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Set2 Merged Compressed
Set2 Merged Compressed
Set2 Merged Compressed
Instructions:
5. Submit the answer sheet (Pdf and Excel Sheets) on Moodle by 5:15 PM. There will be penalty
for delayed submissions.
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1. The daily zinc production rate of a vertical retort was 8 tons. The charge consisted of
briquettes made from a mixture of roasted zinc concentrates (64% ZnO, 5% PbO, 2%CdO, 15%
Fe2O3 and 14% SiO2) and coke breeze (89% C, 7% SiO2 and 4% Al2O3). The retort was
operated at 1300 oC; all of the CdO and PbO and 98% of ZnO were reduced. In addition four-
fifth of the Fe2O3 was reduced to Fe and reminder to FeO. The CO/CO2 ratio of the retort gases
was 16. The gases also contained all of the Cd and 50% of the Pb in the charge. Nearly 2% of the
zinc in the gases was reoxidised during the condensation. The charge contained coke breeze 50%
in excess of the minimum required. Calculate the following:
(a) The daily consumption of roasted zinc concentrates and coke breeze
2. Limestone was calcined in a rotary kiln fired with natural gas. The kiln was operated at steady
state, producing 280 tons of dead-burned lime per day. The stone fed to the kiln analyzed as 96
wt% CaCO3, 2 wt% SiO2, 1 wt% Fe2O3 and 1 wt% H2O. Calculate: (a) The feed rate of
limestone (b) The chemical analysis of lime made.
3. The melting point of CaTiSiO5 is 1673 oC, and the heat of fusion at normal melting point is
29.6 kcal/g.mole. Calculate the heat of fusion at 1073 oK. Given:
4. Aluminum is produced by electrolysis of alumina dissolved in molten cryolite. (a) In the Hall-
Heroult process, carbon electrodes are used to accomplish electrolysis. The oxygen liberated at
the anode electrochemically reacts with carbon to produce CO-CO2 mixture in the ratio of 4:1 at
1000 oC. Write the electrode reactions. Determine the minimum voltage required for electrolysis
if the anode gas pressure is 1 atm. Calculate the amount of carbon consumed per kilogram of
aluminum produced. Assume 100% current efficiency.
5. The equilibrium constant for the reaction Fe3O4(s) + CO(g) = 3 FeO(s) + CO2(g) is 1.177 at
1100 oK. If the mixture consisting initially of 1.6 g.moles of Fe3O4, 2.28 g.moles of CO, 0.64
g.moles of FeO and 0.96 g.moles of CO2 is heated to 1100 oK at a constant total pressure of 5.24
atm, what will be the amount of different substances present at equilibrium ? It is tacitly assumed
that no C(s) deposition occurs from the gas phase. Is this assumption valid ?
6. Please read the attached literature and answer the following questions:
3. What is the range of Al2O3 addition in cryolite so that melting point decreases ?
4. What are the factors for low current efficiency of the process and how they could be taken
care of ?
Electrochemistry of the Hal-Heroult Process
for Aluminum Smelting
W. E. Haupin
Aluminum Corp. of America, P.0. Box 772, Freeport Road, New Kensington, PA 15068
Electrolysis of Alumina
Nearly all aluminum is produced by the electrolysis of
alumina dissolved in a molten cryolite-based electrolyte, the
Hall-Heroult Process. A typical modern aluminum reduction
cell (2) consists of a rectangular steel shell, 9-12 m long by 3-4
m wide and 1-1.2 m high. The shell is lined with refractory
thermal insulation that surrounds an inner lining of carbon
to contain the highly corrosive fluoride electrolyte and molten
aluminum. The thermal insulation is adjusted to provide
sufficient heat loss to form a protective ledge of frozen elec-
trolyte on the inner walls but not on the bottom of the cell
cavity, which must remain bare to provide electrical contact
with the molten aluminum cathode. Electric current enters
the cell through prebaked carbon anodes (Fig. 1) or through
a continuous self-baking Soderberg anode (Fig. 2). A crust of
frozen electrolyte and alumina covers the top of the cell
around the anodes. The anode-to-cathode spacing ranges from
3-6 cm. Steel current collector bars keyed into the carbon
lining carry the electric current from the cell. Aluminum-
containing ions discharge into a molten aluminum pool resting Figure 2. Aluminum electrolysis cell with Soderberg anode.
