Constellation, le dépôt institutionnel de l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi

Résumé

Carbon anode quality has a strong influence on the electrolytic process, cost, energy use, and environmental emissions. The current practice by visual inspection and the testing of cores taken from 1.5 to 2% of the anodes produced is prone to errors. A more reliable quality control is desirable. The SERMA technology gives the electrical resistivity distribution in industrial anodes (green or baked) based on a simple and non-intrusive measurement technique. Since the electrical resistivity is a good indicator of anode quality, SERMA can be used for on-line quality control. Its use in the paste plant would help eliminate defective green anodes and avoid their further processing. Testing of baked anodes would help save energy by eliminating the use of high-resistivity anodes during the electrolysis. The SERMA technology has been tested on a number of industrial anodes. This article presents the results for both green and baked anodes tested.