Carbon-based bodies in particular for use in aluminium production cells

A carbon containing body or mass consisting essentially of:

• one or more compacted, non-pitch, particulate carbonaceous materials in a binder of at least one compound of aluminium with at least one element selected from the group consisting of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen and mixtures of at least one such compound with metallic aluminium;
• wherein the weight ratio of said binder to said particulate materials is less than 1;
• and
• wherein said body or mass is a compacted, dried mixture of said particulate carbonaceous material with aluminium and with at least one compound selected from the group consisting of aluminium, lithium, cerium, calcium and sodium in a liquid carrier.

A method of producing a carbon-based body or mass for use in electrolytic cells for the production of aluminium by the electrolysis of alumina in a cryolite-based molten electrolyte, comprising the steps of:

• mixing one or more particulate carbonaceous materials with particulate aluminium;
• mixing said mixture of particulate materials with a liquid solution of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of compounds of aluminium, lithium, cerium, calcium and sodium, until said particulate-liquid mixture is homogenized;
• compacting the mixture to a desired shape and size;
• and
• heat treating said compact to form a binder of at least one compound of aluminium with at least one element selected from the group consisting of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, and at least one such compound mixed with metallic aluminium.

A carbon body for use as a component of electrolytic cells such as an anode for the production of aluminium by the electrolysis of alumina in a cryolite-based molten electrolyte consisting essentially of:

• a compacted mixture of one or more non-pitch particulate carbonaceous materials with an aluminium carbide, aluminium oxycarbide or an aluminum carbide-aluminium oxycarbide mixture based binder;
• wherein the weight ratio of said binder to said particulate materials is less than 1;
• and
• wherein said compact is obtained by mixing the particulate carbonaceous materials with particulate aluminium and with at least one lithium-based compound mixed with at least one aluminium compound in a liquid carrier, compacting and reacting to form said binder.

An electrolytic cell for the production of aluminium by the electrolysis of alumina in a cryolite-based molten electrolyte, comprising an anode made of a carbon containing material which consists essentially of:

• one or more compacted, non-Ditch, particulate carbonaceous materials in a binder of at least one compound of aluminum with at least one element selected from the group consisting of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen, and mixtures of at least one such compound with metallic aluminium;
• wherein the weight ratio of said binder to said particulate materials is less than 1;
• and
• wherein said compact is obtained by mixing a particulate carbonaceous material with aluminium and with at least one compound selected from the group consisting of aluminum, lithium, cerium, calcium and sodium in a liquid carrier, and compacting and heat treating such mixture to bond the carbonaceous materials with said binder.