on the carbon lining that also holds the melt. Simultaneously,
oxygen-containing ions discharge on and consume the cell’s
carbon anodes. Today’s cells have a current capacity in the orsloping steel pins or spikes. Periodically the lowest spikes
range of 50-250 X 103 amp. arereset to a higher level. The resistivity of Soderberg anodes
Prebaked anodes are molded from petroleum coke and coal is about 30% greater than prebaked anodes, while the current
tar pitch binder into blocks typically 70-cm wide by 125-cm density typically is lower, ranging from 0.6-0.9 A cm-2.
long and 50-cm high. These blocks are then baked to 1000- Alumina is added in appropriate increments, either man-
1200° C. Petroleum coke is used because of its high purity. ually or by automatic feeders. Molten aluminum is removed
Impurities such as iron andisilieon deposit on the aluminum, from the cells, generally daily, by siphoning into a crucible.
while less noble impurities such as calcium and magnesium
tend to accumulate as fluorides in the bath. Steel stubs keyed Electrolyte Chemistry
into the anodes, either with cast iron or with a carbonaceous The electrolyte is a solution of aluminum oxide in molten
ramming mix, both support and conduct electric current into cryolite containing an excess of aluminum fluoride over the
the anodes. The electrical resistivity of prebaked anodes 3NaF-AlF3 cryolite composition. The mole ratio NaF/AlF3 is
ranges from 0.005-0.006 ohm cm. Anode current density defined as the cryolite ratio while the mass ratio of NaF/AlFs
ranges from 0.6-1.3 A cm-2. Soderberg anodes are formed is called the bath ratio. Numerically, the bath ratio is half the
continuously from a paste of petroleum coke and coal tar cryolite ratio. Pure cryolite melts at 1012°C, but alumina and
pitch. This mixture is added to the top of a rectangular steel aluminum fluoride lower the melting point as shown in Figure
casing, typically 6-8 m long by 2 m wide and 1 m high. While 3. Owing to a small amount of calcium oxide impurity in the
passing down through the casing, the paste bakes forming alumina, calcium fluoride attains a steady state concentration
carbon to replace the carbon being consumed at the bottom. of 3-8% at which level calcium is codeposited in the aluminum
A baked portion extends past the casing into the molten and emitted in the off-gases at a rate equal to its introduction.
electrolyte. Electric current enters the anode through vertical Calcium fluoride lowers the liquidus temperature about 2.9°C
Al3+ + 3e~ —
3A1 (8)
4e~ —
C02 (10)
The hexafluoroaluminate ion undergoes further dissocia- Oxygen, however, is complexed in the electrolyte. The anode
tion reaction, therefore, must involve such complex ions as
AlFe3- —
A1F4- + 2F- (2) A1202F42- + 2A1Fh3_ + C 4AIF4- + C02 + 4e~ (11)
K =
(aAiT4-)(a2F-)/aA]Ffiax =
4arVf(i -
The mechanism and the degree of dissociation, a, of the Thermodynamically, oxygen depositing onto carbon at the
hexafluoroaluminate ions have been developed from cryos- cell operating temperature should form essentially all CO with
copy, density, viscosity, and Raman spectroscopy (8-5). The very little C02, However, net carbon consumption demon-
degree of dissociation, a, of the hexafluoroaluminate ion at strates that the primary anode product is essentially all C02.
