JP6089137B1 - Cathode - Google Patents

Abstract

A cathode that is easy to install while ensuring electrical conductivity is provided. A cathode 10 is a cathode for metal smelting, and includes a carbon cathode block 11 and one or more carbon collector bars 12 disposed so as to be in contact with the cathode block 11. Is provided. [Selection] Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to a cathode, and more particularly to a cathode for metal smelting.

  A cathode block made of carbon is used as a cathode (cathode) of an electrolytic furnace for metal smelting represented by aluminum smelting. The cathode block is installed in an iron box called a shell and constitutes the furnace bottom of the electrolytic furnace. The cathode block also plays a role of supplying electrons to the electrolytic bath (see, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-529567 and Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-537940).

  Electric power is supplied to the cathode block via an iron collector bar. The cathode block and the collector bar are connected by casting iron. Specifically, a groove is formed on the bottom surface of the cathode block to fit the collector bar, and the melted iron is poured into the gap by heating to about 1300 ° C.

  It has been reported that even when iron is cast and the cathode block and the collector bar are connected as described above, a gap is generated between the cathode block, the cast iron and the collector bar, and the contact resistance is increased. According to Richard Beeler, "BAR TO BLOCK CONTACT RESISTANCE IN ALUMINUM REDUTION CELL CATHODE ASSEMBLIES", Light Metals 2014, pp. This corresponds to at least 2% of the power consumption in aluminum smelting.

  In the above documents, (1) the solidification behavior of cast iron differs between the upper and lower surfaces of the collector bar, (2) the collector bar undergoes creep deformation, and (3) discontinuous thermal expansion due to the iron phase transition. It is described that a gap is formed between the cathode block and the collector bar due to the occurrence of the above.

  As a method for reducing the contact resistance, Canadian Patent No. 2846409 describes a method of applying pressure to the collector bar using a compression device to eliminate the gap between the cathode block and the collector bar. In addition, Canadian Patent No. 2838113 discloses a method of securing an electrical connection by inserting a metal conductor between a cathode block and a collector bar.

Special table 2012-529567 gazette Special table 2013-537940 gazette Canadian Patent No. 2846409 Canadian Patent No. 2838113

Richard Beeler, "BAR TO BLOCK CONTACT RESISTANCE IN ALUMINUM REDUTION CELL CATHODE ASSEMBLIES", Light Metals 2014, pp.507-510 Richard Beeler, "AN ANALYTICAL MODEL FOR CATHODE VOLTAGE DROP IN ALUMINUM REDUTION CELLS", Light Metals 2003, pp.241-245

  The method of casting the iron and connecting the cathode block and the collector bar as described above is costly because it requires equipment and energy to melt the iron, and there are concerns about safety when it is performed manually. is there. In addition, the quality is not constant, and the contact resistance may vary among individuals.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a cathode that is easy to install while ensuring electrical conductivity.

  The cathode disclosed herein is a cathode for metal smelting, and includes a carbon cathode block and one or more carbon collector bars each disposed so as to contact the cathode block.

  According to said structure, since the thermal expansion coefficient difference between a cathode block and a collector bar is small, both can be closely_contact | adhered also at high temperature. Therefore, the process for keeping both closely attached can be simplified. As a result, it is possible to obtain a cathode that is easy to install while ensuring electrical conductivity.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration of a metal smelting facility. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a part of the metal smelting equipment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method of connecting the collector bar and the bus bar. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a conventional general cathode. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a model assuming a conventional cathode. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the width direction of a model assuming a conventional cathode. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the model assuming the cathode according to the present embodiment. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the width direction of the model assuming the cathode according to the present embodiment. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode according to the third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode according to the eighth embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and description thereof will not be repeated. In addition, in order to make the explanation easy to understand, in the drawings referred to below, the configuration is shown in a simplified or schematic manner, or some components are omitted. Further, the dimensional ratio between the constituent members shown in each drawing does not necessarily indicate an actual dimensional ratio.

