The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 12, 1996
Filed:
Dec. 15, 1994
John S Rendall, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Solv-Ex Corporation, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Abstract
In aluminum smelting by electrolysis, a double salt of KAlSO.sub.4, as a feedstock, is heated with a eutectic electrolyte, such as K.sub.2 SO.sub.4, at 800.degree. C. for twenty minutes to produce an out-gas of SO.sub.3 and a liquid electrolyte of K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 with fine-particles of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 in suspension having a mean size of six to eight microns. This is pumped into a cell with an electrolyte comprised of K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 with fine-particles of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 in suspension, an anode and a porous cathode of open-cell ceramic foam material. The cell is maintained at 750.degree. C. and four volts of electricity applied between the anode and the cathode causes oxygen to bubble at the anode and liquid aluminum to form in the porous cathode. A channel within the porous cathode, and the porous cathode itself, are deep enough within the cell electrolyte that the pressure head of electrolyte is enough to overcome the difference in density between the molten aluminum and the electrolyte to pump molten aluminum from the channel out of the side of the cell. The electrolyte K.sub.2 SO.sub.4 is periodically bled-off to control a build-up of the material as aluminum is produced from the double salt of KAlSO.sub.4.