Patent ID: 6093304
Filing Date: 2000-07-25
Classification: C25C,Y02P

Abstract:
An electrolytic cell for the electrowinning of aluminium from alumina dissolved in a fluoride-based molten electrolyte, having a series of anodes facing a cathode cell bottom, the cathode cell bottom comprising a series of juxtaposed cathode blocks each having a sloped drained top cathode surface down which a layer of produced molten aluminium is continuously drained when the cathode block is in use to electrowin aluminium, the top surfaces of several cathode blocks placed laterally side-by-side forming a series of V-shaped sloped cathode surfaces, each cathode block further comprising a cut-out along the lower edge of its sloped top surface, so that two cathode blocks placed side-by-side and forming a V-shaped cathode surface have a recessed groove formed between them by juxtaposition of their respective cut-outs, said recessed groove being located along and below the bottom of the V-shaped sloped cathode surface, said groove during cell operation collecting and evacuating the molten aluminium drained from the bottom of the sloped V-shaped cathode surfaces.