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Diffusion and Flow of CO2 in Carbon Anode for Aluminium Smelting

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Abstract

Using a well-made carbon anode with the right porosity characteristics is essential to the successful operation of a Hall–Héroult cell. Bubble generation at this carbon anode and its contribution to the overall voltage drop in aluminum production holds significant potential for reducing overpotential and improving energy savings. This voltage drop is believed to be greatly influenced by the gas diffusion in the anode carbon, for which there are a limited number of measurements to correlate with the carbon anode properties. In the present study, the CO2 gas diffusion characteristics were first investigated via measuring anode porosity using mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) for different samples with different permeability. Second, diffusion experiments were conducted by flowing CO2 gas into the anode sample at elevated temperatures (up to 960 °C). The impact of temperature, average pore size, and permeability on the diffusion coefficient was investigated. The diffusion coefficient was consequently calculated by curve fitting using diffusion theories. The value obtained varied from 1.38 × 10−6 to 7.89 × 10−6 m2/s. A high diffusion coefficient was measured in the carbon sample with larger average pore size and higher permeability. It was found that anomalous diffusion behavior in the temperature range 600 °C to 960 °C was caused by convective flow effects, different diffusion mechanisms, and the Boudouard reaction for these carbon anode samples. Furthermore, by plotting the measured diffusion coefficient against average pore size and permeability, an increasing trend of diffusivity with an increase in pore size and permeability was observed.

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Acknowledgments

The present work was supported and financed by Hydro Aluminium and the Norwegian Research Council. Permission to publish the results is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, 3122, Australia

    Epma Putri & Geoffrey Brooks

  2. CSIRO, Mineral Resources, Clayton, VIC, 3169, Australia

    Epma Putri & Graeme A. Snook

  3. Hydro Aluminium Deutschland GmbH, 41468, Neuss, Germany

    Ingo Eick

  4. Hydro Aluminium AS, 6882, Øvre Årdal, Norway

    Lorentz Petter Lossius

Authors
  1. Epma Putri
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  2. Geoffrey Brooks
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  3. Graeme A. Snook
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  4. Ingo Eick
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  5. Lorentz Petter Lossius
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Epma Putri.

Additional information

Manuscript submitted May 15, 2018.

Appendix

Appendix

Tabulated Results for Diffusion Coefficients in Sample L26

The results from the experimental run of sample L26 are shown in Table AI. The diffusion coefficient Dtr (m2/s) was determined from at least three repeated experiments with three different flow rates (0.075, 0.1, and 0.125 L/min) at different temperatures (298 K to 1233 K) summarized in Table AI. The R2 values of experimental results fitting with Eq. [8] were used as an indicator for best fitting to calculate the diffusion coefficient.

Table AI Experimental Run for Sample L26
Full size table

Tabulated Results for Diffusion Coefficients in Sample L44

The results from the experimental run of sample L44 are shown in Table AII. The diffusion coefficient Dtr (m2/s) was determined from at least three repeated experiments with three different flow rates (0.075, 0.1, and 0.125 L/min) at different temperatures (298 K to 1233 K) summarized in Table AII. The R2 values of experimental results fitting with Eq. [8] were used as an indicator for best fitting to calculate the diffusion coefficient.

Table AII Experimental Run for Sample L44
Full size table

Tabulated Results for Diffusion Coefficients in Sample L51

The results from the experimental run of sample L51 are shown in Table AIII. The diffusion coefficients Dtr (cm2/s) were determined from at least three repeated experiments with three different flow rates (0.075, 0.100, and 0.125 L/min) at different temperatures (298 K to 1233 K) summarized in Table AIII. The R2 values of experimental results fitting with Eq. [8] were used as an indicator for best fitting to calculate the diffusion coefficient.

Table AIII Experimental Run for Sample L51
Full size table

Tabulated Results for Diffusion Coefficients in Sample Porous Alumina

The results from the experimental run of porous alumina are shown in Table AIV. The diffusion coefficients Dtr (m2/s) were determined from at least three repeated experiments with three different flow rates (0.075, 0.1, and 0.125 L/min) at different temperatures (298 K to 1233 K) summarized in Table AIV. The R2 values of experimental results fitting with Eq. [8] were used as an indicator for best fitting to calculate the diffusion coefficient.

Table AIV Experimental Run for Porous Alumina
Full size table

Tabulated Results for Diffusion Coefficients

The effective diffusion coefficients were determined by linear extrapolating to zero pressure difference. The experimental results are listed in Table AV.

Table AV Diffusion Coefficient Obtained by Extrapolation to Zero Pressure, Dtr (m2/s)
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Putri, E., Brooks, G., Snook, G.A. et al. Diffusion and Flow of CO2 in Carbon Anode for Aluminium Smelting. Metall Mater Trans B 50, 846–856 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-018-1497-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-018-1497-z

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