Energy Efficient Aluminum Production - Pilot-Scale Cell Tests - Final Report for Phase I and Phase II
A cermet anode that produces oxygen and a cathode material that is wetted by aluminum can provide a dimensionally stable inter-electrode distance in the Hall-Heroult cell. This can be used to greatly improve the energy and/or productivity efficiencies. The concept, which was developed and tested, uses a system of vertically interleaved anodes and cathodes. The major advantage of this concept is the significant increase in electrochemical surface area compared to a horizontal orientation of anode and cathode that is presently used in the Hall-Heroult process. This creates an additional advantage for energy reduction of 1.3 kWh/lb or a 20% productivity improvement. The voltages obtained in an optimized cell test met the energy objectives of the project for at least two weeks. An acceptable current efficiency was never proven, however, during either pilot scale or bench scale tests with the vertical plate configuration. This must be done before a vertical cell can be considered viab le. Anode corrosion rate must be reduced by at least a factor of three in order to produce commercial purity aluminum. It is recommended that extensive theoretical and bench scale investigations be done to improve anode materials and to demonstrate acceptable current efficiencies in a vertical plate cell before pilot scale work is continued.
- Research Organization:
- USDOE Idaho Operations Office, Idaho Falls, ID; Alcoa Incorporated, Alcoa Center, PA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE) (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC07-94ID13219
- OSTI ID:
- 758726
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ID/13219; TRN: AH200038%%351
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: 30 Dec 1999
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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