US2034339A - Refining of aluminum - Google Patents

Refining of aluminum Download PDF

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Publication number
US2034339A
US2034339A US695899A US69589933A US2034339A US 2034339 A US2034339 A US 2034339A US 695899 A US695899 A US 695899A US 69589933 A US69589933 A US 69589933A US 2034339 A US2034339 A US 2034339A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
aluminum
electrolyte
fluoride
layer
refining
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Expired - Lifetime
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US695899A
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English (en)
Inventor
Gadeau Robert Andre
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
CIE DE PROD CHIM ET ELECTRO ME
PRODUITS CHIMIQUES ET ELECTRO-METALLURGIQUES ALAIS Cie
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CIE DE PROD CHIM ET ELECTRO ME
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C25—ELECTROLYTIC OR ELECTROPHORETIC PROCESSES; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25C—PROCESSES FOR THE ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION, RECOVERY OR REFINING OF METALS; APPARATUS THEREFOR
    • C25C3/00—Electrolytic production, recovery or refining of metals by electrolysis of melts
    • C25C3/06—Electrolytic production, recovery or refining of metals by electrolysis of melts of aluminium
    • C25C3/24—Refining

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to processes in which the aluminum to be refined alloyed with a heavy metal, copper for instance, is at the bottom of the apparatus, forming a melted anode, denser than the electrolyte, while the aluminum resulting from the electrolysis forms a liquid layer, which floats on the electrolyte and acts as a cathode.
  • Such a bath is less expensive than those containing only fluorides, since alkali-earth chlorides are cheaper than the corresponding fluorides. Furthermore, and this is a more important advantage from the technical point of view, it permits of working at a temperature of about 700- 800 C. instead of 1000 C. with baths containing only fluorides. This possibility of working at a lower temperature eliminates substantially the production of smoke.
  • the electrolyte should have a density ranging between that of aluminum and that of the alloy utilized as anode, which determines the percentage of alkali-earth chloride, the composition of the electrolyte being further chosen with a view to giving it a melting point as low as possible.
  • minum fluoride that is as follows:
  • the process according to the present invention may be carried out in various kinds of apparatus previously proposed for the refining of aluminum through the known method of the three melted layers of anodic alloy, electrolyte, and cathodic aluminum.
  • the only-figure is a vertical sectional view of a tank permitting the electrolytic refining of aluminum without involving any of the dangers and difllculties caused by the presence or the water jacket in apparatus of the usual type.
  • This apparatus includes a tank a, oi. circula shape, the inner wall of which is merely made of bricks of magnesia b.
  • the bottom of the tank is provided with a sole 0, preferably plane, of compact carbon, connected to the positive terminal of the electrolytic circuit. This sole serves to feed current to the anodic alloy d located above it.
  • the melted electrolyte e floats on the anode. It has been ascertained that this electrolyte does not attack the bricks of magnesia of the tank in which it lies, while it is known that such bricks are severely attacked by the ordinary baths of fluoride utilized at temperatures close to 1000" C. As there is no cold wall, the whole of the electrolyte remains. in the melted state, its composition does not vary and there is no formation oi! scum on the anodic alloy.
  • the pure cathodic metal I floats on the electrolyte and current is supplied thereto through a carbon rod g or through any other suitable means.
  • a method of refining aluminum which comprises superposing in an electrolytic apparatus a layer of a molten alloy containing aluminum, forming the anode, a layer of melted electrolyte,
  • the electrolyte comprises 23 per cent in weight 01' aluminum fluoride, 17 per cent sodium fluoride, and 60 per cent barium chloride.
  • a method of reflning aluminum which comprises superposing in an electrolytic apparatus a layer of a molten alloy containing aluminum, forming the anode, a layer of melted electrolyte, and a layer of aluminum forming the cathode, in which the electrolyte comprises 27 per cent in weight of aluminum fluoride, 13 per cent sodium fluoride, and 60 per cent barium chloride.
  • a method of electrically refining aluminum which comprises superposing in an electrolytic apparatus a layer of a molten alloy containing aluminum forming the anode, a layer of melted electrolyte, and a layer of aluminum forming the cathode, in which the elctrolyte comprises a mixture of aluminum fluoride, an alkaline fluoride and an alkali-earth chloride, the ratio of the amount of aluminum fluoride to that of the alkaline fluoride being greater than the ratio of the amount of aluminum fluoride to that of sodium fluoride in cryolite, said electrolyte having a melting point between 700 C. and 800 C.
  • a method of electrically refining aluminum which comprises superposing in an electrolytic apparatus a layer of a molten alloy containing aluminum forming the anode, a layer of melted electrolyte, and a layer of aluminum forming the cathode, in which the electrolyte comprises a mixture of aluminum fluoride, sodium fluoride and an alkali-earth chloride, the ratio of the amount of aluminum fluoride to that of sodium fluoride being greater than the corresponding ratio of the same bodies in cryolite, said electrolyte having a melting point between 700 C. and 800 C.
  • a method of refining aluminum which comprises superposing in an electrolytic apparatus a layer of a molten alloy containing aluminum forming the anode, a layer of melted electrolyte, and a layer of aluminum forming the cathode, in which the electrolyte comprises a mixture of aluminupi fluoride, sodium fluoride, and barium chloride, the ratio of the amount of aluminum fluoride to that of sodium fluoride in the electrolyte being greater than the corresponding ratio of the same bodies in cryolite, said electrolyte having a melting point between 700 C. and 800 C.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Electrochemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Electrolytic Production Of Metals (AREA)
US695899A 1932-11-08 1933-10-30 Refining of aluminum Expired - Lifetime US2034339A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
FR600555X 1932-11-08

