It has been suggested that the alumina added to aluminium electrolysis cells should be pre-heated to obtain more rapid dissolution and thereby smoother operation. To investigate the effect of pre-heating, the formation of alumina "rafts" upon feeding a batch of alumina to the surface of molten...

The current efficiency (CE) in aluminium cells is governed by transport of dissolved metal (mainly sodium) across the boundary layer at the cathode. The transport takes place by ordinary mass transfer, but since solutions of alkali metals and their salts show electronic conductivity, the CE is also...