Effect of CaO doping on corrosion resistance of Cu/（NiFe2O4-10NiO） cermet inert anode for aluminum electrolysis

The CaO-doped Cu/（NiFe2O4-10NiO） cermet inert anodes were prepared by the cold isostatie pressing-sintering process, and their corrosion resistance to Na3AlF6-K3AlF6-Al203 melt was studied. The results show that the relative density of 5Cu/（NiFe2O4-10NiO） cermet sintered at 1 200 ℃ increases from 82.83% to 97.63% when 2% CaO （mass fraction） is added. During the electrolysis, the relative density of cermet inert anode descends owing to the chemical dissolution of additive CaO at ceramic grain boundary, which accelerates the penetration of electrolyte. Thus, the corrosion resistance to melts of Cu/（NiFe2O4-10NiO） cermet inert anode is reduced. To improve the corrosion resistance of the cermet inert anode, the content of CaO doped should be decreased and the technology of cleaning the ceramic grain boundary should be applied.     

Effect of working condition on thermal stress of NiFe2O4-based cermet inert anode in aluminum electrolysis

Based on the FEA software ANSYS,a model was developed to simulate the thermal stress distribution of inert anode.In order to reduce its thermal stress,the effect of some parameters on thermal stress distribution was investigated,including the temperature of electrolyte,the current,the anode cathode distance,the anode immersion depth,the surrounding temperature and the convection coefficient between anode and circumstance.The results show that there exists a large axial tensile stress near the tangent interface between the anode and bath,which is the major cause of anode breaking.Increasing the temperature of electrolyte or the anode immersion depth will deteriorate the stress distribution of inert anode.When the bath temperature increases from 750 to 970 ℃,the maximal value and absolute minimal value of the 1st principal stress increase by 29.7% and 29.6%,respectively.When the anode immersion depth is changed from 1 to 10 cm,the maximal value and absolute minimal value of the 1st principal stress increase by 52.1% and 65.0%,respectively.The effects of other parameters on stress distribution are not significant.     

CFD simulation of effect of anode configuration on gas–liquid flow and alumina transport process in an aluminum reduction cell

Numerical simulations of gas–liquid two-phase flow and alumina transport process in an aluminum reduction cell were conducted to investigate the effects of anode configurations on the bath flow, gas volume fraction and alumina content distributions. An Euler–Euler two-fluid model was employed coupled with a species transport equation for alumina content. Three different anode configurations such as anode without a slot, anode with a longitudinal slot and anode with a transversal slot were studied in the simulation. The simulation results clearly show that the slots can reduce the bath velocity and promote the releasing of the anode gas, but can not contribute to the uniformity of the alumina content. Comparisons of the effects between the longitudinal and transversal slots indicate that the longitudinal slot is better in terms of gas–liquid flow but is disadvantageous for alumina mixing and transport process due to a decrease of anode gas under the anode bottom surface. It is demonstrated from the simulations that the mixing and transfer characteristics of alumina are controlled to great extent by the anode gas forces while the electromagnetic forces(EMFs) play the second role.     

Electrical conductivity of （Na3AlF6-40%K3AlF6）-AlF3-Al2O3 melts

The effects of contents of AlF3 and Al2O3, and temperature on electrical conductivity of （Na3AlF6-40%K3AlF6）- AlF3-Al2O3 were studied by continuously varying cell censtant （CVCC） technique. The results show that the conductivities of melts increase with the increase of temperature, but by different extents. Every increasing 10 ℃ results in an increase of 1.85 × 10^-2, 1.86× 10^-2, 1.89 × 10^-2 and 2.20 × 10^-2 S/cm in conductivity for the （Na3AlF6-40%K3AlF6）-AlF3 melts containing 0%, 20%, 24%, and 30% AlF3, respectively. An increase of every 10 ℃ in temperature results an increase about 1.89× 10^-2, 1.94 × 10^-2, 1.95 × 10^-2, 1.99× 10^-2 and 2.10× 10^-2 S/cm for （Na3AlF6-40%K3AlF6）-AlF3-Al2O3 melts containing 0%, 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% Al2O3, respectively. The activation energy of conductance was calculated based on Arrhenius equation. Every increasing 1% of AlF3 results in a decrease of 0.019 and 0.020 S/cm in conductivity for （Na3AlF6-40%K3AlF6）-AlF3 melts at 900 and 1 000 ℃, respectively. Every increase of 1% Al2O3 results in a decrease of 0.07 S/cm in conductivity for （Na3AlF6-40%K3AlF6）-AlF3-Al2O3 melts. The activation energy of conductance increases with the increase in content of AlF3 and Al2O3.     

