Advanced aluminum electrolysis cell

Abstract

The application is directed to products and methods related to an aluminum electrolysis 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 electrolysis cell, comprising:
 a cell reservoir;   at least one anode within the cell reservoir;   at least one cathode within the cell reservoir, wherein the at least one cathode is at least partially below a bottom portion of the at least one anode; and   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, the wettable material comprising molten aluminum; and   wherein at least a portion of the wettable material is located in and/or on the directing feature.   
     
     
         2 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 1 , wherein a surface of the non-carbonaceous substrate is at least partially covered in solid aluminum metal. 
     
     
         3 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 1 , wherein the directing feature comprises one or more slots, one or more grooves, pores, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 1 , wherein the directing feature comprises an oriented porous structure of inter-connected pores. 
     
     
         5 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 4 , wherein the oriented porous structure comprises a porosity gradient. 
     
     
         6 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 1 , wherein the non-carbonaceous substrate comprises a cermet or a ceramic. 
     
     
         7 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 1 , wherein the non-carbonaceous substrate comprises or consists essentially of TiB 2 . 
     
     
         8 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined direction is a downwardly direction towards a molten metal pad of the aluminum electrolysis cell. 
     
     
         9 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 1 , wherein the non-carbonaceous substrate is at least one of the at least one anode, at least one of the at least one a cathode; or both. 
     
     
         10 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 1 , wherein the non-carbonaceous substrate comprises a surface area, wherein a first portion of the surface area comprises the at least one directing feature, and wherein a second portion of the surface area is absent of any directing feature, wherein the first portion of the surface area is at least partially covered by solid aluminum metal. 
     
     
         11 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 10 , wherein the second portion of the surface area is at least partially covered by the solid aluminum metal. 
     
     
         12 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 1 , wherein the non-carbonaceous substrate comprises a carbon-based material plated with TiB 2 . 
     
     
         13 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 1 , wherein the non-carbonaceous substrate comprises a plated material that facilitates wetting. 
     
     
         14 . The aluminum electrolysis cell of  claim 1 , wherein the directing feature comprises at least one channel defining a cross-section, and wherein the cross-section is substantially constant across a length of the at least one channel, or wherein the cross-section is variable across a length of the at least one channel. 
     
     
         15 . A method using the aluminum electrolysis cell as claimed in  claim 1 , for restricting or preventing attack of the non-carbonaceous substrate via an electrolyte of the aluminum electrolysis cell, the method comprising:
 covering the non-carbonaceous substrate, at least partially, by the wettable material, when a temperature of the non-carbonaceous substrate is less than a melting point temperature of the solid aluminum metal in order to obtain a surface of the non-carbonaceous substrate that is at least partially covered in solid aluminum metal, and   heating the non-carbonaceous substrate above a melting point temperature of the solid aluminum metal.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the restricting or preventing comprises covering at least 50%, at least 55%, at least 60%, at least 65%, at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 99% of the surface area of the non-carbonaceous substrate by the wettable material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 feeding an alumina feedstock into the aluminum electrolysis cell;   passing current between the at least one anode and the at least one cathode through an electrolyte of the aluminum electrolysis cell, wherein the at least one anode and/or the at least one cathode is the non-carbonaceous substrate comprising the directing feature; and   directing the wettable material via the directing feature in a predetermined direction.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising:
 electrolytically reducing the alumina feedstock into a metal product.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 draining the metal product from the at least one cathode to a bottom of a cell reservoir of the electrolysis cell to form a metal pad.   
     
     
         20 . A process for the manufacturing of a directing feature as claimed in  claim 4  comprising an oriented porous structure of inter-connected pores, the process comprising:
 immersing a polyurethane foam having a pore size in an aqueous slurry comprising TiB 2  particles therein to obtain a TiB 2  infiltrated foam; 
 compressing the TiB 2  infiltrated foams, for instance between a set of parallel rollers with a defined gap thickness, to expel unwanted slurry; 
 drying the compressed TiB 2  foams; and 
 sintering the dried compressed TiB 2  foams by heating. preferably at a temperature of about 1850° C.