Aluminium Ingot
Ingot and billet play an integral part in the production of many aluminium products. Plate, sheet, foil, wire, rod, and
bar products are all produced by pressing or rolling ingot and billet.
Ingot and billet are cast from molten aluminium. In the cast house, crucibles of molten aluminium empty their
silvery liquid either directly into molds or into a holding furnace where the metal is kept molten at temperatures
between 1200 and 1500 degrees Fahrenheit. Alloying elements are then added.
The process of casting aluminum ingots takes place through the fusion and refining of aluminum scrap previously
retrained through the use of specific technological installations. The process that allows to obtain aluminum ingots
from aluminum scrap is called smelting process.
Aluminium Ingots are produced through the smelting process. Various grades of ingots are produced which are used
for production of castings in Auto Industry as well as electrical applications. Ingots of various dimensions with
maximum purity of 99.7%. Ingots are the material that is cast into a shape suitable for further processing. Ingots
usually require a second procedure of shaping, such as cold/hot working, cutting, or milling to produce a useful final
product. Aluminium Ingots are re-melted and further processed into a large number of products for various
downstream applications.
Primary aluminium ingots – these are ingots of unalloyed or alloyed aluminium cast from primary
aluminium and possibly a small amount of runaround scrap
Recycled aluminium ingot obtained by recycling of scrap
Remelt ingots suitable for remelting – these include large ingots called “sows” (~ 500 kg) and small ingots
called “pigs” (less than 25 kg)
Ingots for casting
Extrusion ingots intended and suitable for extruding, typically of solid circular cross-section, sometimes
with a central hollow or a flattened cross-section
T-ingots shaped in tri-lock shapes and designed for efficient and secure handling, are used across
construction industry, transportation, electrical goods to household appliances, T- ingots are re-melted to
produce a wide variety of end products that cover the entire spectrum of aluminium applications.
A large proportion of aluminium ingots (in particular for sheet and extrusion applications) are
cast by the semi-continuous, vertical direct-chill casting process (DC Casting), where water is
directly sprayed onto a solidifying ingot installed on a descending platten.
Aluminum ingots can be used in different sectors, including automotive, household appliances, lighting,
construction, mechanics and household goods. The ingots are sent to other process or flattened into thin sheets,
which are then used to make new cans. Aluminum is becoming a favorite with architects and builders opening up a
potential for increasing use of metal in the construction industry. Likewise, the use of the metal is increasing in the
auto sector with increasing need for light weight automobiles across the world.
Source
1) https://www.european-aluminium.eu/media/1531/aam-materials-1-resources.pdf
2) https://www.careratings.com/uploads/newsfiles/Aluminium%20Industry%20Overview.pdf
3) https://www.entrepreneurindia.co/Document/Download/pdfanddoc-164130-.pdf
