Emission control in the aluminium industry

During production of aluminium. air pollutants are released causing potential threat to the environment. The major pollutants are fluorides, particulates, SO2 and tars. Gas and ventilation air from the reduction pots is cleaned in dry gas treatment centres where alumina is used for adsorption of gaseous fluorides (HF). Wet scrubbers may be added for removal Of SO2. Tar and other pollutants evolved in anode baking furnaces are condensed by cooling and removed in fume treatment centres. Technologies, performance and operation of these emission control systems are discussed in this paper.