Titanium Boride Inert Anode Coating for Aluminium Electrolysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing industrial processes for producing titanium boride, used in preparing inert anode and cathode materials for aluminium electrolysis, require demanding reaction conditions and have low reaction yields, making them costly and limiting their widespread application due to high comprehensive production costs.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the reaction of fluoroborate and fluorotitanate at 700-800°C to produce titanium boride, which is then used to create inert anode or cathode coatings with high yield and excellent firmness, eliminating the need for demanding conditions and allowing for high-pressure moulding or sintering to form durable materials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If existing industrial processes (direct reaction, boron carbide process, vapour deposition) are used to prepare titanium boride, then titanium boride can be produced, but the reaction conditions are demanding, reaction yield is low (less than 90%), and comprehensive production cost is high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the reaction parameters by using fluoroborate and fluorotitanate as raw materials instead of traditional methods. The reaction is conducted at 700-800°C under inert atmosphere, which are milder conditions compared to existing processes. This parameter change achieves high reaction yield (greater than 90%) while simplifying manufacturing requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces fluoroborate and fluorotitanate as intermediary compounds that facilitate the formation of titanium boride. These intermediaries enable the reaction to proceed under milder conditions with higher yield, acting as mediators between the starting materials and the final product
2Reliability
If titanium boride is prepared using existing processes, then the product can be obtained, but the comprehensive cost of production is high, making it difficult to realize wide application
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses fluoroborate and fluorotitanate as disposable raw materials that can be readily available and relatively inexpensive. These materials are consumed in the reaction to produce high-quality titanium boride, achieving cost-effective production while maintaining product reliability
Solution Approach 2:
By changing the reaction parameters to use fluoroborate and fluorotitanate at 700-800°C, the patent achieves both high product quality and reduced production cost, making titanium boride economically viable for wide application in inert anode and cathode materials
3Productivity
If conventional Hall-Heroult process with carbon anode and cathode is used, then aluminium electrolysis can be conducted, but carbon anode is constantly consumed forming carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide discharged into environment, and carbon cathode suffers long-term corrosion of cryolite
Solution Approach 1:
The patent produces titanium boride through reaction of fluoroborate and fluorotitanate, which serves as a composite inert material for anodes and cathodes. This composite material replaces carbon materials, eliminating carbon emissions and cryolite corrosion while maintaining electrolytic efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful carbon emission problem into a beneficial solution by using fluoroborate and fluorotitanate reaction products. The titanium boride produced is inert and environmentally friendly, transforming the harmful carbon-based system into a beneficial inert material system
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in a high-yield, cost-effective production of inert materials with excellent wettability and corrosion resistance, prolonging electrolytic cell service life and reducing overall aluminium electrolysis costs.
Implementation Method 1
adding the mixture of dried fluoroborate and fluorotitanate in the reactor and stirring quickly to enable a reaction for 4 to 6 hours to form titanium boride and cryolite
Implementation Method 2
aluminium electrolysis
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure provides a process for preparing an inert anode material or inert cathode coating material for aluminium electrolysis, which includes the following steps: A) putting aluminium into a reactor, injecting an inert gas to the reactor after vacuumizing, adding the mixture of dried fluoborate and fluorotitanate in the reactor to enable a reaction to form titanium boride and cryolite, and isolating the titanium boride; and B) melting the obtained titanium boride with a carbon material, tamping the melt liquid on a carbon cathode surface, sintering the carbon cathode surface to form the inert cathode coating material for aluminium electrolysis; or, mixing the obtained titanium boride with the carbon material evenly, then high-pressure moulding the mixture, and finally sintering the moulded mixture at a high temperature to form the inert anode material for aluminium electrolysis. The disclosure has advantages of simple process and high yield rate of reaction product, requiring no demanding reaction conditions; the reaction product has good corrosion resistance, excellent electrical conductivity and thermal shock resistance in preparing the inert anode material or inert cathode coating material for aluminium electrolysis, and the firmness also can meet the requirement of industrial use.