Aluminum Company of America

Alcoa Inc.

Alcoa USA Corp.

Elysis Limited Partnership

Frankie E Phelps

Robert A DiMilia

Xinghua Liu

Joseph M Dynys

Siba P Ray

Douglas A Weirauch, Jr

Alfred F LaCamera

Thomas L Francis

Robert A Dimilia

Jonell Kerkhoff

Douglas A Weirauch

Gerald W Leech

Jonell M Kerkhoff

Ralph R Sawtell

Susanne Marie Opalka

Mark Weaver

Anthony A Parker

David I Yun

Lance M Sworts

Robert W Woods

M K Premkumar

James C McMillen

Andrew L Schnitgen

Paul J Boget

George H Armstrong

Robert L Troup

Todd T Stanzione

Clement E Valchar

Evelyn M DeLiso

Jeff Ward

James A DerKacy

Ronald A Kois

Douglas G Graham

Kirk J Malmquist

Robert A Gilbert

James C Mcmillen

Jeffrey R Ward

Mark L Weaver

Jr Weirauch Douglas A

Jr Douglas A Weirauch

A system is provided including an electrolysis cell configured to retain a molten electrolyte bath, the bath including at least one bath component, the electrolysis cell including: a bottom, and a sidewall consisting essentially of the at least one bath component; and a feed material including the least one bath component to the molten electrolyte bath such that the at least one bath component is within 30% of saturation, wherein, via the feed material, the sidewall is stable in the molten electrolyte bath.

Systems and methods of protecting electrolysis cell sidewalls

A system is provided including an electrolysis cell configured to retain a molten electrolyte bath, the bath including at least one bath component, the electrolysis cell including: a bottom, and a sidewall consisting essentially of the at least one bath component; and a feeder system, configured to provide a feed material including the least one bath component to the molten electrolyte bath such that the at least one bath component is within 2% of saturation, wherein, via the feed material, the sidewall is stable in the molten electrolyte bath.

A composite anode assembly is provided, the assembly including a permeation resistant portion and a porous conductive portion circumscribing at least the bottom of the permeation resistant portion. The composite anode assembly reduces corrosion and restricts thermal expansion stresses.

Inert electrode assemblies and methods of manufacturing the same

Ceramic inert anodes useful for the electrolytic production of aluminum are disclosed. The inert anodes comprise oxides of Ni, Fe and Al. The Ni&#x2014;Fe&#x2014;Al oxide inert anode materials have sufficient electrical conductivity at operation temperatures of aluminum production cells, and also possess good mechanical stability. The Ni&#x2014;Fe&#x2014;Al oxide inert anodes may be used to produce commercial purity aluminum.

Stable inert anodes including an oxide of nickel, iron and aluminum

An inert anodefor use in an electrolytic cellfor producing metals such as aluminum, is made by providing chemical source materialssuch as at least two of metal salts, metal particles, or metal oxides and dissolving them to form a solution or a slurryfollowed by adding a baseand adjusting the pH so that a gelis formed which is dried and calcinedto provide a blend of metal oxide powderwhich can be pressed and sinteredto form an inert anode

Synthesis of multi-element oxides useful for inert anode applications

A method of making cermet inert anodes for the electrolytic production of metals such as aluminum is disclosed. The method includes the step of spray drying a slurry comprising ceramic phase particles and metal phase particles. The resultant spray dried powder, which comprises agglomerates of both the ceramic phase and metal phase particles, may then be consolidated by techniques such as pressing and sintering to produce a cermet inert anode material. The ceramic phase may comprise oxides of Ni, Fe and at least one additional metal selected from Zn, Co, Al, Li, Cu, Ti, V, Cr, Zr, Nb, Ta, W, Mo, Hf and rare earths. The metal phase may comprise Cu, Ag, Pd, Pt, Au, Rh, Ru, Ir and/or Os. The consolidated cermet inert anode material exhibits improved properties such as reduced porosity. The cermet inert anodes may be used in electrolytic reduction cells for the production of commercial purity aluminum as well as other metals.

Cermet inert anode materials and method of making same

Ceramic inert anodes useful for the electrolytic production of aluminum are disclosed. The inert anodes comprise an oxide of Ni and Fe having a controlled Ni/(Ni&plus;Fe) mole ratio which results in a single-phase structure at the operation temperatures of aluminum production cells. The Ni and Fe oxide material may also have a single-phase structure at the sintering temperature of the material. The single-phase inert anode materials maintain sufficient electrical conductivity at the operating temperatures of the cell, and also possess good mechanical stability.

