Alpha HPA commences small scale commercial HPA production

Aluminium chemicals company Alpha HPA has established small scale commercial production for its 5N purity aluminium nitrate (Al-nitrate) precursors at its Stage 1, Precursor Production Facility (PPF) in Gladstone, Queensland.

The facility is now producing high purity aluminas (HPA) which are used as anodes in lithium ion batteries and is in final commissioning of process equipment to expand capacity for the production of the full range of the company’s high purity aluminium products.

In a statement the company said it was also close to finalising the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) and financing arrangements for Stage 2 of the HPA First Project, representing a full commercial scale aluminium purification facility.

Alpha Managing Director Rimas Kairaitis said: “We are very pleased to have also established stable production of high purity aluminas, with Stage 1 now producing over 500kgs per week of HPA at greater than 99.995 percent purity.

“Alpha’s process technology advantage is considered unique, with this purity capability probably only replicated using a higher cost and higher carbon process in two or three other manufacturing sites globally.

“This capability is increasing our ability to deliver larger volume testwork and to facilitate small scale sales to customers, which we can now build into commercial scale contracts.”

The HPA circuit in Stage 1 is capable of producing nano HPA, high purty alumina hydrates and high purity aluminium sulphate.

The company also announced that it was in the final phases of assembling the initial 2 (Phase A) synthetic sapphire growth units, with the assistance of technology provider Ebner-Fametec’s technical personnel.

Sapphire glass is ultra-pure glass used in a range of optical devices and for the screens of mobile phones.

Alpha is targeting the start of first on-site crystal growth in Gladstone in April.

Further reading:
Alpha HPA battery anode plant nears completion
Alpha HPA to produce first synthetic sapphire
Browse @AuManufacturing’s coverage of Alpha HPA here.

Picture: Alpha HPA