Smelter-Grade Alumina
Metallurgical alumina by Na₂O, loss on ignition & size
Smelter-grade alumina — the calcined, sandy Al₂O₃ that feeds a Hall-Héroult potline — is a manufactured product with a tighter specification than the ore behind it. Al₂O₃ runs ≥ 98.5% and is rarely the issue; what a smelter contracts on is the impurity and physical panel. Na₂O (≤ 0.4–0.5%) matters because sodium changes bath ratio and has to be corrected with aluminium fluoride, Fe₂O₃ (≤ 0.015%) and SiO₂ (≤ 0.015%) report straight into the metal, and CaO, TiO₂, ZnO and V₂O₅ are gated because they either enter the metal or upset the bath. Loss on ignition at 300–1,000°C (≤ 1.0%) tells you how much residual hydroxide is left after calcination, and the physical numbers decide whether the alumina will feed: particle size (−45 µm fines ≤ 10–12%, +150 µm coarse ≤ 5%), attrition index (≤ 10–15%), BET surface area (60–80 m²/g) and bulk density. Sandy alumina flows and dissolves in the bath; a floury, over-calcined lot dusts in the pot room, crusts on the bath and costs current efficiency. On the trade, UN Comtrade 2025 export declarations put Australia at 15.06 million MT at USD 423/MT, Brazil 8.86 million MT at USD 421, Indonesia 5.43 million MT at USD 440 and India 3.96 million MT at USD 438, with Saudi Arabia a further 370,000 MT — a market whose FOB price sits in a narrow band around USD 420–440 regardless of origin.
Smelter-grade alumina is bought almost entirely by smelters and the traders who supply them, and roughly 1.9–2.0 tonnes go into every tonne of primary aluminium, which is why the price is quoted as a percentage of the LME aluminium price as often as in dollars. Non-metallurgical demand — refractories, ceramics, abrasives, water-treatment chemicals and glass — is a smaller trade that buys the same product in 1–1.25 MT bags or containerised bulk and pays for consistency rather than tonnage. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers smelter-grade alumina from Australian, Brazilian, Indonesian, Indian and Gulf refineries, connecting refinery and trader allocations with smelters and chemical users against SGS or Bureau Veritas certification of Al₂O₃, Na₂O, Fe₂O₃, SiO₂, loss on ignition, particle-size distribution and attrition index. Bulk supply is structured in Handysize and Supramax parcels on FOB and CFR terms, and our chartering desk, LaycanDesk, quotes the voyage with the cargo so a smelter sees the delivered number on one enquiry. Send your Na₂O and fines ceilings and the pot technology you run, and we will work the allocation against them.
Need the ship as well? Our chartering desk prices bulk ore freight on LaycanDesk.
Indicative reference
$400–460 USD / MT
as at September 2026
Reference level only — not an offer, and reviewed quarterly. Levels shown are as at September 2026. Firm pricing is quoted per RFQ, subject to volume, terms and inspection.
Typical Specification
Specifications are indicative and adjusted to the agreed contract and destination requirements. Final spec confirmed on COA / SGS.
Available Grades
Applications
- Primary aluminium smelting (Hall-Héroult)
- Refractories & ceramics
- Abrasives & polishing
- Water-treatment chemicals (aluminium sulphate, PAC)
- Glass & specialty alumina feedstock
Category
Metals & Recycled Scrap
Incoterms
FOB · CFR · CIF
Pricing basis
USD / MT
Inspection
SGS / Intertek at load port
Smelter-Grade Alumina — buyer questions
Why is alumina priced as a percentage of the LME aluminium price?
Because the buyer is almost always a smelter whose revenue is LME aluminium, and about 1.9–2.0 tonnes of alumina go into every tonne of metal. Long-term contracts have historically been struck at a percentage of LME so both sides share the metal price risk; spot cargoes now trade against published FOB Australia indices in dollars. UN Comtrade 2025 export declarations show the four big origins all clearing at USD 421–440/MT, so origin changes freight and physical properties far more than it changes the FOB price.
What is the difference between sandy and floury alumina?
Calcination degree and particle structure. Sandy alumina is lightly calcined, has a high BET surface area (60–80 m²/g), low −45 µm fines and good flowability, so it feeds through point feeders and dissolves fast in the bath. Floury alumina is more heavily calcined, finer and dustier; it was fine for older Söderberg pots but crusts and dusts in modern prebake cells. Most smelters now specify sandy grade, and the attrition index tells you whether it will still be sandy after pneumatic handling.
Which impurities should I set limits on?
Na₂O first, because it is corrected with aluminium fluoride at your cost. Then Fe₂O₃ and SiO₂, which pass straight into the metal and set what purity you can cast, and CaO, which enters the bath. V₂O₅, ZnO, TiO₂ and Ga₂O₃ are gated on high-purity product lines. Send your full impurity panel with the enquiry; it decides which refinery's material fits rather than whether alumina is available.
What parcel size do you work?
Bulk Handysize and Supramax, so 25,000–60,000 MT, loaded from dedicated alumina berths and discharged by pneumatic or grab into the smelter's silos. Chemical and refractory grades move in 1–1.25 MT bulk bags or containerised bulk from 100 MT. Our chartering desk quotes the freight alongside the cargo so you can compare FOB and CFR offers on the same basis.
Ready to source Alumina?
Send your quantity, specification, preferred Incoterms and destination port. We'll verify supply and respond with a workable offer — usually within one business day.
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