WO2024141908A1 - Barre collectrice cathodique et ensemble cathodique pour procédé hall-héroult, avec faible chute de tension et faible perte thermique - Google Patents

Barre collectrice cathodique et ensemble cathodique pour procédé hall-héroult, avec faible chute de tension et faible perte thermique Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024141908A1
WO2024141908A1 PCT/IB2023/063177 IB2023063177W WO2024141908A1 WO 2024141908 A1 WO2024141908 A1 WO 2024141908A1 IB 2023063177 W IB2023063177 W IB 2023063177W WO 2024141908 A1 WO2024141908 A1 WO 2024141908A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
cathode
bar
cathode collector
collector bar
low thermal
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
PCT/IB2023/063177
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English (en)
Inventor
Abdalla Ahmed Mohamed ALZAROONI
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Dubai Aluminium PJSC
Original Assignee
Dubai Aluminium PJSC
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Dubai Aluminium PJSC filed Critical Dubai Aluminium PJSC
Publication of WO2024141908A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024141908A1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25C—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION, RECOVERY OR REFINING OF METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25C3/00—Electrolytic production, recovery or refining of metals by electrolysis of melts
    • C25C3/06—Electrolytic production, recovery or refining of metals by electrolysis of melts of aluminium
    • C25C3/16—Electric current supply devices, e.g. bus bars
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25C—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION, RECOVERY OR REFINING OF METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25C3/00—Electrolytic production, recovery or refining of metals by electrolysis of melts
    • C25C3/06—Electrolytic production, recovery or refining of metals by electrolysis of melts of aluminium
    • C25C3/08—Cell construction, e.g. bottoms, walls, cathodes

Definitions

  • the invention relates to the technical field of electrolysis in molten salts for making aluminium using the Hall-Heroult process. More specifically the invention relates to the improvement of cathode assemblies used in Hall-Heroult electrolysis cells, the improvement being related to the design of the cathode collector bar in order to decrease the thermal loss occurring by heat conduction through the cathode bars which are protruding out of the electrolysis cell.
  • the invention relates to an improvement for cathode blocks provided with a cathode collector bar made from steel with a copper insert, or with a cathode collector bar made from copper.
  • Cathode assemblies for use in electrolytic cells suitable for the Hall-Heroult process are industrially manufactured for more than a century, and the state of the art is summarized in the reference book “Cathodes in Aluminium Electrolysis” by M. Sorlie and H. 0ye, 3 rd edition (Dusseldorf 2010). They comprise a cathode block made from a carbon material and one or more metallic cathode bars (often called “cathode collector bars”) that are fitted into slots or grooves machined into the lower surface of said carbon block. Said metallic cathode collector bar embedded in the cathode block collects the current of said cathode block and carries it to the cathode busbar system. In order to be able to achieve this, it protrudes out of each end of the cathode blocks, thereby allowing to connect the cathode assembly to the cathode busbar system.
  • cathode collector bars are usually made from steel. Their electrical conductivity can be increased by inserting copper bars into grooves machined into these steel bars; this has been described in several documents. More recently, it has been suggested to replace the steel cathode collector bars by copper bars (see WO 2016/157021 assigned to DLIBAL Aluminium PJSC); this can lead to a decrease in voltage drop of about 50 mV compared to a conventional steel cathode collector bar with Cu insert.
  • copper has not only a higher electrical conductance than steel, but also a higher thermal conductivity; as a consequence, the use of copper inserts into steel cathode collector bars, or the use of full copper bars as cathode collector bars, will also lead to an increase of thermal loss of the electrolytic cell.
  • Hall-Heroult cells which are to be designed for a Specific Energy Consumption (abridged as SEC) below 11.5 kWh/kg of produced aluminium need to preserve a significant amount of heat within the cell, but in order to meet the SEC target, the contribution of the cathode collector bar to ohmic losses must be low.
  • a first object of the invention is a cathode collector bar for a cathode assembly suitable for a Hall-Heroult electrolysis cell, said cathode assembly comprising a cathode block made of a carbonaceous material, a groove being provided in said cathode block, and at least one said cathode bar, each of said cathode bar partly fitted in said groove.
  • the cathode collector bar may further comprise an end tip, received at the end of said channel, said insert and said tip extending on either side of said intercalary volume, and/or
  • a specific advantage of the cathode collector bar according to the second embodiment of the invention is that the copper insert all along its length is mechanically supported by the steel bar in which is it embedded.
  • said steel bar has thinner side and bottom faces that are thick enough to provide mechanical strength as well as sufficient electrical conductivity in the case the copper insert is broken, but that are thin enough such as to limit heat losses.
  • Figure 12 is a perspective view, analogous to figure 8, illustrating a variant of said second embodiment comprising a cylindrical insert.
  • Cathode block 1203 Cathode bar 1222 bar body 1224 insert 1226 end tip
  • Figure 2 shows in a very partial way a potshell 9 of an electrolytic cell for the Hall-Heroult process.
  • Said pot shell is shaped as a “shoe box”, in a way known as such.
  • Figure 2 illustrates only a part of bottom wall 90, as well as one upright side wall 92 of this pot shell. The latter is also provided with not represented further walls, namely one opposite upright side wall, as well as two parallel upright endwalls.
  • Figure 2 also shows one 94 of the windows provided in both sidewalls, for allowing the cathode bars to protrude out of the potshell.
  • FIGS 7 to 11 show a first variant of a second embodiment of a cathode assembly II, according to the present invention.
  • the mechanical elements which are analogous to those illustrated on figures 1 to 5, are given the same references added by number 100.
  • Figure 12 shows a second variant of the above described second embodiment of the cathode assembly III, according to the present invention.
  • bar body 222 is not U-shaped like in the variant of figures 7 to 11 .
  • it is provided with a central cylinder hole, which forms a longitudinal housing wherein cylindrical insert 224 is accommodated.
  • the ratio D224ID203 between diameter D224 of the copper insert 224 and the global diameter D203 of the cathode bar 203 is comprised between about 0.2 and about 0.8, and preferably between about 0.3 and about 0.7.

