Hydroluminum
Converting waste aluminium into valuable commodities
The hydrogen economy is likely something you have heard about for years, often being touted as one of our best avenues to Net Zero as it is a powerful fuel which can (in theory) be produced sustainably. We discussed the status of the hydrogen economy last year (in our article: To what extent will the hydrogen economy become reality?), and pointed out that the cost of sustainable hydrogen production was arguably one of its biggest hurdles. Since then, its demand hasn’t decreased, while producing it sustainably at scale is still a challenging task. Most of the hydrogen produced globally requires fossil fuels, and although it can be extracted electrochemically from water, this is energy-intensive and expensive.
Now jumping onto a seemingly random topic (it will all make sense shortly!), aluminium hydroxide is a commodity chemical you might have heard very little about, but if you are a fan of fatty or spicy foods you may have required its services! Aluminium hydroxide is the most popular antacid, which helps alleviate heartburn. It is also used in a variety of other industries including as a fire retardant and insulating material in your home, in water treatment, as a filler for plastics and even in personal care lotions as a thickening agent, with the estimated annual global production of >20 M tonnes according to one source. Unfortunately, similarly to hydrogen production most of the aluminium hydroxide is not produced sustainably and the UK has to import what is required. Most is made using an energy-intensive process called the Bayer Process where a mined raw material is reacted at high temperatures and pressures, with the product then filtered off.
Now imagine if these two products could be made sustainably. This is exactly what Hydroluminum have managed to achieve using an unlikely fuel: waste aluminium. In addition to these two products, their process produces an incredible amount of heat which can be harvested and used as an energy source in district heating and industrial processes. The vast quantities of heat generated can be easily converted into electricity, providing another energy type.
Hydroluminum are a UK based start-up who have developed a patented process to produce aluminium hydroxide, hydrogen and heat sustainably. The project has been in development for around 10 years, originally investigated by two scientists. After originally being trialled and optimised within “their sheds” the company is now scaling, and is in the process of setting up a pilot facility.
Their patented process involves mixing aluminium waste, water and their proprietary catalyst. The process occurs on its own, is simple and sustainable, avoiding the need for external heat or pressures often required in other chemical processes. When 1,000 kg of aluminium and 2,000 litres of water are fed into their reactor they can yield 110 kg of hydrogen, 2,800 kg of aluminium hydroxide and over 4 MW of thermal energy per hour.
Although, aluminium cans are one of the most widely recycled materials, other aluminium waste streams are not so easily recycled and are generally put into landfill or exported internationally. In fact, in 2023 the UK exported over 600,000 tonnes of aluminium waste which was valued at around $1 billion, while the UK imported 64,000 tonnes of aluminium hydroxide at a cost of $49 million, with Hydroluminum’s process able to avoid this trade imbalance, potentially recycling our waste into useful products.
Hydroluminum are targeting these difficult to process waste streams and are already in discussions with scrap companies who can provide a steady supply of this material. Alternatively, it can be used in a closed-loop system where the aluminium hydroxide is refined back to alumina and new aluminium, producing a circular process. Unsurprisingly, they already have potential customers for their sustainable hydrogen. Interestingly, due to the simplicity of their process, they can operate off-grid in remote areas, reducing the dependency on existing power infrastructure. Hydroluminum are expanding the recycling capacity of aluminium, generating heat without fossil fuels and producing hydrogen without heat or electricity with their process a unique green technology tackling multiple fronts.
An additional benefit of their process is that the aluminium hydroxide produced does not contain any sodium. Generally, industrially produced aluminium hydroxide contains some sodium as a byproduct of the Bayer Process, and depending on the grade of product, additional steps may be required to remove this. The lack of sodium in their product means that their aluminium hydroxide “will rewrite the rulebook” for aluminium hydroxide grades, creating a whole new type of product. The quality of the aluminium hydroxide and yields of their process will be assessed during the next phase of their development.
Hydroluminum are currently in discussions on where to establish their pilot facility and are hoping to establish their site alongside hydrogen and aluminium hydroxide users, with these clusters desirable. They are also looking for further funding and potential customers for their sustainable aluminium hydroxide product. Additionally, they are interested in speaking to any companies who have heavy energy usage (solved by their hydrogen and heat) and produce scrap aluminium (which they can take care of). The company are investigating other similar processes to produce other sustainable chemical feedstocks.
They are generating lots of interest and are part of both Hydrogen Scotland and Chambers Wales, with both offering potential sites for their pilot facilities. If you are interested in speaking with Hydroluminum please reach out to Strategic Allies and we can make a direct introduction. They were recently awarded an Innovate UK Smart Grant and we are excited to see where they establish their pilot sites and maybe you’ll be consuming their aluminium hydroxide after a curry soon!