Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Formation of Side Ledge and Bottom Ledge in an Aluminum Electrolyzer

  • METALLURGY OF NONFERROUS METALS
  • Published:
Russian Journal of Non-Ferrous Metals Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The dynamic behavior (formation/dissolution) of the ledge, depending on the electrolyte overheating temperature, thermal resistance of the lining material, and composite of the cryolite–alumina electrolyte, is studied experimentally using a model installation mimicking the actual conditions of the electrolytic aluminum production. A window that enabled the change of the lining material is mounted into the front wall of the installation case. The ledge formation occurs due to a heat flow formed due to the temperature difference of the electrolyte and electrolyzer walls. The electrolyte cryolite ratio (CR) is varied in a range of 2.1–2.5. The alumina concentration in the electrolyte does not exceed 4.5 wt %. The change in the shape of the working space in the electrolyzer during the electrolysis is determined by the ledge thickness. The active ledge formation in the experimental cell starts upon overheating by 3–4 K. It is shown that a thicker ledge is formed at the same overheating temperature with a decrease in the thermal resistance of the lining material from 16 to 14 m2/W, but a decrease in the thermal resistance in the already formed ledge almost does not affect its thickness. Similarly to the industrial electrolyzer, the ledge profile formed in the experimental cell can be conditionally divided into three zones, notably, bottom ledge, ledge at the metal/electrode interface, and side ledge. The dynamic behavior of the side ledge differs from the bottom ledge; notably, the side ledge is thicker at a high electrolyte CR, while the bottom ledge is thinner. The chemical analysis of components in the dry knock out shows that the CR and Al2O3 concentrations increase over the cell height from top to bottom. It is concluded that the side ledge has a heterogeneous composition that depends on the electrolyte composition and cooling rate.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 3.
Fig. 4.
Fig. 5.
Fig. 6.
Fig. 7.
Fig. 8.

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. Sizyakov, V.M., Feshchenko, R.Yu., Bazhin, V.Yu., Patrin, R.K., and Sizyakov, V.M., Features of the high-current electrolyzer bottom destruction, Novye Ogneupory, 2013, no. 5, pp. 5–8.

  2. Yin, E., Liu, Y., Xi, C., and Zhang, J., Developing the GP-320 technology in China, Light Met., 2001, pp. 213–218.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Zeng, S., Analysis of the start-up of Q-350 prebaked aluminium reduction cell, Light Met., 2006, pp. 271–275.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Kvande, H., Preheating, start-up and early operation of Hall-Heroult cells, in 10th Int. course on process metallurgy of aluminium, Trondheirn, Norway, 1991, pp. 15–48.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Sorlie, M. and Oye, H., Cathodes in Aluminium Electrolysis, Düsseldorf: Aluminum-Verlag Marketing & Kommunikation, 2010, 3rd ed.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Vallea, A. and Lenis, V., Prediction of ledge profile in Hall-Heroult cells, Light Met., 1995, pp. 309–313.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Thonstad, J. and Rolseth, S., Equilibrium between bath and side ledge in aluminium cells. Basic principle, Light Met., 1983, pp. 415–425.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Thonstad, J. and Solheim, A., Heat transfer coefficients between bath and side ledge, Light Met., 1983, pp. 425–435.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Solheim, A., Towards the proper understanding of sideledge facing the metal in aluminum cells?Light Met., 2006, pp. 439–443.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Solheim, A., Some aspects of heat transfer between bath and sideledge in aluminum reduction cells, Light Met., 2011, pp. 381–386.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Solheim, A., Rolseth, S., Skybakmoen, E., Stoen, L., Sterten, A., and Store, T., Liquidus temperatures for primary crystallization of cryolite in molten salt systems of interest for the aluminium electrolysis, Met. Trans. B, 1996, vol. 27B, pp. 739–744.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Solheim, A., Crystallization of cryolite and alumina at the metal-bath interface in aluminium reduction cells, Light Met., 2002, pp. 225–230.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Peacey, J.G. and Medlin, G.W., Cell sidewall studies at Noranda Aluminium, Light Met., 1979, pp. 475–480.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Haupin, W.E., Calculating thickness of containing walls frozen from melt, JOM, 1971, vol. 23, no. 7, pp. 41–44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Danilyuk, I.I., Revisiting the Stefan problem, Usp. Matem. Nauk, 1985, vol. 40, no. 5, pp. 133–185.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Samarskii, A.A. and Vabishchevits, P.N., Vychislitel’naya teploperedacha (Computational Heat Transfer), Moscow: Editorial URSS, 2003.

