A natural biological removal system for oxalate

Alcoa’s Technology Delivery Group has developed, installed and successfully commissioned a biological system which degrades oxalate, an impurity in the Bayer process, to sodium carbonate which can be re-used in the refinery.

This innovative process utilises naturally occurring microorganisms to break-down oxalate which needs to be removed from the process and is the first time a continuous biological removal process has been implemented for this type of industrial application.

This exciting new technology provides a number of significant environmental and cost advantages over traditional oxalate removal processes including reduced energy use and hence reduced greenhouse emissions.