A process for refining aluminum using a segregation solidification process under a positive pressure inert gas protecting atmosphere comprising, maintaining the temperature of molten aluminum in the vessel by a plurality of electric heater sections arranged around the periphery of said vessel in vertically superposed relationship to each other, cooling a narrow peripheral portion of the inner surface of said vessel beneath the level of the molten aluminum therein by means of a peripheral cooling section arranged around the periphery of said vessel between adjacent heater sections to crystallize the molten aluminum onto said peripheral portion of the inner surface of said vessel, scraping off the refined and solidified aluminum on said peripheral portion by scraping and tamping means having a cross-sectional configuration complementary to that of the inner surface of said vessel, tamping the heaped aluminum by said scraping and tamping means, and deenergizing some of said heater sections located at positions around the solidified heap of aluminum.