Trondheim, 25 May 2021 – The SisAl Pilot project - funded by the European Commission G.A. 869268 is implementing very promising experiments in the raw materials field after one year of activity.
The main objective of this 4-year project is to demonstrate a patented novel industrial process to produce silicon (Si, a critical raw material), enabling a shift from today’s process to a far more environmentally and economically alternative: in SisAl Pilot quartz in slag is reduced through aluminothermic reduction that utilizes secondary raw materials such as aluminium (Al) scrap and dross, as replacements for carbon reductants used today.
“Already one year out of four has passed in SisAl Pilot and many achievements have been reached despite the COVID-19 pandemic” – Gabriella Tranell, the project coordinator, says. “We have all had different challenges within the consortium, such as lock down, delay in delivery of spare parts and materials and, last but not least, lack of social interaction. Frequent online discussions within and between all work packages, internal workshops, including a modelling workshop and a resource mapping workshop, as well as virtual project meetings have been the key for success to reach all goals during the first year”.
Challenging and promising experiments are now taking place at Elkem with the aim of testing different raw material mixes to target different Si and slag products. Charging, tapping and phase separation will be investigated along with refractory interaction and temperature behaviour.
In the project, CiaoTech PNO is leading the Dissemination and Communication actions: more information about the current experiments and project updates can be found in the second press release, available at the following link.
“Already one year out of four has passed in SisAl Pilot and many achievements have been reached despite the COVID-19 pandemic” – Gabriella Tranell, the project coordinator, says. “We have all had different challenges within the consortium, such as lock down, delay in delivery of spare parts and materials and, last but not least, lack of social interaction. Frequent online discussions within and between all work packages, internal workshops, including a modelling workshop and a resource mapping workshop, as well as virtual project meetings have been the key for success to reach all goals during the first year”.
Challenging and promising experiments are now taking place at Elkem with the aim of testing different raw material mixes to target different Si and slag products. Charging, tapping and phase separation will be investigated along with refractory interaction and temperature behaviour.
In the project, CiaoTech PNO is leading the Dissemination and Communication actions: more information about the current experiments and project updates can be found in the second press release, available at the following link.