Electrical conductivity of (Na_3AlF_6-40%K_3AlF_6)-AlF_3-Al_2O_3 melts

The effects of contents of AlF3 and Al2O3,and temperature on electrical conductivity of (Na3AlF6-40%K3AlF6)-AlF3-Al2O3 were studied by continuously varying cell constant (CVCC) technique.The results show that the conductivities of melts increase with the increase of temperature,but by different extents.Every increasing 10 ℃ results in an increase of 1.85×10-2,1.86×10-2,1.89×10-2 and 2.20×10-2 S/cm in conductivity for the (Na3AlF6-40%K3AlF6)-AlF3 melts containing 0%,20%,24%,and 30% AlF3,respectively.An increase of every 10 ℃ in temperature results an increase about 1.89×10-2,1.94×10-2,1.95×10-2,1.99×10-2 and 2.10×10-2 S/cm for (Na3AlF6-40%K3AlF6)-AlF3-Al2O3 melts containing 0%,1%,2%,3% and 4% A12O3,respectively.The activation energy of conductance was calculated based on Arrhenius equation.Every increasing 1% of AlF3 results in a decrease of 0.019 and 0.020 S/cm in conductivity for (Na3AlF6-40%K3AlF6)-AIF3 melts at 900 and 1 000 ℃,respectively.Every increase of 1% Al2O3 results in a decrease of 0.07 S/cm in conductivity for (Na3AlF6-40%K3AlF6)-AlF3-Al2O3 melts.The activation energy of conductance increases with the increase in content of AlF3 and Al2O3.     

Effects of heat treatment on structures and properties of high speed steel rolls

The effects of quenching temperature, cooling pattern, temper temperature and temper times on the structure and properties of high speed steel (HSS) rolls have been investigated. The results show that, when the quenching temperature is lower than 1050℃ the hardness of HSS increases with the quenching temperature increasing in oil cooling, but when the quenching temperature exceeds 1100℃ the hardness decreases. In the conditions of salt bath cooling and air cooling, the effect of quenching temperature on the hardness is similar to the above law, but the quenching temperature obtaining the highest hardness is higher than that in oil cooling. When the temper temperature below 350℃ the hardness of HSS has a little change, when above 475℃ the hardness will increase with the temper temperature increasing, and the highest hardness is obtained at 525℃. When the temper temperature continues to increase, the hardness decreases. Twice temper has little effect on the hardness, but three times temper decreases the hardness. HSS in air cooling has lower hardenability, oil cooling can easily produce crackle, and HSS quenching in salt bath has high hardenability and excellent wear resistance.     

Effect of CaO doping on corrosion resistance of Cu/(NiFe_2O_4-10NiO) cermet inert anode for aluminum electrolysis

The CaO-doped Cu/(NiFe2O4-10NiO) cermet inert anodes were prepared by the cold isostatic pressing-sintering process, and their corrosion resistance to Na3AlF6-K3AlF6-Al2O3 melt was studied. The results show that the relative density of 5Cu/(NiFe2O4-10NiO) cermet sintered at 1 200 ℃ increases from 82.83% to 97.63% when 2% CaO (mass fraction) is added. During the electrolysis, the relative density of cermet inert anode descends owing to the chemical dissolution of additive CaO at ceramic grain boundary, which...     

Preparation and electrochemical properties of Pb-0.3wt%Ag/Pb-WC composite inert anodes

We prepared Pb-0.3wt%Ag/Pb-WC(WC stands for tungsten carbide,the same below) composite inert anodes by double-pulse electrodeposition on the surface of Pb-0.3wt%Ag substrates,and investigated the electrochemical properties of the composite inert anodes,which were obtained under different forward pulse average current densities from 2 A/dm~2 to 5 A/dm~2 and WC concentrations from 0 g/L to 40 g/L in bath.The kinetic parameters of oxygen evolution,corrosion potential and corrosion current of the composite inert anodes were obtained in a synthetic zinc electrowinning electrolyte of 50 g/L Zn~(2+) and 150 g/L H_2SO_4 at 35 ℃,by measuring the anodic polarization curves,Tafel polarization curves and cyclic voltammetry curves.The results show that Pb-0.3wt% Ag/Pb-WC composite inert anodes obtained under forward pulse average current density of 3 A/dm~2 and WC concentration of 30 g/L in an original acid plating bath,possess higher electrocatalytic activity of oxygen evolution,lower overpotential of oxygen evolution,better reversibility of electrode reaction and corrosion resistance in [ZnSO_4+H_2SO_4] solution.The overpotential of oxygen evolution of the composite inert anode is 0.926 V under 500 A/m~2 in [ZnSO_4+H_2SO_4] solution,and 245 mV lower than that of Pb-1% Ag alloy;the corrosion current of the composite inert anode is 0.95×10~(-4)A which is distinctly lower than that of Pb-1%Ag alloy,showing the excellent corrosion resistance.     

