Alcoa Inc.

Alcoa USA Corp.

Aluminum Company of America

Elysis Limited Partnership

Joseph M Dynys

Xinghua Liu

Robert A DiMilia

Frankie E Phelps

Siba P Ray

Douglas A Weirauch, Jr

Alfred F LaCamera

Jonell Kerkhoff

Douglas A Weirauch

Jeffrey S Martello

Allan R Hass

Mark Weaver

Jeff Ward

Kirk J Malmquist

Jonell M Kerkhoff

Jr Douglas A Weirauch

Jeffrey R Ward

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

Broadly, the present disclosure relates to sidewall features (e.g. inner sidewall or hot face) of an electrolysis cell, which protect the sidewall from the electrolytic bath while the cell is in operation (e.g. producing metal in the electrolytic cell).

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.

Systems and methods of protecting electrolysis cells

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 a plurality of multilayer structures which includes at least one recess defined by a nonplanar surface. The method including the steps of: (a) providing a resilient, compliant material on over one or more stacks of layers including the area over the recess; (b) applying sufficient pressure to the stacks to cause the resilient, compliant material to fill the recess and laminate said stacks; (c) lifting the resilient, compliant material off the stack subsequent to the application of pressure; (d) providing one or more stacks of layers that have not been subjected to step (b); and (e) repeating steps (a)-(d). In a preferred embodiment of the invention steps (a)-(d) are repeated at least ten times without the need to change the resilient compliant material. In a most preferred embodiment of the invention steps (a)-(d) are repeated at least one hundred times.

Method of fabricating multilayer structures with nonplanar surfaces

A method of fabricating a plurality of multilayer structures which includes at least one recess defined by a nonplanar surface. The method comprising the step of: (a) providing a resilient, compliant material on over one or more stacks of layers including the area over the recess; (b) applying sufficient pressure to the stacks to cause the resilient, compliant material to fill the recess and laminate said stacks; (c) lifting the resilient, compliant material off the stack subsequent to the application of pressure; (d) providing one or more stacks of layers that have not been subjected to step (b); and (e) repeating steps (a)-(d). In a preferred embodiment of the invention steps (a)-(d) are repeated at least ten times without the need to change the resilient compliant material. In a most preferred embodiment of the invention steps (a)-(d) are repeated at least one hundred times.

Growing community of inventors

New Kensington, PA, United States of America

Joseph M Dynys