I think I might be a very very lucky man

[ultma]

I use to work in a aluminium reduction line (pot line) when I was a student
I managed to get this job because a family member worked there and it part of there tertiary scholarship

Well when talking to my family member ho works there they said they could get me aluminium powder very fine powder!

a technique used in the reduction cell is to spray the carbon anode with aluminium on the top and sides to prevent oxidation via the air instead of in the cell now in the room they spray the anodes there is piles on the beam and any object up high, also they had to put in a air cleaner to help prevent explosion, so what does this mean I have a unlimited amount of aluminium powder I can get for free

I will inspect it in the next or two when I get some and post a pic if you like

Now the only I am worried about is impurities like dust Al fluorides and soda ash

p.s the smelter I am getting it from makes the highest purity Al in the world well it did 4 years ago anyway

[nbk2000]

Well, if it's useable in pyro, you've got yourself a guaranteed money maker. :)

[Bert]

I'd guess that it would be spheroidal Aluminum powder. I'd further guess that the higher up in the room the dust settled, the more desirable it will be.

[ultma]

Now I wasn’t given any because the person thought it was too contaminated, however I told him I still wanted some.

Now if it is very dirty with dust, grease etc. can I clean it?

I was thinking using a soxhlet extractor to wash it using pet ether 40-60C BP then ABS ethanol would this work?

[ultma]

Ok I got my first batch the reason I didn’t get it sooner was that the person said he didn't think it was fine enough, not contamination.

However I said it’s all sweet as I have some sieves.

The results:
I received 1636.29g of Al
The main contaminant seemed to be carbon from the anodes, (carbon with a coal tar pitch binder, it also seems to be quite alot maybe even 40%) will charing in furnace help remove this or activate it more.

Sieve test:
>8mm 11.14g
8<4.75mm 33.62g
4.75<4mm 12.38g
4<2.8mm 39.17g
2.8<1.4mm 114.13g
1.4<1.0mm 100.73g
1.0mm<850um 73.93g
850<500um 294.59g
500<250um 430.42g
250<150um 229.97g
150<125um 62.81g
125<106um 21.4g
<106um 111.13g

So I lost about 100.87g on sieving.
Rod shaped needles of Al would be the best way to describe it.

I post an up close pic when I get home.
Next time it will be finer powder to start with so hopefully I will have a lot more.

[Bert]

From the description, it sounds like it would be suitable for large glitter stars and comets just as it comes. The Carbon contaminant will not affect a nitrate
glitter adversely, most likely. Silicates will kill the glitter reaction, however. If there's silicate contamination, it would serve in a perchlorate oxidized silver
star mix, waterfalls sticks and gerbs. With ball milling, it will probably make flash grade Aluminum. For such a free source of materials, I'd expend the time
to find out just what it's good for.

[ultma]

starting material

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/148/intialmd6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

sieve setup then spent 10min in a shaker

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/8302/sievexc4.jpg

106um final material from a distance
http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/5509/106aldistantcu9.jpg

upclose of powder, can you see the carbon anode dust and Al Shape

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/8962/upclose106umalmu9.jpg

look at the dark dust on my gloves when I finished

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/3160/glovesreducedpy3.jpg

what do you guys think

I dont have a ball mill so I cant reduce size any further, I will try it in a 3:2:1 KMnO4:Al:S flash this Friday

[Bert]

How did you post a picture in the WC? It's not supposed to be possible.

[ultma]

the <103um Al, 3:2:1 KMnO4:Al:S in a Al foil dish.

1g
http://video.tinypic.com/player.php?v=2mrfcsp

10g
http://video.tinypic.com/player.php?v=48p5o4z

[Bert]

I'd suggest trying the finer cuts of your Aluminum in star mixes. It would probably work well in mixes calling for coarser grades of atomized Al. If 10 grams of permanganate/Sulfur flash mix made with it doesn't go POOF, it's not going to work well for small salutes with perchlorate or chlorate either.

[nbk2000]

Well, if nothing else, the finer stuff could be use as feed stock for a ball mill, and greatly decrease the time needed to produce a suitable grade of pyro powder. :)