[First Embodiment]
[Overall configuration]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a configuration of a metal smelting facility 1000 including a cathode 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The metal smelting equipment 1000 includes a plurality of cells 100. Each of the cells 100 includes a plurality of cathodes 10, a plurality of anodes 20, and a furnace body 30. Inside the cell 100, an electrolytic bath 33 and a metal (for example, aluminum) pad 34 to be smelted are inserted.

  Each of the cells 100 further includes a raw material supply device 35. A raw material (for example, alumina) is periodically supplied to the electrolytic bath 33 by the raw material supply device 35.

  Each of the cathodes 10 includes a cathode block 11 and two collector bars 12 electrically connected to the cathode block 11. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cathode 10 (the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12) and the furnace body 30 extracted from the configuration of the cell 100. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the cathode block 11 is spread on the bottom of the furnace body 30. The collector bar 12 is drawn to the outside of the furnace body 30 through a slot 31 a formed in the furnace body 30.

  The cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 are preferably made of a material that can withstand high temperatures and has high electrical conductivity. In this embodiment, both the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 are made of carbon. Detailed configurations of the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 will be described later.

  Each of the anodes 20 (FIG. 1) includes an anode block 21 and a connection member 22 electrically connected to the anode block 21. The anode block 21 and the connection member 22 are preferably made of a material that can withstand high temperatures and has high electrical conductivity. The anode block 21 is made of, for example, carbon. The connection member 22 is made of metal, for example.

  The furnace body 30 includes a box-shaped shell 31 and a lining 32 disposed inside the shell 31. In order to resist thermal expansion of the lining 32, the shell 31 is preferably formed of a highly rigid material. The shell 31 is made of metal, for example. The lining 32 insulates the members in the furnace and prevents the electrolytic bath 33 from leaking out. The lining 32 is made of firebrick, for example.

  The collector bar 12 drawn to the outside of the furnace body 30 is electrically connected to the anode 20 of the adjacent cell 100 via a metal bus bar 36. With this configuration, the plurality of cells 100 are electrically connected in series.

  The bus bar 36 is preferably formed of a material having a low electrical resistivity. The bus bar 36 is made of, for example, aluminum. The collector bar 12 and the bus bar 36 are connected to each other at a relatively low temperature outside the furnace body 30. Therefore, the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between the collector bar 12 and the bus bar 36 is not a problem. The same applies to the bus bar 36 and the connection member 22.

  The connection method of the collector bar 12 and the bus bar 36 is not particularly limited. However, since the collector bar 12 is made of carbon in this embodiment, the collector bar 12 and the bus bar 36 cannot be welded. FIG. 3 shows an example of a method for connecting the collector bar 12 and the bus bar 36. In this example, the collector bar 12 and the bus bar 36 are connected by sandwiching the both sides of the collector bar 12 in the height direction with the bus bar 36 and fastening the bolt 37 and the nut 38.

  The cathode 10 at one end and the anode 20 at the other end of the plurality of cells 100 (FIG. 1) connected in series are connected to a power supply device (not shown). A voltage is applied between each cathode 10 and anode 20 of the cell 100 by the power supplied from the power supply device. As a result, the raw material in the electrolytic bath 33 is reduced and deposited on the pad 34.

  Thus, according to the metal smelting equipment 1000, a metal can be manufactured continuously. The metal smelting equipment 1000 can be particularly suitably used for aluminum smelting.

[Cathode configuration]
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the cathode 10 includes the cathode block 11 and the two collector bars 12. The cathode block 11 and the two collector bars 12 are all rectangular parallelepipeds. The cathode block 11 is disposed on the upper surfaces of the two collector bars 12. When the bottom surface of the cathode block 11 and the top surfaces of the two collector bars 12 are in contact, the cathode block 11 and the two collector bars 12 are electrically connected.

  Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a direction (x direction) parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cathode 10 is referred to as a longitudinal direction, and a vertical direction (z direction) is referred to as a height direction. Furthermore, a direction (y direction) perpendicular to both the longitudinal direction and the vertical direction is referred to as a width direction. The dimensions of each member along the longitudinal direction, height direction, and width direction are referred to as length, height, and width, respectively.

