India’s state-owned aluminium smelter National Aluminium Company (NALCO) announced earlier this week a new line of products for its customers – CH-91 grade strontium modified aluminium billets.
According to the firm, the new product, which is part of its push to diversify its product line-up, offers manufacturers an alloy with higher productivity and billet output, yet at a smaller energy input. The new alloy also provides an improved surface finish and improved metal recovery.
Dr. Tapan Kumar Chand, Nalco’s chairman and managing director, highlighted the company’s efforts at bringing this versatile new metal to market.
“NALCO continues to focus its energies in diversification and increasing its product portfolio to develop new markets that has the potential to increase the Company’s profitability. The Smelter team at Angul has worked hard to introduce Strontium Modified Aluminium Billets.”
Nalco will produce the new alloy at its Angul smelter plant in the state of Odisha. Per the firm, the inaugural delivery of the new alloy was made late last week to Jindal Aluminium Ltd. in Bangalore.
This latest product offering is the capstone on Nalco’s busy year of new projects and initiatives aimed at diversifying away from pure primary aluminium production. Earlier this year Nalco announced a ₹5.52 billion investment in a new downstream aluminium project in Odisha. Prior to that the firm revealed a planned ₹1.31 billion investment in a 40 thousand ton per annum aluminium wire rod manufacturing unit and a ₹2.5 billion joint venture with Almex to produce automotive-grade aluminium. The firm is also negotiating with Rusal on a project to build a separate downstream aluminium plant.