Formation mechanism and redissolution of cathode deposits and their influences on the cathodic voltage drop (CVD) in aluminum electrolysis process

铝的生产基于不同的技术，这些技术都是Hall-Heroult工艺的变体。从1900年到2011年，全球铝产量从8000 (t)增加到4500万(t)。在加拿大，每年大约生产300万(t)。Hall-Heroult工艺可以概括如下：氧化铝最初溶解在含有熔融冰晶石的浴液中，温度在940至980 ÂÂÂ℃之间，施加约300 kA电流后，铝在电解槽底部产生。这种方法需要由耐化学、热和机械降解的材料制成的电池。自1886年以来，几项技术进步导致了这一过程的重大改进。然而，能源消耗仍然很高（14000千瓦时/吨铝），为了进一步提高能源效率，需要更好地了解所涉及的现象。

The production of aluminum is based on different technologies, which are all the variants of the Hall-Heroult process. From 1900 to 2011, global production of aluminum increased from 8000 (t) to 45 million (t). In Canada, about 3 million (t) is annually produced. The Hall-Heroult process can be summarized as follows: the alumina is initially dissolved in a bath containing of molten cryolite at temperature between 940 and 980 ° C. Aluminum is then produced at the bottom of the electrolysis cell after applying about 300 kA current. This method requires a cell made of materials resistant to chemical, thermal and mechanical degradation. Since 1886, several technological advances have led to significant improvements of the process. However, the energy consumption remains high (14 000 kWh/t of aluminum), and a better understanding of the phenomena involved is required in order to further improve the energy efficiency.