  The width w of the collector bar 12 is preferably larger. The larger the width w, the larger the contact area with the cathode block 11. Moreover, the cross-sectional area of the collector bar 12 becomes large and the electrical resistance of the collector bar 12 becomes low, so that the width w is large. More preferably, the width w of the collector bar 12 is equal to the width W of the cathode block 11. The height h of the collector bar 12 is preferably large.

  The two collector bars 12 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the cathode block 11. The two collector bars 12 are spaced apart by a distance sp. The size of the interval sp is, for example, 15 to 50 cm.

  In the present embodiment, the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 are both made of carbon. The cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 are preferably made of a material having a low electrical resistivity. The cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 are preferably made of graphite. The collector bar 12 is preferably made of a material having a lower electrical resistivity than the cathode block 11.

[Effect of cathode 10]
In order to explain the effect of the cathode 10, the configuration of a conventional general cathode 90 will be described. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode 90. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG.

  The cathode 90 includes a cathode block 91 and four collector bars 92. The cathode block 91 is made of carbon and is typically made of graphite. The collector bar 92 is made of metal and is typically made of iron.

  Iron generally has a lower electrical resistivity (specific resistance) than carbon. Therefore, the iron collector bar 92 tends to reduce the electrical resistance. On the other hand, since the iron collector bar 92 has a different coefficient of thermal expansion from the carbon cathode block 91, it is difficult to keep it in close contact with the cathode block 91 at a high temperature, and the contact resistance tends to increase. Therefore, a device for reducing the contact resistance between the cathode block 91 and the collector bar 92 is required.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a groove is provided on the bottom surface of the cathode block 91, and the collector bar 92 is fitted into this groove. Further, cast iron 93 is poured into the gap between the cathode block 91 and the collector bar 92.

  In order to make such a structure, processing takes time and cost. In particular, the work of pouring cast iron 93 has a heavy load, and there is a concern about safety when it is performed manually. In addition, the quality is not constant, and the contact resistance may vary among individuals.

  The cross-sectional area of the collector bar 92 greatly affects the electrical resistance. In order to reduce the electrical resistance, it is preferable to increase the cross-sectional area of the collector bar 92. However, if the cross-sectional area of the collector bar 92 is increased, the groove formed in the cathode block 91 needs to be increased. If the groove is too large, the strength of the cathode block 91 decreases, and a crack 91a called a wing crack may occur due to thermal stress or the like when the cast iron 93 is poured.

  Instead of the cast iron 93, a paste mainly made of coke and coal tar pitch may be used. However, since the paste has a high electric resistance, the energy loss increases.

  Even when the cast iron 93 is used, as described in the background art section, (1) the solidification behavior of the cast iron is different between the upper and lower surfaces of the collector bar, (2) the collector bar is creep-deformed, (3 ) Discontinuous thermal expansion caused by the iron phase transition causes a gap between the cathode block 91 and the collector bar 92. Therefore, the contact resistance between the cathode block 91 and the collector bar 92 is increased.

  According to the configuration of the cathode 10 according to the present embodiment, since the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 are both formed of carbon, there is no difference in thermal expansion coefficient between them. Therefore, the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 can be kept in close contact with each other even at a high temperature.

  Accordingly, it is not necessary to provide a groove on the bottom surface of the cathode block 11 or to cast cast iron into the gap between the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12. Therefore, processing effort and cost can be reduced.

  The carbon collector bar 12 has a lower thermal conductivity than the iron collector bar 92. Therefore, it is possible to make it difficult for the heat in the cell 100 to escape to the outside of the furnace.