  17. Sleptsov, S.D. and Rubtsov, N.A., ., Solving the classical single-phase Stefan problem in a modified formulation for semi-transparent media, Prikl. Mekh. Tekh. Fiz., 2013, vol. 54, no. 3, pp. 106–113.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Marios, M., Bertrand, C., Desilets, M., Coulombe, M., and Lacroix, M., Comparison of two different numerical methods for predicting the formation of the side ledge in an aluminum electrolysis cell, Light Met., 2009, pp. 563–568.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Severo, D. and Gusberti, V., A modeling approach to estimate bath and metal heat transfer coefficient, Light Met., 2009, pp. 557–562.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Poncsak, S., Kiss, L., Belley, A., Guerard, S., and Bilodeau, J.-F., Study of the structure and thermophysical properties of the side ledge in Hall-Heroult cells operating with modified bath composition, Light Met., 2015, pp. 655–660.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Sitnikov, A.V., Ershov, V.A., and Sysoev, I.A., Ways of measure of the working space in the production of aluminum in Nauchnye tendentsii: voprosy tochnykh i tekhnicheskikh nauk: Cbornik nauchnykh trudov po materialam VII mezhdunarodnoi nauchnoi konferentsii (Scientific Trends: Problems of Exact and Technical Sciences: Scientific Works of VII Int. Sci. Conf.), Samara, 2017, pp. 43–47.

  22. Sitnikov, A.V., Ershov, V.A., and Sysoev, I.A., Laboratornye ispytaniya maketa dlya izmereniya formy rabochego prostranstva. in International Innovation Research: Sbornik statei XII Mezhdunarodnoi nauchno-prakticheskoi konferentsii (International Innovation Research: Collected Articles of XII Int. Sci.-Pract. Conf.), Pensa: MTsNS “Nauka i Prosveshchenie”, 2018, pp. 101–104.

  23. Jianfei, Z., Dupuis, M., Feiya, Y., Xiaobing, Y., and Jun, H., Depth analysis and potentiality exploitation on energy-saving and consumption-reduction of aluminum reduction pot, Light Met., 2012, pp. 601–606.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Solheim, A. and Thonstad, J., Model experiments of heat transfer coefficients between bath and side ledge in aluminium cells, Metals, 1984, vol. 36, pp. 51–55.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Scientific-and-Technical Center “Elter”, 660025, Krasnoyarsk, Russia

    A. M. Ivanova

  2. Institute of High-Temperature Electrochemistry, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, 620219, Yekaterinburg, Russia

    P. A. Arkhipov, A. V. Rudenko & O. Y. Tkacheva

  3. Ural Federal University, 620002, Yekaterinburg, Russia

    O. Y. Tkacheva & Yu. P. Zaikov

Authors
  1. A. M. Ivanova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. A. Arkhipov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. A. V. Rudenko
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. O. Y. Tkacheva
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yu. P. Zaikov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to A. M. Ivanova, P. A. Arkhipov, A. V. Rudenko, O. Y. Tkacheva or Yu. P. Zaikov.

Ethics declarations

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Translated by N. Korovin

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ivanova, A.M., Arkhipov, P.A., Rudenko, A.V. et al. Formation of Side Ledge and Bottom Ledge in an Aluminum Electrolyzer. Russ. J. Non-ferrous Metals 60, 624–631 (2019). https://doi.org/10.3103/S1067821219060075

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3103/S1067821219060075

Keywords:

Search

Navigation