Cleantech company Orbite Aluminae Inc. has produced its first tonne of high-purity alumina (HPA) as part of the initial commissioning and testing of its commercial-scale production plant in Cap-Chat, Quebec.
HPA samples were tested by EAG, an independent laboratory in Liverpool, NY, confirming that purity of greater than 4N (4N+) was achieved during this initial production period.
The Montreal-based company said further commissioning activities – and raising the purity level to 5N and greater – will take up to two months to complete.
Orbite’s technologies are used to extract smelter-grade alumina (SGA), HPA and high-value elements, including rare earths and rare metals, from sources such as aluminous clay and bauxite, without producing waste such as the caustic red mud residue generated from the industry standard Bayer process.
Denis Primeau, chief engineer of Orbite Aluminael, commented on the company’s achievement: “We are also very pleased to have commissioned the acid regeneration circuit, achieving acid recovery rates during HPA calcination of over 99.99%, as independently measured by CMI-UVK [an international industrial technology company], which is superior to the 99.75% that was expected and is equivalent to 25 times less acid loss than anticipated,” Primeau stated in an announcement.