  The cathode blocks 11 and 91 are worn due to friction with the pad 34 (FIG. 1). In the case of the cathode 90, if the cathode block 91 is worn to the position where the collector bar 92 is fitted, the iron collector bar 92 may come into contact with the electrolytic bath 33 (FIG. 1) and contaminate the electrolytic bath 33. The cathode block 91 cannot be used. That is, the portion of the volume of the cathode block 91 where the collector bar 92 is fitted does not contribute to the life of the cathode 90. On the other hand, according to the configuration of the cathode 10, the entire volume of the cathode block 11 contributes to the life of the cathode 10. Therefore, a longer-lifetime cathode can be manufactured from the same volume of material.

  According to the configuration of the cathode 10, it is not necessary to fix the collector bar 12 to the cathode block 11, and it is only necessary to place the cathode block 11 on the collector bar 12. A certain amount of pressure is applied to the interface between the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 due to the weight of the cathode block 11, the electrolytic bath 33, and the pad 34. Further, since the lining 32 and the like are thermally expanded, compressive stress is applied to the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12. As a result, the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 can be kept in close contact with each other even at a high temperature.

[Calculation example]
A model calculation was performed to confirm that even a carbon collector bar could obtain electrical conductivity comparable to that of an iron collector bar. The model calculation was performed by the method described in Richard Beeler, “AN ANALYTICAL MODEL FOR CATHODE VOLTAGE DROP IN ALUMINUM REDUTION CELLS”, Light Metals 2003, pp.241-245.

  Table 1 shows parameters used in the calculation and calculation results.

  7A to 8B are diagrams for explaining the model used for the calculation. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a model (comparative example) assuming a conventional cathode 95. FIG. 7B is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the width direction of the model. FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of a model (example) assuming the cathode 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the width direction of the model.

  As shown in FIGS. 7A to 8B, W, H, and L are the width, height, and length of the cathode block 96 or 11, respectively. w and h are the width and height of the collector bar 97 or 12, respectively. L ′ is the length of the portion where the collector bar 12 or 97 protrudes from the cathode block 96 or 11. As shown in Table 1, the cross-sectional area of the collector bar 96 was 21 cm × 13 cm, and the cross-sectional area of the collector bar 12 was 50.5 cm × 15 cm.

N is twice the number of cathode blocks in the cell. This is a parameter used to calculate the resistance R _cell per _cell .

ρ _B and ρ _B ′ are the electrical resistivity (volume resistivity) of the collector bar at 1000 ° C. and 500 ° C., respectively. The value of iron was used for the electrical resistivity of the collector bar of the comparative example. As the electrical resistivity of the collector bar of the example, the value of the nipple material of an artificial graphite electrode having a low electrical resistivity among the carbon materials was used.

[rho _C is the electrical resistivity of the cathode block in 1000 ° C.. The same graphite values were used for both the examples and comparative examples.

σ is the contact resistance at the unit contact area at the interface between the cathode block and the collector bar. Note that the contact resistance decreases as the contact area increases. The σ of the comparative example was obtained by back calculation from the actual measured value of R _cell . In the example, it was assumed that σ can be reduced to 1.0 μΩm ² because there is no problem due to the difference in thermal expansion coefficient as in the case of an iron collector bar.

H ^* is an effective height and is represented by the following formula.
H ^* = H−h (h + w) / (2h + w)

R ′ _B is the resistance in the longitudinal direction of the collector bar at the portion protruding from the cathode block. R ′ _B is represented by the following formula. The temperature of the collector bar actually has a distribution, and the electrical resistivity also varies depending on the location. Here, for simplicity, the collector bar temperature was calculated using the electrical resistivity at the central temperature of 500 ° C.
R ′ _B = ρ ′ _B L ′ / wh

R _B is, in a portion that overlaps the cathode blocks in a plan view, a longitudinal resistance of the collector bar. R _B is expressed by the following equation. The temperature of this part was calculated as being 1000 ° C.
R _B = ρ _B L / wh

_RC is the resistance in the height direction of the cathode block. R _C is represented by the following formula. The temperature of this part was calculated as being 1000 ° C.
R _C = ρ _C H ^* / WL

R _J is the resistance at the connection between the cathode block and the collector bar, and is represented by the following equation.
R _J = σ / (2h + w) L (in the case of FIGS. 7A and 7B)
R _J = σ / wL (in the case of FIGS. 8A and 8B)

α is a ratio of the resistance in the longitudinal direction to the resistance in the height direction, and is expressed by the following equation.
α ² = R _B / (R _C + R _J )

The cell resistance R _cell is obtained by the following equation.

