Physico-Chemical Investigation of Potassium

Cryolite Molten Systems

Introduction
Aluminium
• 2nd widely used metal with low density, malleable, corrosion
resistant and good conductor

Applications
• Electronics

• Transport industry

• Buildings

• Packaging

• Engineering
Introduction
Production of primary aluminium
• Low melting K cryolite melts

• Inert anodes

http://www.essentialchemicalindustry.org/metals/aluminium.html
https://www.agral-project.com/the-agral-project/primary-aluminium-production/
Aim of the work
• Physico-chemical and electrochemical analysis of the KF-AlF3 system without and with addition of alumina at
different temperatures and compositions.
(density/viscosity/surface tension and electrical conductivity – Slovakia)
(vapor pressure/electrical conductivity and current efficiency – China)

Bilateral project SK-CN-2015-0014

Inovations in aluminium electrolysis – Physico-chemical and electrochemical investigation of promising

potassium cryolite molten systems (2016-2017)

Institute of Inorganic Chemistry SAS and Northeastern University, Shenyang

Principle investigators: Dr. B. Kubíková and prof. Z. Shi
Object and methods of research
KF-AlF3-LiF-Al2O3 system
 CR=1.7, 1.5 and 1.3

 Temperatures of primary crystallization – thermal analysis

 Density in temperature range (750-850)°C –

Archimedean method
Preliminary results
Temperatures of primary crystallizations 900
CR=1.7
880
w(Al2O3)=0.0
860 0
CR=1.7   840
w(LiF) w(Al2O3) tpk/°C 820

t/°C
800
0.00 0.00 875 780

0.05 0.00 822 760

740
0.10 0.00 797 720

0.00 0.05 822 700

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
w(LiF)
0.50 0.05 789
0.10 0.05 771

790
CR=1.5
780
CR=1.5   770
w(LiF) w(Al2O3) tpk/°C 760

0.00 0.00 776 750

t/°C
740
0.05 0.00 761
730
0.10 0.00 777 720
w(Al2O3)=0.0
0
0.00 0.05 732 710 w(Al2O3)=0.0
5
0.50 0.05 753 700
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
0.10 0.05 758 w(LiF)
Preliminary results
Temperatures of primary crystallizations

CR=1.3
CR=1.3   760
w(LiF) w(Al2O3) tpk/°C
0.00 0.00 657 740

0.05 0.00 751 720

0.10 0.00 749
700
0.00 0.05 623
0.50 0.05 720

t/°C
680
0.10 0.05 732 660

640
w(Al2O3)=0.00

620 w(Al2O3)=0.05

600
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
w(LiF)
Preliminary results
Density measurements
CR=1.7 t=820°C

CR=1.7
2.0500

2.0000

density/g.cm-3
1.9500

1.9000

w(Al2O3)=0.00
1.8500
w(Al2O3)=0.05

1.8000
0.000 0.010 0.020 0.030 0.040 0.050 0.060 0.070 0.080 0.090 0.100
w(LiF)
Preliminary results
Density measurements
CR=1.5 t=820°C

density /g.cm-3
CR=1.5
2.0000
1.9500
1.9000
1.8500
1.8000
1.7500
w(Al2O3)=0.00
1.7000
w(Al2O3)=0.05
1.6500
1.6000
-0.020 0.000 0.020 0.040 0.060 0.080 0.100
w(LiF)
Preliminary results
Density measurements
CR=1.3 t=820°C

CR=1.3
2.0000

1.9500

1.9000

density /g.cm-3
1.8500

1.8000
w(Al2O3)=0.00
1.7500 w(Al2O3)=0.05

1.7000
0.000 0.010 0.020 0.030 0.040 0.050 0.060 0.070 0.080 0.090 0.100
w(LiF)