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Description
Currently, waste management and energy production are recognized as essential field for world sustainability assurance. Aluminium (Al) is a very important strategic material in Europe with wide variety of application areas. Unfortunately, this invokes huge amount of waste Al generation. Despite that part of waste Al is recycled, there are plenty of landfilled Al, which pollutes environment. Therefore, during this project, we will initiate scientific and engineering activities revealing innovative ways for waste Al application on electricity generation using hydrogen produced after waste Al-water reaction. Obtained reaction by-product can be further recycled back to Al via carbon free electrolysis. Also, by-product can be used as a precursor for other valuable materials production. All the mentioned processes will be realized as a prototype. The project will involve: investigation of the waste Al treatment for hydrogen production (Lithuanian Energy Institute); analysis of generated hydrogen gas purity (Institute of Solid State Physics University of Latvia (ISSP)); recycling of produced reaction by-product to Al and/or other useful materials (Innovation Center Iceland); evaluation of techno-economic and environmental impact of proposed process on Iceland and Baltics (University of Iceland), prototype design (coordinated by Latvian team). The project Consortium consists of four partners with main tasks mentioned above, which will ensure close cooperation and successful project realization.
Project results will create new knowledge and connections within the consortium that will open new possibilities for future projects and directly results will create a possible solution for decreasing waste and increasing clean energy production.
Keywords: waste-to-resource, hydrogen, circle economy, aluminium recycling.
Summary of project results
The main idea of the AliCE-Why project is to address the recycling of aluminum (Al) for the production of clean energy. The demand for aluminum continues to grow, as does energy production, but recycling opportunities are relatively small, especially in small countries or remote regions. Furthermore, the transportation of current Al waste requires additional costs and does not generate jobs or revenue for the unused resources as those are exported. Thus, a local circular recycling process should be developed. The main objective of this project is to develop technology and a prototype for energy production from Al waste by producing hydrogen and further processing the by-product Al hydroxide into useful raw materials
Within the framework of the project, the research of raw materials and the investigation of the reaction process, as well as the analysis of the final products, were carried out. This included the study of aluminum waste, where a material was selected, and experiments were carried out on the release of hydrogen. Next, the possibility of using the aluminum waste was evaluated. For example, window frame chips were analyzed for the composition of their elements as well as the aluminum hydroxide left after reaction with water. The conducted experiments made it possible to understand the kinetics (speed) of processes and reactions at different temperatures and low concentration electrolytes, as well as to better describe the applicability of the chosen process in the processing and further use of materials. The main results of the project are publications on process and materials research, promotion of cooperation, including with representatives of the aluminum industry, Alcoa, as well as the creation of a prototype for the successful processing of aluminum waste for the production of green hydrogen with useful material (which can be used in the aluminum recycling industry). Within the laboratory, experiments were performed with a smaller device. Using this device, it is possible to accurately measure the amount of released hydrogen depending on the experimental parameters, such as determining the amount of released hydrogen in electrolytes of different concentrations. In addition, a techno-economic analysis has been performed and similar processes/projects elsewhere in the world have been compared, although proposed solution is truly unique.
Achieved results can be separated into couple concepts.
On academic and personal level, this project allowed substantial growth of expertise and competencies for the supported researchers. Knowledge generated and subsequently published has broadened the knowledgebase of the scientific community. This project allowed variation of opinions and visions to merge into a productive outcome on a personal and professional level.
On a societal level, outcomes will be visible in coming years. But at this point dissemination activities have attracted interest from public, policy makers, scientists, schools and industry. As an example, involvement of aluminium processing company Arctus. New opportunity for green power production using this methodology can accelerate implementation and adoption of hydrogen in everyday life. This is one of reasons why public has responded so well to the results and activities within this project.
On a technological level, the story is broader. There are variations of waste aluminum based on the composition, use, and lifetime. For example, the project team has found that, in fact, construction aluminum is currently not being recycled to the same extent as packaging (such as beverage cans) as it is perceived in general public. A construction material Al_waste 1 was selected within the project, which comes from the production of aluminum windows, this type of material is recycled up to 20%, where the remaining 80% is added from new/fresh aluminum. Which still produces a lot of emissions, in addition, that is upcycling rather than true recycling. In addition, there are many other types of Al waste that are not recycled even now. During the project the scientists have developed a possible solution for the use of such waste - to achieve two goals, produce green energy, and truly recycling Al waste into new metallic Al, which, as technology develops, could be a novel truly circular process. Unexpectedly, this discovery can free up large amounts of landfilled aluminium as well as mitigate the necessity to produce as much primary aluminium. Introduction of “lost” Al promotes the circular economy, where main beneficiaries are processing companies and people due to lower emissions and potentially new revenue streams.
Summary of bilateral results
One of the main benefits within the framework of this project, and also within the framework of the entire program, is international cooperation, development of personnel and competences. A lot of new knowledge has been gained, both thematically because of research and through direct contact within consortia. Within the AliCE-WHy group, members have grown and gained irreplaceable knowledge in the aluminum industry, hydrogen use, global economy, and fundamental process research. This project helped building long lasting collaboration that will carry on with new research. Project members have participated in many international conferences, for example the 2022 FM&NT-NIBS conference, where all members of the consortium presented oral and poster papers.