  As shown in Table 2, it was confirmed that even when a carbon collector bar was used, electrical conductivity comparable to that of a metal collector bar was obtained.

  The configuration and effects of the cathode 10 according to the first embodiment of the present invention have been described above. In this embodiment, both the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 are made of carbon. According to this configuration, since the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 is small, it is possible to keep them in close contact even at high temperatures. Therefore, the process for keeping both closely attached can be simplified. As a result, it is possible to obtain a cathode that is easy to install while ensuring electrical conductivity.

  In the present embodiment, the bottom surface of the cathode block 11 is a flat surface, and the upper surface of each collector bar 12 is a flat surface. The cathode block 11 is disposed such that the bottom surface of the cathode block 11 and the top surface of each collector bar 12 are in contact with each other. According to this configuration, the processing of the cathode is particularly easy.

  In FIG. 4, the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 12 are both cuboids. However, the cathode block 11 only needs to have a flat bottom surface, and the shape of the other surface is arbitrary. Similarly, the collector bar 12 only needs to have a flat upper surface, and the shape of the other surfaces is arbitrary. The bottom surface of the cathode block 11 and the top surface of the collector bar 12 are preferably highly smooth. The higher the smoothness of these surfaces, the larger the contact area between them, and the smaller the contact resistance.

  In the present embodiment, the case where there are two collector bars 12 for one cathode block 11 has been described. However, the number of collector bars for one cathode block 11 may be one, or three or more.

  The cathode 10 preferably includes two or more collector bars 12 for one cathode block 11. Thereby, even if one collector bar 12 is physically broken, another collector bar 12 can ensure electrical connection.

  In the present embodiment, two collector bars 12 are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the cathode block 11, and the two collector bars 12 are arranged with an interval sp. According to this configuration, when the collector bar 12 is thermally expanded, the stress in the longitudinal direction of the collector bar 12 can be released. Thereby, it can suppress that the collector bar 12 deform | transforms.

  The collector bar 12 is preferably made of a carbon material having a lower electrical resistivity than the cathode block 11. Since the cathode block 11 is required to have characteristics other than electrical resistivity, such as reactivity with the electrolytic bath 33 (FIG. 1), the material selection is limited to some extent. Since the collector bar 12 does not have such a restriction, a material having a lower electrical resistivity can be used among the carbon materials. Thereby, the electrical conductivity of the cathode 10 can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, a metal bus bar 36 (FIG. 1) may be connected to the collector bar 12. The collector bar 12 and the bus bar 36 do not need to be connected in a high temperature furnace. Therefore, the difference in thermal expansion coefficient between them does not matter. By connecting the metal bus bar 36, the electrical resistance of the entire equipment can be lowered.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode 15 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The cathode 15 includes a cathode block 16 and two collector bars 17. Also in this embodiment, the cathode block 16 and the collector bar 17 are both made of carbon.

  The cathode block 16 is disposed on the upper surfaces of the two collector bars 17. The cathode block 16 and the two collector bars 17 are electrically connected to each other by contacting the bottom surface of the cathode block 16 and the upper surfaces of the two collector bars 17.

  In the cathode 10 (FIG. 4) according to the first embodiment, the bottom surface of the cathode block 11 and the top surface of each collector bar 12 are flat. On the other hand, in the cathode 15 according to the present embodiment, a groove 16 a is formed on the bottom surface of the cathode block 16, and a groove 17 a along the groove 16 a is formed on each upper surface of the collector bar 17.

  According to this embodiment, the contact area between the cathode block 16 and the collector bar 17 can be increased. Further, when the cathode block 16 is installed on the collector bar 17, it becomes easy to align the positions. Further, the cathode block 16 and the collector bar 17 can be prevented from being displaced during operation.

