Electrode arrangement in a cell for manufacture of aluminum from molten salts
AssigneeSwiss Aluminium Ltd.
InventorsHanspeter Alder, Eugen Schalch
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The durability of oxide-ceramic anodes can be increased, if the aluminum surface which lies opposite the active anode surface and is in direct contact with the molten electrolyte, is smaller than the active anode surface. The separated aluminum is collected on the floor of the carbon lining and is sub-divided by an insulating material into pools, which are connected together by means of tubes or channels. The total of all the aluminum surfaces exposed to the melt amounts to 10-90% of the active anode surface.
Claims28
An electrolytic cell for use in the production of aluminum comprising:
- a pot having a floor and sidewalls;
- a melt of liquid aluminum within said pot on said floor;
- a molten electrolyte within said pot on said melt of liquid aluminum;
- at least one anode within said pot projecting into said molten electrolyte such that the top surface of said melt of liquid aluminum is a distance d from the active bottom surface of said at least one anode;
- and
- insulating means within said pot in said melt of liquid aluminum for reducing the surface area of said melt of liquid aluminum in direct contact with said molten electrolyte such that the total surface area of said melt of liquid aluminum exposed to said molten electrolyte is from about 10-90% the active surface area of said at least one anode.
A method of improving the stability of an anode used in the electrolysis of aluminum comprising:
- providing an electrolytic cell comprising a pot having a floor and sidewalls, a melt of liquid aluminum on said floor and molten electrolyte on said melt of liquid aluminum;
- positioning at least one anode within said pot in said molten electrolyte such that the active surface of said at least one anode is a distance d from the top surface of said melt of liquid aluminum;
- and
- providing insulating means in said melt of liquid aluminum for reducing the surface area of said melt of liquid aluminum in direct contact with said molten electrolyte such that the total surface area of said melt of liquid aluminum exposed to said molten electrolyte is from about 10-90% the active surface area of said at least one anode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.