Talk:Aluminum Extraction From Clays

The patent is dealing with the extraction of an aluminum compound, not aluminum metal.

But pure alumina Al2O3 is key material to feed cells. Patent is important. Also other alumina from clays are important because bauxite (low silicon clay) are rare and expensive. For 99% sure we need produce our alumina from clays, using acid or alkaline process.

Currenty "alumium_from_clays" page don't tell anything usable how get alumina/alumium from clays. Please fix it. Other alumium links currently on page can be moved new "alumium_general" (or "alumium_useless_data" ;) etc. pages.

acid

was it hydrochloric or hydrofluoric? i thought i remember flouride beinging involved in the process.

Hydrofluoric acid.

Some alumina from clays process use HCl. Alumium cells use some fluorine to lower melting point. Please don't distub pages, few google search give needed data - no need to ask here.

Concept for combined soil remediation/ aluminium manufacturing

If we had a cheap, open-source way of extracting aluminium from soils, it might have potential in areas where aluminium toxicity has made soils unusable. People could extract aluminium and sell it while simultaneously remediating their farmland. That helps food security in two ways: more money to buy food and more soil to grow it. These soils can have aluminium levels of 50mg/kg, so the extraction should work better than elsewhere.
The exciting thing is that the greatest opportunity is in the same place as the greatest need; there are 4.3 million km² affected in sub-Saharan Africa [1]. There could be huge potential for development here.

Good idea, but usable. Typical clays have 10-20% alumium. Clays can be used for alumium source. This page should tell how to get alumium from clays, other pages maybe how make farmland beter.

Bioaccumulators

Tea accumulates aluminium from soil; might be a good first step in concentrating the aluminium before the chemical extraction. [2]

IMHO, better to use fungi or bacteria for such tasks. Also see Biomining page. Related paper here --Rasmus 12:26, 18 March 2011 (PDT)

Blah, clays have 10-20% alumium. Plant etc alumium concentration <1%. Plants can give carbon to use electrodes, but it is other story, maybe in future page how OSE alumium cell should construct.