Review-Primary Production of Aluminium with Oxygen Evolving Anodes

Due to environmental and economic concerns, carbon-free aluminium production has been an ultimate goal for aluminium industries. For the past few decades, a considerable amount of research has been conducted to find an inert anode material that could replace the consumable carbon anodes for aluminium electrolysis. Anodic materials such as metals, ceramics and cermets have been studied extensively. All these anode materials have their advantages and disadvantages. However, metal alloys have proven effective due to their resistance to high-temperature corrosion and ability to produce a protective oxide layer. For a successful adaptation of metallic anodes into the aluminium electrolysis cell, an electrolyte with a low-operating temperature and high alumina solubility with good electrical conductivity is required. Another significant component of the carbon-free aluminium electrolysis cell is a wettable cathode to reduce the anode-cathode distance. This review discusses the research progress on inert anodes, wettable cathodes and electrolytes.