size class of –50+20 mm yielded an alumina-containing product with a mass fraction of Al 22.24 %, Si 0.41 %, and Fe 0.12 %. The aluminum recovery for the total mass of the sample was 4.58 %. The Si content was reduced by a factor of 2.6 and the content of Fe dropped by a factor of 2.1. The main aluminum losses (84.9 %) are associated with the screenings of photometric separation due to their high yield (74.19 %). The loss of aluminum with the photometric separation tailings was 7.76 %. At the same time, the silicon content in the screenings also decreased by a factor of 1.47 as compared to the initial sweepings.

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