Advanced purification cell for aluminum scrap recycling

Abstract

The application is directed to products and methods related to an aluminum purification cell with a non-carbonaceous substrate with a directing feature. The directing feature can be configured to direct a wettable material in a predetermined direction. The non-carbonaceous substrate can be at least partially covered with solid aluminum metal. The wettable material can be aluminum metal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aluminum purification cell, comprising:
 a non-carbonaceous substrate, wherein the non-carbonaceous substrate comprises a directing feature,   wherein the directing feature is configured to direct a wettable material in a predetermined direction.   
     
     
         2 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 1 , wherein the cell comprises:
 a cell chamber;   at least one anode within the cell chamber; and   at least one cathode within the cell chamber, wherein the at least one cathode is at least partially above a top portion of the at least one anode.   
     
     
         3 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the wettable material is located in and/or on the directing feature. 
     
     
         4 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 1 , wherein the wettable material comprises metal. 
     
     
         5 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 4 , wherein the metal comprises at least one of aluminum and magnesium. 
     
     
         6 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 5 , wherein the metal comprises at least 50 weight percent aluminum. 
     
     
         7 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 6 , wherein the metal is selected from the group consisting of an aluminum alloy, metallic aluminum, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 1 , wherein the directing feature comprises at least one of a slot, a groove, pores, a channel and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 1 , wherein the directing feature is configured to direct the wettable material in the predetermined direction via capillary action. 
     
     
         10 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined direction is an upwardly direction towards an electrolyte of the aluminum purification cell. 
     
     
         11 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 1 , wherein the non-carbonaceous substrate comprises TiB 2 . 
     
     
         12 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 1 , wherein the non-carbonaceous substrate comprises an electrode. 
     
     
         13 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 12 , wherein the electrode is an anode or a cathode. 
     
     
         14 . An aluminum purification cell, comprising:
 (a) a non-carbonaceous substrate comprising at least one directing feature; and   (b) solid aluminum metal at least partially covering surfaces of the non-carbonaceous substrate.   
     
     
         15 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the solid aluminum metal is located in and/or on the directing feature. 
     
     
         16 . The aluminum purification cell of  claim 15 , wherein the solid aluminum metal is at least partially contained within the at least one directing feature. 
     
     
         17 . The method comprising:
 (a) feeding an aluminum feedstock into an aluminum purification cell, wherein the aluminum feedstock comprises aluminum metal, wherein the aluminum purification cell comprises a molten metal pad and an electrolyte, wherein the molten metal pad comprises a density greater than that of the electrolyte;   (b) passing electrical current through at least one anode through the electrolyte and into at least one cathode,
 (i) wherein the at least one anode and the at least one cathode are partially disposed in the electrolyte, 
 (ii) wherein the at least one anode is partially disposed in the molten metal pad, 
 (iii) wherein at least one of the at least one anode and the at least one cathode is a non-carbonaceous substrate comprising a directing feature, and 
 (iv) wherein the directing feature is configured to direct wettable material in a predetermined direction; 
   (c) directing the aluminum metal of the molten metal pad towards the electrolyte via the directing feature;   (d) producing at least some aluminum ions in the electrolyte; and   (e) producing a purified aluminum product from the aluminum ions.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the directing step comprises moving the wettable material in the predetermined direction via capillary action. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , comprising:
 heating the at least one anode from a first temperature to an operating temperature;
 wherein, the first temperature the at least one anode included solid aluminum metal located in or on a directing feature of the anode; 
 wherein the solid aluminum metal undergoes a phase change to liquid aluminum metal during the heating step.