Mines bauxite, refines alumina, and produces primary aluminum using the Hall-Héroult process.
Alcoa Corporation
Pittsburgh (US) · Perth (AU) · São Paulo (BR) · Montréal (CA) · Rotterdam (NL)New on Amplifa
About Alcoa
Alcoa Corporation is a publicly listed US aluminum company headquartered in Pittsburgh. The company operates along the entire primary aluminum value chain: bauxite mining, refining of bauxite into aluminum oxide (alumina), electrolytic smelting using the Hall-Héroult process, aluminum casting, as well as anode production and recycling. Alcoa operates mines, refineries, and smelters in ten countries, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Iceland, and Norway. Historically, the process originates from Charles Martin Hall's discovery in 1886; commercial production began in 1888 as The Pittsburgh Reduction Company. After the 2016 split, Alcoa Corporation focused on mining, refining, and smelting, while the downstream processing business went to Arconic. Customer industries include, among others, the aluminum industry, construction, and — historically — aerospace.
- Site
- Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Processes
- Aluminum Smelting (Hall-Héroult electrolytic smelting), Aluminum Casting (casting of aluminum, e.g. liquid aluminum casting), Alumina Refining (refining of bauxite into aluminum oxide), Bauxite Mining, Anode Production (Carbon Anode Production), Aluminum Recycling, Bauxite mining, Alumina refining
- Materials
- Aluminum, Aluminum oxide (alumina), Bauxite, Aerospace alloy 2017-T4, Aluminum alloy (Duralumin successor, Alcoa research >90% of aerospace alloys), Cryolite, Carbon (anodes)
- Founded
- 1888
- Industries
- Aluminum industry, Aerospace (historical alloys), Construction, Packaging (historical)
- 01
Bauxite mining
- 02
Refining into aluminum oxide (alumina)
- 03
Anode production
- 04
Electrolytic smelting (Hall-Héroult)
- 05
Casting of aluminum
- 06
Recycling
Materials and Processes
Aluminum
Primary aluminum from electrolytic smelting for industrial customers and further processing.
Aluminum oxide (alumina)
Alumina refined from bauxite as feedstock for electrolytic smelting.
Bauxite
Raw material from own mines in Australia, Brazil, and Guinea.
Aerospace alloy 2017-T4
First Alcoa aerospace alloy (1916), still in use for aircraft sheet and plate today.
Carbon (anodes)
Anode material from own carbon plants for the electrolysis process.
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum Smelting (Hall-Héroult electrolytic smelting)Casting | – | – | – | – | Aluminum, Bauxite, Aluminum oxide (alumina), Cryolite |
| Aluminum Casting (casting of aluminum, e.g. liquid aluminum casting)Casting | – | – | – | – | Aluminum |
| Alumina Refining (refining of bauxite into aluminum oxide)Engineering | – | – | – | – | Bauxite, Aluminum oxide |
| Bauxite MiningEngineering | – | – | – | – | Bauxite |
| Anode Production (Carbon Anode Production)Surface | – | – | – | – | Carbon |
| Aluminum RecyclingCasting | – | – | – | – | Aluminum |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum smelter | Alcoa | – | – | – | Portland, Australia; Baie-Comeau, Bécancour, Deschambault (Canada); Fjarðaál |
| Alumina refinery | Alcoa | 3 | – | – | Kwinana, Pinjarra, Wagerup (Australia); São Luís (Brazil) |
| Bauxite mine | Alcoa | 3 | – | – | Huntly, Willowdale (Australia); Juruti (Brazil) |
| Carbon plant (anode production) | Alcoa | – | – | – | Lake Charles (USA); Mosjøen (Norway) |
| Rolling mill (closed) | Alcoa | – | – | – | Point Henry, Victoria, Australia |
Additional services
History
- 1886
Charles Martin Hall discovers the Hall-Héroult smelting process for low-cost aluminum production
- 1888
Founded as The Pittsburgh Reduction Company by Charles Martin Hall with financing from Alfred E. Hunt; first commercial aluminum production
- 1891
Production relocated to New Kensington, Pennsylvania
- 1895
Market entry into the cookware business (aluminum tea kettles); aluminum smelter in Niagara Falls
- 1903
Alcoa aluminum in the engine of the first Wright Flyer
- 1907
Renamed The Aluminum Company of America
- 1910
Introduction of aluminum foil; acronym 'Alcoa' coined
- 1916
First aerospace alloy 2017-T4 for the USS Shenandoah
- 1925
Stock exchange listing in New York
- 1930
World's first aluminum research laboratory in Pittsburgh
- 1952
Alcoa Building as the first high-rise with an aluminum façade; founding of the Alcoa Foundation
- 1962
Introduction of easy-open pull tabs for beverage cans
- 1998
Acquisition of Alumax for USD 2.8 billion
- 2000
Acquisition of Reynolds Metals Co. for USD 4.5 billion
- 2016
Split of Alcoa Inc. into Alcoa Corporation (mining, refining, smelting) and Arconic Inc. (processing)