Vietnam aluminum mining to increase exponentially

[Viet]

The government plans to mine for bauxite, the ore used to produce aluminum, at three new locations in the north.

Tan Rai aluminum project in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. Photo by VnExpress/Khanh Huong


It plans to develop by 2030 one site in Lang Son Province and two in Cao Bang, the Ministry of Industry and Trade said Wednesday.

Their combined capacity will be within 1.55-2.25 million tons of ore annually.

Besides, at least two existing mines in Lam Dong Province in the Central Highlands will be upgraded to increase production.

The gov also explores the possibilities of mining 68-112.2 million tons of bauxite annually in four central highlands provinces.

At 5.8 billion tons, Vietnam has the world’s second largest bauxite reserves behind only Guinea (7.4 billion), according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The majority of bauxite in Vietnam is found in the Central Highlands, especially Dak Nong Province.

Vietnam aluminum mining to increase exponentially - VnExpress International

The government plans to mine for bauxite, the ore used to produce aluminum, at three new locations in the north.

e.vnexpress.net

 

[Nan Yang]

Is Vietnam is planning for an Aluminum factory too ? Good Luck.

Aluminum starts out as bauxite ore – an aluminum ore formed from laterite soil. Bauxite is the world’s primary source of aluminum. Before it can become aluminum, however, bauxite destined for use as aluminum must first be processed into alumina.

The primary approach to transforming bauxite ore to alumina is known as the Bayer Process.
Red mud, sometimes also referred to as red sludge, is a by-product of the Bayer process. In addition to incurring disposal costs, red mud is an environmental hazard due to its composition and high alkalinity. In 2010, red mud from an alumina plant in Hungary broke free from a retention pond, contaminating the surrounding area, killing several people, and injuring many more.

REFINING ALUMINA INTO ALUMINUM​

The conversion of alumina to aluminum is carried out via a smelting method known as the Hall-Heroult Process.

This process entails dissolving the alumina in cryolite, a molten solvent. An electrical current is run through the mixture, causing the carbon from the carbon anode to attach to the oxygen component in the alumina, yielding aluminum and carbon dioxide:

The aluminium oxide is electrolysed in solution in molten cryolite, Na3AlF6. Cryolite is another aluminium ore, but is rare and expensive, and most is now made chemically.

Molten aluminium is syphoned out of the cell from time to time, and new aluminium oxide added at the top.

The cell operates at a low voltage of about 5 - 6 volts, but at huge currents of 100,000 amps or more. The heating effect of these large currents keeps the cell at a temperature of about 1000°C.

 

[MH.Yang]

The electrolytic aluminum industry requires a lot of electricity, which Vietnam lacks.

If the Vietnamese don't want to affect the overall development of the industry, they can only mine bauxite and cannot develop the electrolytic aluminum industry.

Consider that China's Yunnan province, which borders Vietnam, has a large number of electrolytic aluminum plants. We can guess who the bauxite will be sold to.

 

[Song Hong]

Vietnam still need to buy power from China. If China say no go, Vietnam cant go.

Still think of all these funny renewables?