Solid Salt Fluxes for Molten Aluminum Processing—A Review

Abstract

Aluminum recycling is a promising solution to environmental and economic issues. Secondary aluminum production will rise in the near future; however, the process is not without challenges. Some of the major concerns during remelting of aluminum are the metal losses due to the oxidation of the molten metal and the removal of impurities from the metal bath. The current study summarizes the latest progress in the use of solid salt fluxes for secondary aluminum production and the treatment of molten metal. The chemistry of solid fluxes has been reviewed, with a correlation to their main chemical and physical characteristics, such as density, fluidity, wettability, and reactivity. An overview of the main types of solid fluxes is also provided, with a particular focus on their functions and applications. The efficiency of solid fluxes relies on several factors, including but not limited to the fluxes’ chemical composition and physical properties, flux amount, processing temperature, and flux morphology. The effect of salt fluxes in delivering satisfactory metal cleanliness and sufficient metal recovery has been summarized according to the main flux’s properties.

Keywords

• salt fluxes
• secondary aluminum production
• recycling
• molten metal treatment
• rotary furnace
• chlorides