  Since the cathode 15 needs to form the groove 16a and the groove 17a, the number of processing steps increases as compared with the cathode 10 (FIG. 4). However, compared with the cathode 90 (FIG. 5), it is not necessary to pour cast iron and the process can still be simplified.

  In FIG. 9, a chevron-shaped groove is formed in the cathode block 16 and the collector bar 17. However, the number and shape of the grooves are arbitrary. The groove may be sawtooth or curved.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode 40 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The cathode 40 includes a collector bar 42 instead of the collector bar 12 of the cathode 10 (FIG. 4).

  The collector bar 42 is made of carbon, similar to the collector bar 12. The collector bar 42 has a different planar shape as compared with the collector bar 12. In the collector bar 42, the width of a portion of the collector bar 42 that does not overlap the cathode block 11 in plan view is narrower than the width of the portion that overlaps the cathode block 11. Specifically, the collector bar 42 is formed with a terminal portion 42a having a width smaller than that of the portion overlapping the cathode block 11 in a portion not overlapping the cathode block 11 in plan view.

  According to this embodiment, even if the opening of the slot 31 a of the furnace body 30 (FIG. 2) is small, the collector bar 42 can be pulled out of the furnace body 30. Specifically, the furnace body 30 constructed on the premise of the shape of the collector bar 92 of the cathode 90 (FIG. 5) can be used without changing the design.

  On the other hand, by increasing the width of the portion overlapping the cathode block 11, the contact area with the cathode block 11 can be increased and the contact resistance can be reduced. Moreover, the resistance in the longitudinal direction can be reduced by increasing the cross-sectional area perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

[Fourth Embodiment]
FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode 45 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The cathode 45 includes a cathode block 46 and two collector bars 47. Also in this embodiment, the cathode block 46 and the collector bar 47 are both made of carbon.

  In the present embodiment, the cathode block 46 and the collector bar 47 are fastened by screws 48. The cathode block 46 is formed with a female screw 46 a fastened to the screw 48, and the collector bar 47 is formed with a through hole 47 a through which the screw 48 is passed.

  As described above, even when the cathode block 46 is placed on the collector bar 47, pressure is applied to the interface between the cathode block 46 and the collector bar 47 due to thermal expansion of the lining 32 (FIG. 1). However, sufficient pressure may not be applied depending on the structure of the furnace. In some cases, it is desirable to apply a stronger pressure. By fastening with the screw 48 as in this embodiment, the contact surface pressure between the cathode block 46 and the collector bar 47 can be adjusted.

[Fifth Embodiment]
FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode 50 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. The cathode 50 includes a cathode block 51 and two collector bars 52. Also in this embodiment, the cathode block 51 and the collector bar 52 are both made of carbon.

  A female screw 51 a is formed on the side surface of the cathode block 51. At one end in the longitudinal direction of the collector bar 52, a male screw 52a to be fastened with the female screw 51a is formed. In the present embodiment, the cathode block 51 and the collector bar 52 are connected by fastening the male screw 52a and the female screw 51a.

  Also according to this embodiment, the process can be simplified as compared with the cathode 90 (FIG. 5).

  In FIG. 12, a female screw 51 a is formed on the cathode block 51, and a male screw 52 a is formed on the collector bar 52. However, a male screw may be formed on the cathode block 51 and a female screw may be formed on the collector bar 52.

[Sixth Embodiment]
FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode 55 according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention. The cathode 55 includes a cathode block 56 and two collector bars 57. Also in this embodiment, the cathode block 56 and the collector bar 57 are both made of carbon.

  A recess 56 a is formed on the side surface of the cathode block 56. At one end in the longitudinal direction of the collector bar 57, a convex portion 57a that fits into the concave portion 56a is formed. In the present embodiment, the cathode block 56 and the collector bar 57 are connected by fitting the convex portion 57a to the concave portion 56a.

  Also according to this embodiment, the process can be simplified as compared with the cathode 90 (FIG. 5).