Filling ability of semi-solid A356 aluminum alloy slurry in rheo-diecasting

The effects of slurry temperature, injection pressure, and piston velocity on the rheo-filling ability of semisolid A356 alloys were studied by the reho-diecasting methods. The results show that the slurry temperature of the semi-solid A356 aluminum alloy has an important effect on the filling ability; the higher the slurry temperature, the better is the filling ability, and the appropriate slurry temperature for rheo-filling is in the range of 585-595℃. The injection pressure also has a great effect on the filling ability, and it is appropriate to the rheo-filling when the injection pressure is in the range of 15-25 MPa. The piston velocity also has a great effect on the filling ability, and it is appropriate to the rheo-filling when the piston velocity is in the range of 0.072-0.12 m/s. The filling ability of the slurry prepared by low superheat pouring with weak electromagnetic stirring is very good and the microstructural distribution in the rheo-formed die castings is homogeneous, which is advantageous to the high quality die casting. 2008 University of Science and Technology Beijing. All rights reserved.     

Influence of elemental iron on hydrogen content in superheated aluminum-iron melts

The hydrogen content in liquid binary aluminum alloys with 1,3,5 and 8 wt% iron has been determined in the temperature range from 973K to 1103K. The hydrogen content in molten Al-Fe alloys increases remarkably when the temperature of the meh rises to about 1053K. This work indicates that the alloying element iron plays an important role in hydrogen content in snperheated Al-Fe alloy melts below about 1053K. The results make it clear that the hydrogen content in the mekt ahuminum reduces with the increasing element levels. A conclusion is drawn that the degree of gassing in molten AL-Fe alloys is hound up with the properties of oxide film of aluminum alloy melts. The element iron has no effect on the compact stntcture of oxide film in aluminum melts. The effects of alloying element are theoretically analyced in terms of Wagner interaction parameter. According to the values of the first order interaction parameter, it is concluded that the interaction between iron atom and aluminum is much stronger than that between hydrogen atom and ahanintum, and the addition of the alloying element decreases the affinity of liquid aluminum for hydrogen.     

Effect of metallic phase species on the corrosion resistance of 17M/（10NiO-NiFe2O4） cermet inert anode of aluminum electrolysis

1 INTRODUCTIONThere are many disadvantages in the presentaluminumelectrolysis with carbon anode ,such assevere energy consumption,carbon wasting,envi-ronmental pollution and so on.Inert electrode sys-tem can overcome these disadvantages[1 3]. Re-cently ,the researches of the inert anode materialshave mainly been concentrated on alloys[4]and cer-met materials[5 ,6]. NiFe2O4based cermets , whichpossess not only high electrical conductivity ofmetal but also good corrosion resistance of cera…     

Electrolysis expansion performance of semigraphitic cathode in [K3AlF6/Na3AlF6]-AlF3-Al2O3 bath system

The electrolysis expansion of semigraphitic cathode in [K₃AlF₆/Na₃AlF₆]-AlF₃-Al₂O₃ bath system was tested by self-made modified Rapoport apparatus. A mathematical model was introduced to discuss the effects of α _CR (cryolite ratio) and β _KR (elpasolite content divided by the total amount of elpasolite and sodium cryolite) on performance of cathode electrolysis expansion. The results show that K and Na (potassium and sodium) penetrate into the cathode together and have an obvious influence on the performance of cathode electrolysis expansion. The electrolysis expansion and K/Na penetration rate increase with the increase of α _CR. When α _CR=1.9 and β _KR=0.5, the electrolysis expansion is the highest, which is 3.95%; and when α _CR=1.4 and β _KR=0.1, the electrolysis expansion is the lowest, which is 1.28%. But the effect of β _KR is correlative with α _CR. When α _CR=1.6 and 1.9, with the increase of β _KR, the electrolysis expansion and K/Na penetration rate increase. However, when α _CR=1.4, the electrolysis expansion and K/Na penetration rate firstly increase and then decrease with the increase of β _KR. Foundation item: Project (2005CB623703) supported by the Major State Basic Research and Development Program of China; Project (2008AA030502) supported by the National High-Tech Research and Development Program of China     