Stable inert anodes including a single-phase oxide of nickel and iron

A method of producing commercial purity aluminum in an electrolytic reduction cell comprising ceramic inert anodes is disclosed. The method produces aluminum having acceptable levels of Fe, Cu and Ni impurities. The ceramic inert anodes used in the process may comprise oxides containing Fe and Ni, as well as other oxides, metals and/or dopants.

Electrolytic production of high purity aluminum using ceramic inert anodes

A method of fabricating MMCs having high thermal conductivity coupled with coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) values which approximates the CTE of ceramics and semi-conductor materials typically used in electronic packaging. The method comprises preparing a formed agglomeration of powder particles (preform); partially sintering the preform; placing the partially sintered preform into a forming chamber; infiltrating the preform with liquid-phase metal; and allowing the liquid-phase metal to solidify and form an MMC around and through the preform. In a preferred embodiment, the preform is constructed from silicon carbide, and the metal matrix is an aluminum-silicon alloy.

Incorporating partially sintered preforms in metal matrix composites

When a dispersion of oxide ceramic particles in certain volatile organic solvents is mixed with less than about 2 percent by weight (based on the weight of particles) of an oligomeric polysiloxanol dispersant, and the dispersion allowed to settle, the oligomer provides a multiplicity of OH groups, many of which are available for interactive bonding to the surfaces of the particles. The net result is that the particles settle more slowly; also, the sediment has a density higher than that of sediment from a dispersion of the same particles in the same solvent mixed with the monomeric silane from which the oligomer was formed. Exceptionally dense and strong 'tape', for making sintered circuitized multilayered ceramic structures, is produced by capitalizing on this phenomenon. The effectiveness of the oligomer is predicated upon the prehydrolysis of the siloxane, prior to forming the dispersion. In a stable suspension with the binder, the slip viscosity is lowered compared to that of a slip containing no dispersant, or the siloxane monomer as dispersant, at dynamic shear rates in the range of 5-70 sec.sup.-1. Green cards cut from the tape have greater pull strength, higher Young's modulus, higher stress at break, higher adhesion to each other in a stack, and higher strain at break than green cards made from a slip containing no polysiloxanol oligomer.

Densified ceramic green sheet and stack having conductors therein

A essentially solvent-free green sheet (or 'card') of fine powder particles of frit held together with an organic binder containing an essentially water-insoluble thermoplastic synthetic resin can be dimensionally stabilized by a process which utilizes the physical interaction of aquathermic stimuli on the green card. The process includes contacting the card with liquid water or moisture-saturated air or inert gas (which gas, like water, has no noticeable chemical action on the organic binder) at a temperature in the range from about the freezing point (0.degree. C.) to about the boiling point of water (100.degree. C.) and drying the card until essentially all the moisture from within the pores of the cards is removed before the cards are circuitized with metallurgy. The green cards which are then essentially free of both moisture and solvent, are allowed to equilibrate at storage temperature for a period of at least about 10 minutes before being processed further.

Method for making a dimensionally stable green ceramic sheet

A .beta.'SiAlON produced from initial reactant materials comprising Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, and carbon that produces a .beta.'SiAlON material having a strength greater than about 50 ksi at approximately 1000.degree. C. In a preferred embodiment of the invention the .beta.'SiAlON material has a strength greater than about 50 ksi at approximately 1200.degree. C. In a second embodiment of the present invention is a low-cost process for producing unsintered high purity alpha silicon nitride structured SiAlON by carbothermic reaction from initial reactant materials comprising Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, SiO.sub.2 and carbon.

Process for producing nonequiaxed silicon aluminum oxynitride

A process for producing an unsintered SiAlON material by carbothermic reaction without the use of contaminating transition metal oxides to increase the rate of reaction. The process includes providing small quantities of SiAlON crystals which seed the reaction. The phase of the SiAlON seed crystals will determine the phase of the SiAlON produced.

Process for producing silicon aluminum oxynitride by carbothermic

A refractory assembly for containment of molten aluminum-lithium alloys, comprising a nitride bonded silicon carbide refractory brick and a seam joined to the brick. The seam is formed from a mortar mix comprising particulate nitride refractory filler and colloidal sol binder. The brick and seam both exhibit good resistance to attack by molten aluminum-lithium alloys at elevated temperatures.

Refractory assembly for containment of molten Al-Li alloys

A refractory composition having a high resistance to corrosion by molten metal chlorides and chlorine gas at elevated temperatures. The composition comprises about 100 parts by weight of a nitride refractory filler, a suitable quantity of a colloidal sol binder and less than about 4 parts by weight of the oxides or hydroxides of magnesium, calcium, chromium and manganese.

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Apollo, PA, United States of America

Frankie E Phelps