Project description
A new path-breaking approach for silicones
Carbothermic reduction in the submerged arc furnace (SAF) is currently used for the production of silicones, which play a vital role in numerous industries from electronics and transportation to chemicals, cosmetics and construction. The EU-funded SisAl Pilot project is developing a cost-efficient and eco-friendly process alternative. The SisAl process encompasses aluminothermic reduction of quartz in slag using secondary raw materials, such as aluminium scrap and dross, as replacements for the carbon reductants used today. Featuring enhanced valorisation of waste and by-products streams, lower energy consumption, and reduced emissions of CO2 and harmful pollutants, it is described as a path-breaking approach. It also has a strong contribution to ‘circularity’ in which the aluminium industry will act as both a raw material supplier and end user.
Objective
SisAl Pilot aims to demonstrate a patented novel industrial process to produce silicon (Si, a critical raw material), enabling a shift from today’s carbothermic Submerged Arc Furnace (SAF) process to a far more environmentally and economically alternative: an aluminothermic reduction of quartz in slag that utilizes secondary raw materials such as aluminium (Al) scrap and dross, as replacements for carbon reductants used today.
SisAl Pilot represents a path-breaking approach, and a strong contribution to “circularity” through industrial symbiosis where the Al industry will act as both a raw material supplier and end user to the Si industry. Across sectors, SisAl Pilot will give substantial reductions in material yield losses, enhanced valorisation of waste- and by-product streams, at a 3 X lower energy consumption and radically lower emissions of CO2 and harmful pollutants, at a considerably lower cost.
The SisAl Pilot project brings together raw material provider (Erimsa), silicon and aluminium key actors (Wacker, Elkem, DOW, Silicor, SiQAl, Hydro, FRey, Befesa, MYTIL), SME´s/consultants/ equipment manufacturers (BNW, SIMTEC, WS and SBC) and research organisations (NTNU, RWTH, NTUA, ITMATI, SINTEF, HZDR, MINTEK) to demonstrate the SisAl process with different raw materials and product outputs in 4 different countries. These pilots will be accompanied by environmental, economic and technological benchmarking, and industrial business cases will be assessed for locations in Norway, Iceland, Germany, Spain and Greece.
The timing of SisAl Pilot is impeccable; the transformation to a circular economy, the strongly enhanced focus on climate and future expected EU-ETS CO2 allowances with associated risk for carbon leakage from Europe, the rapidly increased difficulty of exporting aluminium scrap from Europe to China, and modern society’s ever-increasing need for silicon metal. With SisAl, all these challenges are turned into new European opportunities.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringmining and mineral processing
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrypost-transition metals
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesbiological behavioural sciencesethologybiological interactions
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicssustainable economy
Keywords
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
IA - Innovation actionCoordinator
7491 Trondheim
Norway
See on map
Participants (23)
38000 Grenoble
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
151 25 MAROUSI
See on map
52062 Aachen
See on map
7048 Trondheim
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
48950 Erandio Bizkaia
See on map
15008 A Coruna
See on map
157 80 ATHINA
See on map
0283 Oslo
See on map
15782 Santiago De Compostela
See on map
7034 Trondheim
See on map
15004 Coruna
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
36000 Pontevedra
See on map
Legal entity other than a subcontractor which is affiliated or legally linked to a participant. The entity carries out work under the conditions laid down in the Grant Agreement, supplies goods or provides services for the action, but did not sign the Grant Agreement. A third party abides by the rules applicable to its related participant under the Grant Agreement with regard to eligibility of costs and control of expenditure.
36670 Cuntis Pontevedra
See on map
7200 Kyrksaeterora
See on map
Participation ended
12103 Berlin
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
48686 Auburn
See on map
01328 Dresden
See on map
2125 Randburg
See on map
108 Reykjavik
See on map
0277 Oslo
See on map
00189 Roma
See on map
00189 Roma
See on map
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
102 REYKJAVIK
See on map