Synthesis of Alum from Discarded Aluminium Beverage Cans

Abstract:

This study provides a chemical process that recycles waste aluminium cans to alum crystals that has plenty applications in industry today. The study was performed with concentrated acidic and alkaline solution containing principal components K⁺ and SO₄^2- ions. It involved the dissolution of aluminium can in KOH solution, neutralization by H₂SO₄ solution and cooling crystallization to produce alum crystals. Emphasis was placed on the percentage yield of alum and recovery of aluminium from waste aluminium can to useful product. The result obtained the highest yield of 80% when 1.5M of KOH solution and 9M of H₂SO₄ solution were used with 5 g of aluminium beverage cans. When the concentration of KOH and H₂SO₄ solution was increased, the yield of alum production was also increased. It was found that the crystallization process was effective in recovering aluminium in the form of alum from waste aluminium beverage cans.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 660)
• Pages: 284-288
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.660.284
• Online since: August 2015
• Authors: Yun Ming Liew*, Cheng Yong Heah, Mohd Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah, Hussin Kamarudin
• Keywords: Alum, Aluminium, Beverage Cans, Crystallization, Recycling, Yields

References

[1] W.F. Hosford, and J.L. Duncan, in Scientific American (1994).

[2] R.J. Christensen, and L. Morrell: Chemical Principles: Experiments (Pennsylvania State University, Simon & Schuster Custom Pub. 1998).

[3] M.E. Schlesinger, Aluminium Recycling (Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. 2007).

[4] G.O. Verran and U. Kurzawa: Conservation and Recycling Vol. 52 (2008), pp.731-736.

[5] Z. Kamberovic, E. Romhanji, M. F. ć and M. Korac, Association of Metallurgical Engineers of Serbia Vol. 15 (2009), pp.189-200.

[6] A.J. Elias: A Collection of Interesting General Chemistry Experiments (Universities Press (India) Private Limited 2002).

[7] C. H Sultz: A Treatise On Beverages or The Complete Practical Bottler (Dick & Fitzgerald Publishers 1888).

[8] F.J.S. Gorgas: Dental Medicine. A Manual of Dental Materia Medica And Therapeutics (P. Blakiston's Son & Co 1901).

[9] A. Holden and P. Morrison: Crystal and Crystal Growing (The Massachusetts Institute of Technology 1982).

[10] Information on https: /www. raci. org. au/document/item/249.

[11] J. Kotz, P. Treichel, J. Townsend, and D. Treichel: Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity (Cengage Learning 2014).

[12] J. Moore, C. Stanitski, and P. Jurs: Principles of Chemistry: The Molecular Science (Cengage Learning 2009).

[13] F. Bettelheim, W. Brown, M. Campbell, S. Farrell and O. Torres: Introduction to General, Organic and Biochemistry (Cengage Learning 2012).

[14] M.A. Fox and J.K. Whitesell: Organic Chemistry (Jones & Bartlett Learning 2003).