Investigation of the Cathode Wear Mechanism in a Laboratory Test Cell

Cathode wear has become one of the major challenges for the life time of high amperage aluminium reduction cells due to the use of graphitized cathodes. The fundamentals of the cathode wear are still a matter of debate, and a laboratory procedure for testing of cathode materials is desired. Here, we...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AIP conference proceedings 2012-03
Main Authors: Tschope, Kati, Stoere, Anne, Roervik, Stein, Skybakmoen, Egil, Grande, Tor, Ratvik, Arne
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aluminum carbides
Cathodes
Cathodic dissolution
Electrolytes
Electrolytic cells
Laboratory tests
Reduction (electrolytic)
Wear
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Summary:Cathode wear has become one of the major challenges for the life time of high amperage aluminium reduction cells due to the use of graphitized cathodes. The fundamentals of the cathode wear are still a matter of debate, and a laboratory procedure for testing of cathode materials is desired. Here, we present a laboratory electrolysis cell designed to investigate the cathode wear of industrial cathode materials. The formation and transport of aluminum carbide is considered to be an important factor for the cathode wear, and the laboratory test cell is designed in such a way that the cathode is exposed directly against the electrolyte, and aluminum carbide formed at the cathode can then be more easily dissolved in the electrolyte. Here we present a study of cathode wear of selected cathode materials where the influence of the cathode surface morphology, diffusion and hydrodynamics in the electrolyte have been in focus.
ISSN:0094-243X