Lower Cell Voltage Operation In 240kA Aluminum Electrolysis Cells

With rapid economic development in China in these three decades,the primary aluminum industry has developed into one of the key industries in our country,and played an important role in many fields,such as estate,manufacture and auto motor industries.However aluminum industry is an energy intensive industry because the process consumes a lot of electric energy.China paid much attention for the issues of energy saving.Universities,institutes and smelter worked together to develop new technology and new strategies for lower electric energy consumption,lower materials consumption and lower pollution emission,realize the sustainable development of energy conservation and environmental protection of Hall-Heroult Process.Lower cell voltage operation tests were carried out in 240 kA aluminum reduction cells.Based on the principle of aluminum electrolysis,cells applied with new structure cathode technology,damping flow cathode technology were run at lower cell voltage and compared with cells with common cathode.Some factors,such as temperature control,superheat heat control and alumina concentration control were considered.Some conclusions were obtained.(1)Cells with new structure cathode and damping flow cathode can significantly decrease the energy consumption in the scale of 500-900 kWh/t Al,which was confirmed in the 240 kA cells(2)New process for anode,which is called Leaching-prebaking process,can greatly improve the properties of carbon anode used for aluminum electrolysis.The service life can increase to 36 days,which is longer than that of common anode about 8 days.In addition,working strength for operators can be decreased.