Abstract
Studies on the electrolysis of cryolite-alumina melt showed that even the best equipped smelter, functioning at 960 oC, has only 33% energy efficiency. For stable functioning of the smelter at 3% alumina the minimum wt% ratio NaF/AlF3 was found to be 1.11. The anodes located on down-stream row were found to face more turbulence; raising their level by 4 cm resulted in decreasing the number of burnoffs. A careful selection of potlining material improved the pot life. The stability of the aluminum-bath interface is one of the major factors affecting the current efficiency. An improved cell design has been proposed to achieve the ultimate aluminum-bath interface stability. The proposed cell design should allow a reduction of the cathode-to-anode distance producing a lower voltage and improving the power efficiency.
Highlights
The commercial production of metallic aluminum started in 1889 with electrolysis of cryolite-alumina melt by the Hall-Heroult process
The TiB2 composite coating improved the wetting characteristic of the carbon cathode resulting in an aluminum-wetted surface, which in turn improved the stability and current efficiency of the cell
Development of an inert anode and a stable cathode lining and control of the metal pad turbulence are vital for the cost reduction of the aluminum process
Summary
The commercial production of metallic aluminum started in 1889 with electrolysis of cryolite-alumina melt by the Hall-Heroult process. Overfeeding of the cell with alumina causes formation of a sludge under the molten aluminum pad decreasing the electrical conductivity and resulting in a ‘sick pot’. A high cathode current density improves the current efficiency because more aluminum is made compared with the dissolved metal entering the bath to be reoxidized[6].
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