Abstract
Aluminum dross makes up a substantial portion of a secondary aluminum smelter's total feed. However, fine dross (<10 mesh) is being discarded as industrial waste. This means a loss of millions of kilograms of aluminum metal each year potentially recoverable by a typical secondary smelter. The object of this study was to investigate the use of an electrostatic separator to recover the lost metal. After characterizing the dross constituents, a preliminary test on an electostatic separator resulted in a successful separation between metal and an oxide—salt phase. A commercial high tension separation unit was designed through factorial tests and a number of circuit configurations were developed. Using computer predictions and experimental simulations, a concentrate was produced that could be recirculated into the smelter profitably.
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