Processing of oxide advanced ceramics as inert electrodes

Tin dioxide based ceramics, for their excellent corrosion resistance and heat resistant properties, are considered to be promising good materials for manufacturing non-consumable electrodes, in order to replace the carbon anodes in industrial aluminum electrolysis. Our studies in this latter field were focused on the SnO2-based ceramics doped with Sb2O3 and CuO. Different samples of this material were obtained by ceramic method as cylindrical pellets. By X-ray diffraction, and Scanning Electron Microscopy the phase composition and microstructure of the studied materials were investigated. Electrical conductivity was performed in the 293-1273K temperature range into the especial laboratory cell. The electrochemical behavior of tin dioxide - based ceramic as inert anodes was examined in a laboratory scale aluminum electrolysis cell by anodic polarization and preliminary cyclic-voltammetry measurements. The obtained results allow to select the ceramic material to be used as inert electrode in aluminium electrolysis.