Patent ID: 7576534

Claim:
A method for forecasting the electrical conductivity of an anode for aluminum production, the method comprising: generating an excitation electromagnetic field; moving the anode, or a sample thereof, within at least one receiving coil electromagnetically coupled to the electromagnetic field before baking of the anode; sensing a variation in the electromagnetic field received by the at least one receiving coil and outputting a signal indicative thereof; calculating a value indicative of the electrical conductivity of the anode; wherein the value indicative of the electrical conductivity of the anode is calculated using the signal indicative of the variation in the electromagnetic field received by the at least one receiving coil and previously-recorded signals obtained with reference anodes before baking thereof and for which the electrical conductivity has also been directly measured after baking using conventional methods or by monitoring their efficiency during use; and the calculated value being indicative of the electrical conductivity of the anode after baking, comparing the value indicative of the electrical conductivity of the anode to a threshold value; and discarding the anode before baking based on the fact that its forecasted electrical conductivity is below the threshold value.