Alcoa Inc.

Elkem As

Joseph A Lepish

Gerald E Carkin

Jarie-Erland Herstad

In an embodiment, an electrode holder assembly () includes a current delivery base () having an interface () sufficiently designed to distribute an electrical current; a buss plate () sufficiently designed to provide the electrical current to the current delivery base (); a shoe-ring assembly having: a plurality of electrical shoes (), wherein the electrical current from the current delivery base () is distributed to the plurality of electrical shoes () for distribution to an electrode (); a plurality of dual stroke cylinders (); and a mounting ring (); and a hydraulic assembly () including a grip ring () having an opening sufficiently designed to engage an outer surface of the electrode (); a pressurizing cylinder () sufficiently designed to constrict and relax the grip ring (); and at least one dual stroke cylinder () sufficiently designed to control horizontal movement of the grip ring () and the electrode ().

Electrode holder assembly and furnace comprising same

Apparatus, systems and methods for carbothermically producing aluminum are disclosed. The systems may include a reactor and an electrical supply. The reactor may include a plurality of side-entering electrodes and a top-entering electrode. The electrical supply may be operable to supply multiphase current to the side-entering electrodes and/or the top-entering electrodes. The electrodes may be in communication with a molten bath of the reactor, and the multiphase current supplied thereto may be passed through the bath to heat the reactor. The amount of current supplied to various electrode sets may be adjusted to facilitate tailored heating of the molten bath.

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Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America

Joseph A Lepish