A bipolar electrode cell for aluminium electrorefining

Abstract

Electrorefining of aluminium was carried out at 750 °C using bipolar electrode cells with centre holes 2, 10 or 20 mm in diameter. Through the centre holes liquid electrorefined aluminium rises to the electrolyte surface. The bipolar electrode cell consists of graphite cathodes, Al–Cu–Fe–Mn or Al–Cu–Fe–Zn alloy anodes and a BaCl₂–NaCl–AlF₃–NaF electrolytic melt. The centre hole size of more 20 mm in diameter is required to continuously float up the aluminium electrodeposited onto the electrolyte surface, while the current efficiency of the cell decreases with increase of the centre hole size, from 97% at 2 mm diameter to 92% at 20 mm diameter. Aluminium of 99.97% purity precipitates at the cathode. Iron, manganese and zinc included in the alloy as impurities are hardly deposited and the concentrations of these elements in the deposit are 100, 80 and 170 ppm, respectively. In this process aluminium can be produced with an energy consumption of about 4.9 × 10³ kWh(t-Al)⁻¹, which is one-third smaller than that of the Gadeau process.