Plasma carbon from natural gas to aluminium anodes

Globally 20.000 kt/year of carbon anodes are consumed in the processing of alumina, 450 kt/year in Norway. If 5 - 15 % of the carbon in the anode is made from natural gas with microwave plasma technology, the performance of the carbon anodes can be improv ed (density, conductivity, permeability, reactivity re. air and CO2) resulting in lower production cost of aluminium. The Nordland based company MetalPlas' non-equilibrium (or 'cold') microwave plasma technology efficiently dissociates natural gas to soli d carbon and hydrogen without CO2 emissions. It also has favourable investment and operational costs. An up scaled lab reactor has been utilised for investigation of plasma carbon for metallurgical applications in a successful feasibility study with Alcoa Mosjøen and Elkem Carbon. The results from this feasibility study now enables us to transition to the development phase. This project will optimise the technology for production of solid carbon to metallurgical uses, including application testing like fu ll scale anode testing in an aluminium plant and a new pilot sized reactor in Nordland county. These activities will provide the knowledge required for construction of the first commercial unit for start-up in 2016.