Alumina Ceramic Foam Filter is a high-purity alumina-based product, available in various sizes and grades for Portland Aluminum industry. It has excellent strength, durability, high thermal conductivity and good chemical resistance at molten aluminum temperature. They are suitable for removing inclusions in aluminum foundries.
In Portland Aluminum casting applications, Ceramic Foam Filter allows foundry manufacturers to use filtration technology to produce higher quality castings and increase their confidence in performance.
The filtration efficiency largely depends on the correct use of the foundry filter. The filter is used in demanding applications and must be well supported, and there should be no possibility of metal bypassing the filter. The ceramic foam filter with gasket on the edges to help seat the filter in the filter bowl and ensure no metal bypasses the filter.
The Portland Aluminum Smelter is located in Portland, Victoria, Australia. The smelter has an annual aluminum production capacity of 345,000 tons. The smelter is a joint venture owned by Alcoa World Alumina Chemicals (55%), CITIC (22.5%) and Marubeni (22.5%).
The Portland Aluminum Smelter is one of Australia’s largest export earners. The plant produces 350,000 tons of aluminum ingots annually, most of which are exported to customers in Southeast Asia through the Port of Portland. Portland Aluminum injects more than 100 million U.S. dollars into the Portland area each year.
Portland Aluminum occupies more than 500 hectares, and the smelting business, outbuildings and roads occupy about 100 hectares. Traditionally, the remaining land will be used as a buffer zone around the operation. Instead, the land was designed as a “smelter in the park” to create a park for the local community around the factory. The smelter in the park is a globally recognized benchmark for harmony between industry and the environment, and has been used as a model for Alcoa’s other facilities around the world.
As a stable baseload energy consumer, as more renewable energy enters the system, smelters will continue to provide important market stability. Currently, more than 30% of the electricity consumed by smelters comes from renewable energy sources, including electricity from nearby wind farms. This number is expected to grow with the implementation of Victoria’s renewable energy target, which aims to achieve 50% renewable energy by 2030.