Landscapes

  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Electrolytic Production Of Metals (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention concerne une barre collectrice cathodique (3, 3' ; 3a ; 103 ; 103', 203) pour un ensemble cathodique (I ; II ; III) convenant à une cellule d'électrolyse Hall-Héroult, ledit ensemble cathodique (I ; II ; III) comprenant - un bloc cathodique (1 ; 101 ; 201) réalisé en matériau carboné, une rainure (17 ; 117) étant prévue dans ledit bloc cathodique (1 ; 101 ; 201), - au moins une dite barre cathodique (3, 3' ; 3a ; 103 ; 103' ; 203), chaque dite barre cathodique (3, 3' ; 3a ; 103 ; 103' ; 203) étant partiellement emboîtée dans ladite rainure (17 ; 117), - ladite barre cathodique (3, 3' ; 3a ; 103 ; 103' ; 203) étant réalisée en au moins un matériau électroconducteur, - ladite barre cathodique (3, 3' ; 3a ; 103 ; 103' ; 203) étant destinée à faire saillie à l'extérieur d'une paroi latérale (92 ; 192 ; 292) d'un caisson (9 ; 109 ; 209) faisant partie de ladite cellule d'électrolyse, ladite barre cathodique (3, 3' ; 3a ; 103 ; 103' ; 203) étant ainsi divisée en une région interne (40 ; 140) destinée à être située à l'intérieur de la rainure (17 ; 117), une région externe (50 ; 150) destinée à faire saillie à l'extérieur de ladite paroi latérale (92 ; 192 ; 292), et une région médiane (60 ; 160) reliant ladite région interne (40 ; 140) et ladite région externe (50 ; 150), caractérisée en ce que ladite région médiane (60 ; 160) est pourvue d'une zone à faible perte thermique (70 ; 170) dont la fonction est de réduire localement les pertes thermiques, ladite zone à faible perte thermique (70 ; 170) présentant une surface conductrice réduite (Sr ; S'r) caractérisée par une valeur inférieure à la surface conductrice totale (St ; S't) de ladite barre collectrice cathodique (3, 3' ; 3a ; 103 ; 103' ; 203).
PCT/IB2023/063177 2022-12-26 2023-12-22 Barre collectrice cathodique et ensemble cathodique pour procédé hall-héroult, avec faible chute de tension et faible perte thermique Ceased WO2024141908A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP22216681.1 2022-12-26
EP22216681.1A EP4394089A1 (fr) 2022-12-26 2022-12-26 Barre collectrice cathodique et ensemble cathodique pour procédé hall-héroult à faible chute de tension et faible perte thermique

