Yan Hengwei,Yang Jianhong,Liu Zhanwei,Wang Chengzhi,Ma Wenhui
The cryolite ratio (CR) is an important parameter for the electrolyte in aluminum reduction cells. The measurement method for the CR of the KF-NaF-AlF 3 system acid (CR < 3) electrolyte by means of electrical conductivity was initially developed, and the formula for calculating the CR was deduced. This method has the advantages of simple operation and high precision. In addition, the relative standard deviations (RSD) of the measurement are < 1.2 pct, and the analysis error of the NaF or KF content has little effect on the determination of the CR.
Qi Tan,Bingliang Gao,Pengde Gao,Chao Fan,Haijun Li
The future production of electrolytic aluminum will be characterized by low temperature, low carbon emissions, and environmental friendliness, which will result in a more complex electrolyte system. Real-time analysis of electrolytes can significantly enhance the efficiency of the electrolytic process. However, accurately analyzing the composition of complex aluminum electrolytes online has been a technical challenge. This research primarily focuses on determining the ingredient contents of complex aluminum electrolytes based on elemental concentrations measured using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) according to an applicable standard. Calibration curves were established based on 53 standard samples of complex aluminum electrolytes to establish relationships between XRF fluorescence intensity and real concentrations. Analysis conducted on industrial complex electrolytes confirms that these newly constructed curves effectively reduce relative errors to less than 3%. Additionally, a feasible solution is proposed for determining the cryolite ratio (CR) in aluminum electrolytes using XRF. Results demonstrate an average deviation as low as approximately 0.02, fully meeting industrial production requirements. This technique offers numerous benefits including rapid analysis, ease of use, and cost savings.
Yan Hengwei,Liu Zhanwei,Ma Wenhui,Huang Liqiang,Wang Chengzhi,Liu Yingxin
The development of low-temperature aluminum electrolysis makes it possible to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The KF-NaF-AlF 3 -based electrolyte is a promising low-temperature electrolyte for aluminum reduction. The liquidus temperatures of KF-NaF-AlF 3 electrolytes with a total cryolite ratio (CR t ) fixed at 1.3–2.0, and with different concentrations of NaF (with a step change of 5 mol.%), were investigated by the cooling curve method. The results showed that the liquidus temperature of KF-NaF-AlF 3 mixtures increases with the increase of the CR t , which has a bigger influence on the liquidus temperature than the traditional NaF-AlF 3 electrolyte currently used in aluminum smelters. When the content of NaF is 10–20 mol.%, the curves of the liquidus temperature vs. NaF content reach a peak. When the NaF content ranges from 30 to 40 mol.%, the liquidus temperature is relatively low (695–900°C). The precipitated order of the compounds in molten KF-NaF-AlF 3 electrolytes with a CR t of 1.3 is as follows: K 2 NaAlF 6 (or K 3 AlF 6 ) → Na 3 Al 5 F 14 → K 2 NaAl 3 F 12 → KAlF 4 .