Hydrolysis and heat treatment of aluminum dust

Aluminum dust is a toxic and hazardous byproduct of Al remelting. The prese nt research was performed to characterize and evaluate its behavior in wate r. The materials obtained by hydrolysis were also characterized, and the ga ses generated during the process were qualitatively analyzed. The effects o f hydrolysis reaction time and temperature on the dust were also explored. The hydrolysis of Al dust is an exothermic reaction that gave rise to a sol id composed of aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, and spinel (MgAl2O4). Most of the CH4, NH3, and SH2 gases generated were emitted immediately upon the st art of the reaction, though their production continued for a long time. Thi s slow reaction, which was moderately accelerated by temperature, led to th e formation of a material less reactive than the untreated dust. On the oth er hand, heat treatment of the dust gave rise to an inert material composed of spinel, alumina, and magnesium and aluminum silicates.