  In FIG. 13, a concave portion 56 a is formed on the cathode block 56, and a convex portion 57 a is formed on the collector bar 57. However, a convex portion may be formed on the cathode block 56 and a concave portion may be formed on the collector bar 57.

[Seventh Embodiment]
FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode 60 according to the seventh embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the cathode block 61 and the collector bar 62 are integrally formed. That is, the cathode block 61 and the collector bar 62 are formed from a single material. The cathode 60 in which the cathode block 61 and the collector bar 62 are integrally formed is made of carbon.

  According to this embodiment, since the cathode block 61 and the collector bar 62 are integrally formed, there is no interface. Therefore, the contact resistance can be zero.

[Eighth Embodiment]
FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the cathode 65 according to the eighth embodiment of the present invention. The cathode 65 includes a plurality of cathode blocks 11 and two collector bars 67. Also in this embodiment, the cathode block 11 and the collector bar 67 are made of carbon.

  In the present embodiment, each of the two collector bars 67 is in contact with the plurality of cathode blocks 11. According to this configuration, since the cross-sectional area of the collector bar 67 can be increased, the electrical resistance can be reduced.

  In FIG. 15, each of the two collector bars 67 is in contact with seven cathode blocks. However, if at least one of the collector bars 67 is in contact with a plurality of cathode blocks, the above effect can be obtained. The number of cathode blocks may be two or more. That is, the cathode 65 includes at least two cathode blocks (a cathode block and a second cathode block) and one or more collector bars, and at least one of the collector bars is in contact with at least two cathode blocks. Good.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment about this invention was described, this invention is not limited only to the above-mentioned embodiment, A various change is possible within the scope of the invention.

1000 Metal smelting equipment 100 Cell 10, 15, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 90, 95 Cathode 11, 16, 46, 51, 56, 61, 91, 96 Cathode block 12, 17, 42, 27, 52, 57, 62, 67, 92, 97 Collector bar 20 Anode 21 Anode block 22 Connecting member 30 Furnace body 31 Shell 32 Lining 33 Electrolytic bath 34 Pad 35 Raw material supply device 36 Busbar

Claims (8)

A cathode for metal smelting,
A carbon cathode block;
One or more carbon collector bars, each disposed to contact the cathode block;
The bottom surface of the cathode block is a plane,
The upper surface of each of the collector bars is a plane,
The cathode block is disposed such that a bottom surface of the cathode block and an upper surface of each collector bar are in contact with each other. A cathode for metal smelting,
A carbon cathode block;
One or more carbon collector bars, each disposed to contact the cathode block;
A groove is formed on the bottom surface of the cathode block,
Grooves along the grooves of the cathode block are formed on the upper surface of each of the collector bars,
The cathode block is disposed such that a bottom surface of the cathode block and an upper surface of each collector bar are in contact with each other. The cathode according to claim 1 or 2 ,
Two collector bars are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the cathode block,
The two collector bars are spaced apart, the cathode. The cathode according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
The collector bar is a cathode, wherein a width of at least a part of the collector bar that does not overlap the cathode block in a plan view is narrower than a width of a part that overlaps the cathode block. A cathode for metal smelting,
A carbon cathode block;
One or more carbon collector bars, each disposed to contact the cathode block;
The cathode further comprising a screw for fastening the cathode block and the collector bar. A cathode for metal smelting,
A carbon cathode block;
One or more carbon collector bars, each disposed to contact the cathode block;
The cathode block is formed with a male screw or a female screw, or a convex portion or a concave portion,
A cathode in which each of the collector bars is formed with a female screw or a male screw fastened to the male screw or a female screw, or a concave portion or a convex portion that fits into the convex portion or the concave portion. The cathode according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The collector bar is a cathode made of a carbon material having a lower electrical resistivity than the cathode block. A cathode for metal smelting,
A carbon cathode block;
One or more carbon collector bars, each disposed to contact the cathode block;
A second cathode block;
At least one of the collector bars is in contact with both the cathode block and the second cathode block.

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