Publications (1)

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US2034339A true US2034339A (en) 1936-03-17

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US695899A Expired - Lifetime US2034339A (en) 1932-11-08 1933-10-30 Refining of aluminum

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US (1) US2034339A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
BE (1) BE399344A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE600555C (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR (1) FR759588A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
GB (1) GB405596A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
NL (1) NL37494C (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2528905A (en) * 1947-09-08 1950-11-07 Alais & Froges & Camarque Cie Construction of the lower portion of igneous electrolytic cells
US2582661A (en) * 1945-12-03 1952-01-15 Pechiney Prod Chimiques Sa Method for electrolytically refining aluminum
US2773825A (en) * 1944-04-28 1956-12-11 Frank A Newcombe Electrolysis apparatus
US2824057A (en) * 1950-08-12 1958-02-18 Aluminum Co Of America Electrolytic reduction cell for producing aluminum
US3386908A (en) * 1963-12-04 1968-06-04 Pechiney Prod Chimiques Sa Cell for refining aluminum by fusion electrolysis
US9932681B2 (en) 2012-01-20 2018-04-03 Saint-Gobain Centre De Recherches Et D'etudes Europeen Electrolytic cell
US10407786B2 (en) 2015-02-11 2019-09-10 Alcoa Usa Corp. Systems and methods for purifying aluminum

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE752100C (de) * 1935-05-17 1952-04-07 Aluminium Ind Ag Verfahren zur elektrolytischen Gewinnung von reinem Aluminium
DE766062C (de) * 1939-12-06 1951-08-09 Vaw Ver Aluminium Werke Ag Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Laeuterung von Aluminium
DE1160647B (de) * 1958-06-24 1964-01-02 Atomic Energy Commission Schmelzelektrolytisches Verfahren zur Anreicherung von Uran und/oder Plutonium in Aluminiumlegierungen
FR2708000B1 (fr) * 1993-07-22 1995-08-25 Pechiney Aluminium Aluminium électroraffiné à basse teneur en uranium, thorium et terres rares.

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2773825A (en) * 1944-04-28 1956-12-11 Frank A Newcombe Electrolysis apparatus
US2582661A (en) * 1945-12-03 1952-01-15 Pechiney Prod Chimiques Sa Method for electrolytically refining aluminum
US2528905A (en) * 1947-09-08 1950-11-07 Alais & Froges & Camarque Cie Construction of the lower portion of igneous electrolytic cells
US2824057A (en) * 1950-08-12 1958-02-18 Aluminum Co Of America Electrolytic reduction cell for producing aluminum
US3386908A (en) * 1963-12-04 1968-06-04 Pechiney Prod Chimiques Sa Cell for refining aluminum by fusion electrolysis
US9932681B2 (en) 2012-01-20 2018-04-03 Saint-Gobain Centre De Recherches Et D'etudes Europeen Electrolytic cell
US10407786B2 (en) 2015-02-11 2019-09-10 Alcoa Usa Corp. Systems and methods for purifying aluminum

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE600555C (de) 1934-07-25
NL37494C (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
FR759588A (fr) 1934-02-05
GB405596A (en) 1934-02-08
BE399344A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

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