Periodic Reporting for period 2 - PEA (aluminium Portable Element Analyzer) Reporting period: 2019-07-01 to 2020-06-30 Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project Our project, PEA, is based on the industrialization and commercialization of the next generation of process analytical instrumentation: Capable to perform in-line real-time chemical analyses of molten aluminium with optimum accuracy and repeatability, allowing precise adjustment of the process parameters to their optimal limits. Our plan is to offer our DTE-EA systems to primary and secondary aluminium producers, who are constantly seeking solutions regarding process efficiency, operating costs, worker safety and environmental impact. Our revolutionary technology is set to change the entire industry, as it addresses the current limitations of a process known to be extremely energy intensive. Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far We have worked on finalizing the design of our prototype, with the analytical software as well as control software and protocols. We have designed the user interface for the equipment and how it will report to the users. We have started setting up testing procedures for the prototype to ensure compliance. This process has been documented and is being assessed against relevant regulations, standards and safety protocols. We have worked hard on dissemination and communication activities, both within the industrial and scientific community. We have presented our solutions for customers and demonstrated our capabilities. We have introduced our product in exhibitions, trade fairs and other industry related events with good results. Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far) We are introducing a breakthrough product with revolutionary technology which will create a new benchmark for aluminum production process control, through the application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) for on-line chemical analysis in a primary aluminum smelter. Measurements have been performed for fourteen trace elements (and correlated with laboratory measurements on corresponding solid samples. Real-time quantification of trace elements down to ppm levels directly in the molten aluminum has been demonstrated for a number of elements. For elements Fe and Si, typically present in elevated concentrations in primary aluminum, the average difference between concentration measurement carried out on the melt and laboratory results was found to be within 2.5% and 5% of the measured concentration, respectively. The observed differences can be partly related to uncertainties in the reference laboratory measurements, originating from the process of casting of solid samples from the melt. We show that LIBS can provide reliable real-time measurements of the relative concentration of volatile elements, e.g. down to ppm levels in the case of Na. We conclude that for many technically important trace elements in primary aluminum, in-line LIBS analysis on the molten metal is fully competitive with off-line laboratory analysis of solid process samples in terms of accuracy and precision, in addition to improving worker safety and providing significantly faster measurement results.We are finalizing our product and have performed numerous potroom analyses, in order to demonstrate the benefits of real-time analysis in numbers – both financial and environmental benefits. DTE exhibiting the analyzing technology at TMS 2020 in San Diego, Feb. 2020 DTE paper published in Light Metals 2020
