Abstract
Cathode wear is the main factor limiting the lifetime of high-amperage aluminum electrolysis cells with graphitized cathodes. The current article deals with an investigation of cathode wear in a laboratory cell, where the cathode is directly exposed to the electrolyte during electrolysis. The wear was shown to be electrochemical in nature and dependent on the current density, the rotation speed, and the depth of prefabricated slots in the cylindrical cathodes. The wear mechanism is discussed with respect to kinetics influencing the electrochemistry as well as the solubility of aluminum carbide in the electrolyte.