The stability of refractory oxides in sodium-rich environments

The infiltration of molten electrolyte and sodium is known to deteriorate the refractory in aluminum electrolysis. The mineralogical changes due to reactions with molten fluorides have previously been described throughly, while the effect of sodium has not been considered in detail. This paper presents an experimental study of the chemical stability of some refractory materials in sodium-rich environments. The materials were exposed to sodium vapor at 800°C for 4 hours. The mineralogical transformations and deterioration of the materials due to reactions with sodium were analyzed by x-ray diffraction and optical and electron microscopy.