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2024141908A1 true WO2024141908A1 (fr) 2024-07-04

Family

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Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/IB2023/063177 Ceased WO2024141908A1 (fr) 2022-12-26 2023-12-22 Barre collectrice cathodique et ensemble cathodique pour procédé hall-héroult, avec faible chute de tension et faible perte thermique

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP4394089A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2024141908A1 (fr)

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3875437T2 (de) * 1987-09-16 1993-03-25 Moltech Invent Sa Kathodenstromkollektor fuer die elektrogewinnung von aluminium.
US6294067B1 (en) * 2000-03-30 2001-09-25 Alcoa Inc. 3 component cathode collector bar
US20050218006A1 (en) * 2004-04-02 2005-10-06 Delphine Bonnafous Cathode element for use in an electrolytic cell intended for production of aluminium
WO2018065844A1 (fr) * 2016-10-05 2018-04-12 Dubai Aluminium Pjsc Ensemble cathode pour cellule d'électrolyse se prêtant au procédé hall-héroult
WO2021240353A1 (fr) * 2020-05-26 2021-12-02 Dubai Aluminium Pjsc Ensemble cathode avec systèmes de barres collectrices métalliques pour cellule d'électrolyse se prêtant au procédé hall-héroult

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR1125949A (fr) * 1955-04-30 1956-11-12 Pechiney Perfectionnements dans la confection de la partie inférieure du creuset des cellules d'électrolyse ignée
CH670658A5 (en) * 1987-02-03 1989-06-30 Jmc Engineering Cathode bars for aluminium prodn. cell - have cross=section reductions near active part of carbon hearth
US9371593B2 (en) * 2012-09-11 2016-06-21 Alcoa Inc. Current collector bar apparatus, system, and method of using the same
GB2536901A (en) 2015-03-30 2016-10-05 Dubai Aluminium Pjsc Cathode block for electrolytic cell suitable for the Hall-Héroult process
US11286574B2 (en) 2016-07-26 2022-03-29 Tokai Cobex Gmbh Cathode current collector/connector for a Hall-Heroult cell
GB2569382A (en) 2017-12-18 2019-06-19 Dubai Aluminium Pjsc Anode yoke, anode hanger and anode assembly for a Hall-Heroult cell

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE3875437T2 (de) * 1987-09-16 1993-03-25 Moltech Invent Sa Kathodenstromkollektor fuer die elektrogewinnung von aluminium.
US6294067B1 (en) * 2000-03-30 2001-09-25 Alcoa Inc. 3 component cathode collector bar
US20050218006A1 (en) * 2004-04-02 2005-10-06 Delphine Bonnafous Cathode element for use in an electrolytic cell intended for production of aluminium
WO2018065844A1 (fr) * 2016-10-05 2018-04-12 Dubai Aluminium Pjsc Ensemble cathode pour cellule d'électrolyse se prêtant au procédé hall-héroult
WO2021240353A1 (fr) * 2020-05-26 2021-12-02 Dubai Aluminium Pjsc Ensemble cathode avec systèmes de barres collectrices métalliques pour cellule d'électrolyse se prêtant au procédé hall-héroult

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP4394089A1 (fr) 2024-07-03

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