Malvern Insitec Helps Cut Energy Consumption and Improve Product Quality at China Aluminium Industry Stock Company


16 September 2008: Malvern, UK: The China Aluminium Industry Stock Company (Guizhou, China) is using an Insitec on-line particle size analyzer from Malvern Instruments to produce better quality carbon at lower variable cost. The milled carbon is used to manufacture electrodes for aluminium smelting, and particle size directly influences electrode performance. Installation of the Insitec has led to automated control, optimized operation of the milling circuit and reduced variable costs.

The carbon is milled in a ball mill, a downstream classifier separating off the final product. Traditionally, particle size was measured by off-line sieve analysis which is both time-consuming and manually intensive. The on-line Insitec analyzes much more frequently and more rapidly, providing real-time data for control. These data are used to automatically vary classifier speed, maintaining product particle size in the specified range.

The Insitec proved to be easy to install, was rapidly commissioned, and has run reliably ever since. Improved control has led to a reduction in over-milling, reducing energy consumption and increasing throughput. Furthermore, because particle size is so closely controlled there have been improvements in product quality.

The Insitec is a laser diffraction-based particle size analyzer designed to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with minimal manual intervention. It has no moving parts and accurately measures even concentrated streams. Suitable for particles in the size range 0.1 - 2000 microns it has a measurement frequency of 0.25 Hz (four measurements per second). www.malvern.com

Malvern, Malvern Instruments and Insitec are registered trademarks of Malvern Instruments Ltd

About Malvern Instruments

Malvern Instruments provides a range of complementary materials characterization tools that deliver inter-related measurements reflecting the complexities of particulates and disperse systems, nanomaterials and macromolecules. Analytical instruments from Malvern are used in the characterization of a wide variety of materials, from industrial bulk powders to the latest nanomaterials and delicate macromolecules. A broad portfolio of innovative technologies is combined with intelligent, user-friendly software. These systems deliver industrially relevant data enabling our customers to make the connection between micro (such as particle size) and macro (bulk) material properties (rheology) and chemical composition (chemical imaging).

Particle size distribution, particle shape information, zeta potential, molecular weight, chemical composition, and bulk materials properties can all be determined with instruments from the Malvern range. The company's laboratory, at-line, on-line and in-line solutions are proven in sectors as diverse as cement production and pharmaceutical drug discovery.

Headquartered in Malvern, UK, Malvern Instruments has subsidiary organizations in all major European markets, North America, China, Korea and Japan, a joint venture in India, a global distributor network and applications laboratories around the world. www.malvern.com

For press information, please contact:

Trish Appleton, Kapler Communications

Knowledge Centre, Wyboston Lakes, Great North Road,

Wyboston, Bedfordshire, MK44 3BY, UK

Tel: +44 (0)1480 479280; Fax: +44 (0)1480 470343 trish@kapleronline.com

USA contact:

Marisa Fraser, Malvern Instruments Inc.

117 Flanders Road, Westborough, MA 01581-1042 USA

Tel: +1 508 768 6400 Fax: +1 508 768 6403 marisa.fraser@malvern.com

Please send sales enquiries to:

Alison Vines, Malvern Instruments Ltd

Enigma Business Park, Grovewood Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 1XZ UK

Tel: +44 (0) 1684 892456; Fax: +44 (0) 1684 892789 salesinfo@malvern.com

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