the cryolite composition is about 0.3. Adding excess aluminum Reaction kinetics explain this surprising departure from
fluoride to the melt decreases the A1FS3~ and F~ and increases thermodynamic equilibrium. The desorption of CO from the
the A1F4- concentrations. carbon surface must be kinetically hindered. Thonstad and
Hove (10) propose that the initial oxygen-containing ions are
Dissolulion of Alumina transported through the double layer and discharged with
Virtually any addition to molten cryolite reduces alumina comparatively little overvoltage. This oxygen is chemisorbed
solubility. Since rapid dissolution and a high activity of alu- on the carbon surface as proposed by Blyholder and Eyring
mina are desirable, additives usually are limited to less than (11) for ordinary combustion, forming C20 (Fig. 4a). This
10 weight percent. When alumina dissolves, a strong chemical breaks down slowly to CO gas. Accumulating C20 removes
interaction takes place between the solute and solvent causing sites for further oxygen discharge. As more sites become oc-
melt properties to change (5). The evidence suggests several cupied, it takes more energy (overvoltage) to deposit oxygen.
oxygen-containing anions. Complex, rather bulky oxyfluo- Finally C302 forms, (Fig. 4b) which desorbs rapidly as C02
roaluminate tons, Al203:Fy6_2x_T) are likely rather than the forming fresh carbon sites for oxygen deposition.
simple aluminates such as A102~, A10+, A1204Z~, or AIO33-. Anode Effect
Probably a single oxygen atom is present per complex ion at
low concentrations of alumina and two at higher concentra- The anode effect is a phenomenon common to many fused
tions. Gilbert et ah (6) found by Raman spectroscopy that all salt electrolytic processes. Its physical manifestation is the
oxygen species had bridging A1—0—A1 bonds. Reactions (4) growth of larger and larger bubbles on the anode as the contact
and (5) present dissolution mechanisms consistent with the angle of the bubble diminishes. Finally, a few large bubbles
above. coalesce, forming a single large bubble that covers most if not
the entire surface of the anode. With a constant potential
4A1F63- + AI203 -a 3A130F62- + 6F~ (4) source, the current falls to a low value. With a constant current
2 A1F63- + 2 A1203 —
3A1202F42- (5) source, as used industrially, the applied potential rises to
c —
c —
c c —
Electrode Reactions
• o b
Cathode 0 „* 0
The fact that Na+ ion is the principal current carrier (7) and i \ / / \
• *
there is no Al3+ has lead some investigators to assume sodium —
c C c —
c —.c.
Vi
„
/ \ ^ ^
is the primary product discharged at the cathode and alumi-
num results from a secondary chemical reaction. Bowman (8) Figure 4. Formation of C02.
3A!F(soln) (14) area would be the study of combined heat flow, and electric
AlFa(s(oln)
current flow, taking electrode overvoltages into consideration.
Some evidence exists for dispersed (colloidal) aluminum (13). This could be extended to include ledging (the formation of
The equilibrium or saturation concentration of reduced a protective layer of frozen electrolyte on the sides of the cell)
species in the electrolyte is a function of electrolyte compo- and crusting. Studies of environmental problems could be
sition and temperature (14). The reduced species diffuses helpful. The Light Metals series of books published by The
through the boundary layer, Zone B, in Figure 5. Many in- Metallurgical Society of AIME provide a wealth of both fun-
vestigators believe that this is the rate controlling step. Next, damental and practical information on these topics.
electrolyte containing the reduced species is convectively
transported to the reaction Zone E. Here C02 goes into solu-
tion and most investigators believe it reacts instantaneously
with the dissolved reduced species, producing metal oxide and
CO. The reaction probably takes place within the boundary
layer of the C02 bubbles. A mathematical treatment of the
above has been made by Robl et al. (15) and Lillebuen et al.
(16).
Cell Voltage
The cell voltage is made up of a number of components:
Ecel! = E° + TJCA + TJSA + VCC + TJSC
~
HR A + Rr + Rc + Rx)
(15)
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