Course:SPPH381B/TermProject/Aluminum Foil - Soham

Introduction

Aluminum foil is a silvery, metallic-looking sheet made up of an aluminium alloy. While it is a commonly identified household item used to package or wrap foods, there are several industrial applications of aluminum foil. Some of these include insulant used in construction and storage tanks, capacitors in radio and television, as well as decorative products. It is available in a variety of forms depending on the thickness and strength. Aluminum foil is generally used to protect its content from a number of environmental exposures such as light, electricity, gases such as oxygen, as well as moisture and contamination.

Production

Most bauxite or raw material required for aluminum foil production in North America is imported. In Canada, about 3.4 million tonnes are imported, while in the United States, 8.1 million tonnes of bauxite are imported. The countries responsible for major North American export include Jamaica, Guinea, Brazil, and other countries making up smaller proportions.

Rio Tinto is Canada's top aluminum primary product producers, with 3.9 million tonnes of annual production. They produce a range of aluminum products, mainly used for construction, including rolling slabs, extrusion billets, ingot and T-bars, rods, busbars and metal matrix composites.

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  Aluminum importation data for North America

Life Cycle

Resource Extraction

Aluminum manufacturing starts with extraction of an ore known as bauxite. Bauxite exists from approximately 0 feet up to 600 feet underground. Aluminum ore extraction from bauxite is relatively easy as the deposits can be relatively close to the surface of the earth compared to other metals. It is important to note that aluminum is not found in it’s pure form naturally and is often mixed with other oxides such as iron or silica.

Primary Manufacturing

The first step in purifying the mined aluminum ore is to remove any other metal oxides that may be mixed with the impure aluminum. This involves the Bayer process where bauxite is smashed and mixed with sodium hydroxide.

Secondary Manufacturing

In order to be ready for packaging, the aluminum is rolled in a rolling mill. The aluminum is passed through rolls (made of metal) in order to be squeezed and thinned.

Transportation

Transportation of materials involved in the production of aluminum foil is often conducted using trucks or large trains. Furthermore, bauxite in the United States is imported from countries such as Jamaica and Brazil, possibly through shipping.

Support Infrastructure

Support infrastructure for aluminum manufacturing and production involves road building, railroad building and energy through fossil fuel plants. Road building involves planning, designing, installing drainage and layered gravel placement on the road bed. Railroad building starts with devegetation, surface layer removal, and drainage installation. The railway foundation is laid and layers of crushed rock are levelled and stabilized on top of the foundation. Finally, cables and electrical cabinets are laid along the route to provide energy for signaling and other train systems

Disposal

Used aluminium can be recycled through melting and casting according to its desired usage.

Process details of important steps in production

1. Bauxite mining (Resource Extraction) - Blasting

2. Bayer Process (Primary Manufacturing) - Crushing and mixing bauxite

3. Rolling (Secondary Manufacturing) - Thinning aluminum sheets

4. Long-haul transportation (Transportation) - Trucking

5. Road building (Support Infrastructure) - Paving

6. Recycling (Disposal) - Aluminum re-smelting and casting

References

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