JOM   2016 年

2016.06.27

Transparent aluminum electrolytic cells were used to study the effects of anode wettability and slots on bubble behavior in a similar environment to that used in industrial cells. Observations were conducted using two types of transparent cells, one with side-observation and the other with a bottom-observation cell design. Anodic bubbles rising process in the side channel is strongly affected by the wettability of the anode. After rising a short distance, the bubbles detach from the anode vertical surface at good-wetting anode cases, while the bubbles still attach to the vertical surface at poor-wetting anode cases. Anode slots of width of 4 mm are able to prevent smaller bubbles from coalescing into larger bubbles and thus decrease the bubble size and gas coverage on the anode. Anode slots also make a contribution in slightly reducing bubble thickness. With the presence of slots, the bubble-induced cell voltage oscillation decreases as well.