Consumable anode and anode assembly for electrolytic reduction of metal oxides

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017260635-A1
Application number	US-201615064106-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 8, 2016
Priority date	Mar 8, 2016
Publication date	Sep 14, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An anode assembly is provided having a pair of channels; anodes in slidable communication with the channels; conduit to direct carrier gas to the anode; and conduit to remove reaction gas from the anode. Also provided is a method for continuously feeding anodes into a electrolytic bath, the method having the steps of stacking the anodes such that all of the anodes reside in the same plane and wherein the stack includes a bottom anode; contacting the bottom anode with the electrolytic bath for a time and at a current sufficient to cause the bottom anode to be consumed during an electrolytic process; using gravity to replace the bottom anode with other anodes defining the stack.

First claim

1 . An anode assembly comprising:
a. a pair of channels; b. anodes in slidable communication with the channels; c. conduit to direct carrier gas to the anode; and d. conduit to remove reaction gas from the anode.

2 . The anode assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the anodes reside in the same plane within the channels.

3 . The anode assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein a lower region of the assembly is adapted to be immersed in an electrolytic bath.

4 . The anode assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein a lower region of the assembly is encapsulated by a porous, electrically conductive substrate.

5 . The anode assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein the perforated substrate defines a horizontally disposed region adapted to receive pieces of anode.

6 . The anode assembly as recited in claim 4 wherein the perforated substrate is electrically isolated from the anode and charged via a separate secondary circuit to prevent parasitic reactions from occurring at the anode and cathode.

7 . The anode assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein the anodes are gravity fed into the electrolytic bath.

8 . A method for continuously feeding a first plurality of anodes into a electrolytic bath, the method comprising:
a) stacking anodes such that all of the anodes reside in the same plane and wherein the stack includes a bottom anode; b) contacting the bottom anode with the electrolytic bath for a time and at a current sufficient to cause the bottom anode to be consumed during an electrolytic process; c) using gravity to replace the bottom anode with other anodes defining the stack.

9 . The method as recited in claim 8 wherein a pair of channels maintain the anodes in the same plane.

10 . The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising continually removing product gases emanating from the contacted bottom anode.

11 . The method as recited in claim 8 wherein all of the anodes continually move toward the electrolytic bath during electrolysis.

12 . The method as recited in claim 8 wherein a second plurality of anodes can be added during electrolysis.

13 . The method as recited in claim 8 wherein anodes can be added during electrolysis.

14 . The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising continually removing off gas from anode surfaces.

15 . The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising capturing anode pieces from the anodes during electrolysis and consuming those pieces in the redox reactions of the electrolytic process.

16 . The method as recited in claim 15 wherein the capturing process comprises:
d) maintaining the anode at a first electrical potential;
e) surrounding the maintained anode with a shroud that is maintained at a second electrical potential

17 . The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the shroud is adapted to allow electrolyte and ions to pass through it, while simultaneously preventing pieces of anode from passing through it.

18 . The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the first electrical potential and the second electrical potential are the same.

19 . The method as recited in claim 16 wherein the first electrical potential is different than the second electrical potential.

Assignees

• Motsegood Perry N
• Willit James L
• Williamson Mark A
• Wiedmeyer Stanley G
• Koehl Eugene R
• Uchicago Argonne Llc

Inventors

• Motsegood Perry N
• Willit James L
• Williamson Mark A
• Wiedmeyer Stanley G
• Koehl Eugene R

Classifications

• C25C1/22

  of metals not provided for in groups C25C1/02 - C25C1/20 · CPC title

• C25C3/34

  of metals not provided for in groups C25C3/02 - C25C3/32 · CPC title

• C25C7/06

  Operating or servicing · CPC title

• C25C7/02

  Electrodes (consumable anodes for the refining the metals C25C1/00 - C25C5/00); Connections thereof · CPC title

• C25C7/007 Primary

  of cells comprising at least a movable electrode (C25C7/002, C25C7/02 - C25C7/06 take precedence) · CPC title