Laboratory-scale testing of non-consumable anode materials: Inert Electrodes Program

Technical Report · Wed Mar 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6336587· OSTI ID:6336587

Marschman, S C

Development of inert anode materials for use in the electrolytic production of aluminum is one of the major goals of the Inert Electrodes Program sponsored by the US Department of Energy, Office of Industrial Programs, at Pacific Northwest Laboratory. The objectives of the Materials Development and Testing Task include the selection, fabrication, and evaluation of candidate non-consumable anode materials. Research performed in FY 1987 focused primarily on the development and evaluation of cermets that are based on the two-phase oxide system NiO/endash/NiFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ and contain a third, electrically conductive metal phase composed primarily of copper and nickel. The efforts of this task were focused on three areas: materials fabrication, small-scale materials testing, and laboratory-scale testing. This report summarizes the development and testing results of the laboratory-scale testing effort during FY 1987. The laboratory-scale electrolysis testing effort was instrumental in partially determining electrolysis cell operating parameters. Although not optimized, NiO/endash/NiFe/sub 2/O/sub 4//endash/Cu-based cermets were successfully operated for 20 h in cryolite-based electrolytes ranging in bath ratios from 1.1 to 1.35, in electrolytes that contained 1.5 wt % LiF, and at conditions slightly less than Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ saturation. The operating conditions that lead to anode degradation have been partly identified, and rudimentary control methods have been developed to ensure proper operation of small electrolysis cells using nonconsumable anodes. 11 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 6336587
• Report Number(s): PNL-6805; ON: DE89010283
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360101 -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
360205* -- Ceramics
Cermets
& Refractories-- Corrosion & Erosion
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
ANODES
BENCH-SCALE EXPERIMENTS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM FLUORIDES
CALCIUM HALIDES
CERMETS
CHALCOGENIDES
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
CORROSIVE EFFECTS
CURRENT DENSITY
ELECTRODES
ELEMENTS
FLUORIDES
FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON OXIDES
LITHIUM COMPOUNDS
LITHIUM FLUORIDES
LITHIUM HALIDES
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MAGNESIUM FLUORIDES
MATERIALS
METALS
NICKEL COMPOUNDS
NICKEL OXIDES
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PERFORMANCE
PRODUCTION
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS