Material components protection against the corrosive action cryolite melts in aluminium reduction cells

Abstract

The present document describes an copper oxide containing composition comprising a protective layer comprising elemental copper covering at least in part or all of a refractory material assembly covering an interior surface thereof. Also described is a copper oxide containing composition comprising copper oxide and any one of a reducing agent and a binder. Also described is a method of protecting a refractory material assembly covering an interior surface of an copper oxide containing composition, comprising covering at least in part, or all of the refractory material assembly with a copper sheet, a structure comprising elemental copper, a copper oxide, an elemental copper comprising composite material, a copper oxide containing composition and combinations thereof, to provide a protective layer comprising elemental copper.

1 . A copper oxide containing composition comprising from about 35 to 99% w/w of said copper oxide; and
 any one of
 from about 5 to about 15% w/w of a reducing agent; 
 from about 1 to about 15% w/w of a binder; 
 or combinations thereof. 
   
     
     
         2 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 1 , wherein said copper oxide containing composition is in powder form, paste form, mortar form, slurry form, grouting form, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 1 , wherein said copper oxide is CuO, Cu 2 O, CuO 2 ; Cu 2 O 3 , or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a reducible copper containing compound. 
     
     
         5 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 4 , wherein said copper oxide containing composition comprises from about 35 to 99% w/w of said copper oxide and said reducible copper containing compound. 
     
     
         6 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a metallic copper particle. 
     
     
         7 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 1 , further comprising a lubricating agent, a filler material, water, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 1 , wherein said reducing agent is graphite, lithium aluminium hydride (LiAlH 4 ), diborane sodium borohydride (NaBH 4 ), compounds containing the Fe 2+  ion, a compound containing the Sn 2+  ion, sulfur dioxide, a sulfite compound, a dithionate, a thiosulfate, an iodide, a cyanide, a carbon form distinct from graphite, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 7 , wherein said lubricating agent is graphite, molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ), boron nitrite, polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE), or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 7 , wherein said lubricating agent is from about 5 to about 15% w/w of the composition, or wherein said filler material is from about 0 to about 25% w/w of the composition, or wherein said binder is from about 1 to about 10% w/w of the composition. 
     
     
         11 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 7 , wherein said filler material is silicon carbide (SiC), ground calcium carbonate (GCC), precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), kaolin, talc, Wollastonite (CaSiO 3 ), Silica (Precipitated), glass, carbon black, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 11 , wherein said SiC is from about 0 to about 25% w/w of the composition. 
     
     
         13 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 1 , wherein said binder is bentonite, kaolinite, halloysite, phyrophillite, monmorillonite, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 1 , wherein said copper oxide containing composition contains copper oxide particles of about 10 μm to about 200 μm. 
     
     
         15 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 7 , wherein said filler material has a particle size of from about 75 μm to about 3350 μm, or wherein said binder has a particle size of about 10 μm to about 44 μm. 
     
     
         16 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 4 , wherein said reducible copper containing compound comprises a copper sulfate, a copper carbonate, a copper phosphate, or combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 16 , wherein
 said a copper sulfate comprises CuSO 4 (H 2 O) x  where x is 0 to 5;   said copper carbonate comprises copper(II) carbonate hydroxides [Cu 3 (CO 3 ) 2 (OH) 2 , and Cu 2 CO 3 (OH) 2 ], copper(II) carbonate [CuCO 3 ], and copper(I) carbonate [Cu 2 CO 3 ];   said copper phosphate comprises Copper(II) phosphate [Cu 3 (PO 4 ) 2 ], Copper(I) phosphate [Cu 3 PO 4 ], turquoise [CuAl 6 (PO 4 ) 4 (OH) 8 ·4H 2 O], cornetite, libethenite, sampleite [NaCaCu 5 (PO 4 ) 4 Cl·5(H 2 O), or   
       combinations thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 1 , wherein said copper oxide containing composition comprises a shell defining said interior surface, said refractory material assembly covering said interior surface at a bottom of said shell. 
     
     
         19 . The copper oxide containing composition of  claim 1 , forming a protective layer covering at least in part, or all of a refractory material assembly covering an interior surface of an electrolytic cell, said protective layer being formed from said copper oxide containing composition, and any one of a)-c), or a combination thereof:
 a) said protective layer being a randomly arranged, continuous copper containing ceramic matrix comprising a plurality of continuous copper paths in electrical communication with said refractory material assembly on one side, and an electrolyte on the other side;   b) said protective layer comprising said copper oxide containing composition, said copper oxide containing composition comprising said binder, a filler material or a combination thereof, wherein said binder is bentonite, kaolinite, halloysite, phyrophillite, monmorillonite, or combinations thereof; and wherein said filler material is silicon carbide (SiC), ground calcium carbonate (GCC), precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), kaolin, talc, Wollastonite (CaSiO 3 ), Silica (Precipitated), glass, carbon black, or combinations thereof;   c) said protective layer comprising a plurality of copper sheets, and comprising between said copper sheets said copper oxide containing composition.