Electricite De France

E.c.l.

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Batscap

Benoit Morel

Marc Deschamps

Dominique Guyomard

Joël Gaubicher

Matthieu Dubarry

Alain Van Acker

Patrick Delescluse

Bernard Yrieix

Genevieve Foray

Agnes Bogner

Bertrand Van De Moortele

The present invention relates to a solid thermally insulating material, essentially free of phyllosilicates, comprising (a) from 70 to 98% by volume of hydrophobic silica aerogel particles having an intrinsic density between 110 and 210 kg/m, (b) from 0.3 to 12% by volume of an organic binder formed by at least one organic polymer (b1) and at least one surfactant (b2), or by an amphiphilic organic polymer (b3), these volume fractions being determined by image analysis on thin sections of the solid material and being given relative to the total volume of the material, the aerogel particles having a particle size distribution that has at least two maxima, with a first maximum corresponding to an equivalent diameter (d) of less than 200 &#x3bc;m, preferably between 25 &#x3bc;m and 150 &#x3bc;m, and a second maximum corresponding to an equivalent diameter (D) between 400 &#x3bc;m and 10 mm, preferably between 500 &#x3bc;m and 5 mm. It also relates to a thermally insulating product containing at least one layer of this material.

Aerogel-based material that is super-insulating at atmospheric pressure

A tending module () for a series of electrolytic cells () to be used for the production of aluminum by fused bath electrolysis including a frame () that can be fixed to a trolley () and a turret () fitted on the frame () so as to pivot about a vertical axis A, and equipped with a set of tools including a crust breaker (), a bucket shovel (), at least one first anode clamp () and a hopper () fitted with a retractable duct (), and a balcony or a cab () having controls that will be used to maneuver the module and the tools, and a control station () from which an operator can actuate the controls. The module according to the invention is characterized in that, taking a first plane Pand a second plane Pperpendicular to each other and to the turret () plane Pt and intersecting on the A axis, the center C of the control station () is located at a determined distance Cfrom plane Pand a determined distance Cfrom plane P, the center of the bucket shovel () and the center of the first anode clamp () are located on the opposite side of the plane Pfrom the control station (), and the crust breaker () and the retractable duct () are located between the control station () and the row formed by the bucket shovel () and the first anode clamp ().

Compact service module for use in electrolytic aluminum production plants

Growing community of inventors

Buthiers, France

Benoit Morel