Harper International announced a new project with Orbite Aluminae Inc. for two high-temperature systems in series for conversion of aluminum chloride. The systems include a rotary furnace for removing volatiles (calcination) and a higher-temperature vertical furnace for phase transformation. Orbite’s material loses 80% mass as hydrochloric acid and water during the processing. In consideration of the corrosive by-products and high-purity requirement, the first system is designed with a quartz tube and the second system has an alumina tube as the contact surface with the powder.               

The systems will meet Orbite’s initial scale-up for its existing plant construction, expanding from its current small batch furnace. Orbite Aluminae Inc. is a Canadian clean-tech company whose technologies are setting a new standard for alumina production. Orbite’s technologies enable environmentally neutral extraction of smelter-grade alumina (SGA), high-purity alumina (HPA) and high-value elements from a variety of sources.