Effect of TiB2 content on resistance to sodium penetration of TiB2／C cathode composites for aluminium electrolysis

TiB2/C cathode composites with various contents of TiB2 were prepared and their characterizations were observed and compared. The expansion of samples due to sodium and bath penetration was tested with a modified laboratory Rapoport apparatus and the appearances of the cut sections of specimens after electrolysis were studied.The results show that the mass of TiB2/C cathode composites with mass fraction of TiB2 less than 70% appreciably increases, but that of the composites with mass fraction of TiB2 more than 70% decreases slightly after being baked.The resistance to sodium and bath penetration of TiB2/C cathode composites increases with the increase of TiB2 content, especially in the composites with high TiB2 content. TiB2/C cathode composites have high resistance to the penetration of sodium and bath as well as good wettability by molten aluminum, and keep integrality and have little change of appearance after electrolysis, which indicates that TiB2/C cathode composites can be used as inert wettable cathode for aluminum electrolysis.     

Sintering of the NiFe2O4-10NiO/xNi Cermet

The sintering behavior of NiFe2 O4-10NiO/xNi cermet which was used as the most prospective inert anode materials for aluminum electrolysis was studied by examining the effects of raw powder particle size, sintering temperature, and the contents of Ni. The results show that fine particle size enables the powder to have high driving force for sintering. High temperature is beneficial to densification, but the ultra-high temperature does harm to the improvement of the density. The samples of NiFe2O4-10NiO/SNi has the highest relative density of 97.28 % when it is sintered at 1 350 ℃, but it decreases to 95.23 % when sintered at 1 400 ℃. Low addition of Ni has a great help to the sintering of NiFe2 O4-10NiO matrix. When the samples are sintered at 1 350 ℃ and the mass fraction of Ni is 5%, the highest relative density is gained, but the density decreases with the further increase of Ni contents. The low density of the sintered samples of NiFe2 O4-10NiO/17Ni is attributed to the high volume fraction of pores.     

Electrical conductivity of Cu/（10NiO-NiFe2O4） cermet inert anode for aluminum electrolysis

Cu/(10NiO-NiFe2O4) cermets containing mass fractions of Cu of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% were prepared, and their electrical conductivities were measured at different temperatures. The effects of temperature and content of metal Cu on the electrical conductivity were investigated especially. The results indicate that the metallic phase Cu distributes evenly in 10NiO-NiFe2O4 ceramic matrix. The mechanism of electrical conductivity of Cu/(10NiO-NiFe2O4) cermets obeys the rule of electrical mechanism of semiconductor, the electrical conductivity for cermet containing 5% Cu increases from 2.70 to 20.41 S/cm with temperature increasing from 200 to 900 ℃. The change trend of electrical conductivity with temperature is similar with each other and it increases with increasing temperature and content of metal Cu. At 960 ℃, the electrical conductivity of cermet increases from 2.88 to 82.65 S/cm with the content of metal Cu increasing from 0 to 20%.     

Dissolution rate determination of alumina in molten cryolite-based aluminum electrolyte

Determination of dissolution rate of alumina is one of the classical problems in aluminum electrolysis. A novel method which can measure the dissolution rate of alumina was presented. Effect of factors on dissolution rate of alumina was studied intuitively and roundly using transparent quartz electrobath and image analysis techniques. Images about dissolution process of alumina were taken at an interval of fixed time from transparent quartz electrobath of double rooms. Gabor wavelet transforms were used for extracting and describing the texture features of each image. After subsampling several times, the dissolution rate of alumina was computed using these texture features in local neighborhood of samples. Regression equation of the dissolution rate of alumina was obtained using these dissolution rates. Experiments show that the regression equation of the dissolution rate of alumina is y=−0.000 5x ³+0.024 0x ²−0.287 3x+ 1.276 7 for Na₃AlF₆-AlF₃-Al₂O₃-CaF₂-LiF-MgF₂ system at 920 °C.