New technology for cost-effective aluminum production developed near Lake Baikal

Scientists in Irkutsk, in Siberia, have come up with a method of restoring an important, yet easily deformable component used in aluminum production

Scientists at Irkutsk State Technical University (ISTU) in Siberia, by Lake Baikal, have come up with a method of restoring an important, yet easily deformable component used in aluminum production, the ISTU press service announced. Foundry shops at factories are expected to benefit most from this new technology of patching up anode pins in aluminum electrolyzers. The Siberian researchers claim they will be able to breathe new life into the pins that get misshaped through grueling wear and have been considered production waste so far. According to preliminary estimates, by adopting the technology an aluminum producer could save at least $430,000 a year. Taking into account the fact that factories typically replace about 10% of their anode pins a year, for a large aluminum producer such as Bratsk Aluminum in the Irkutsk region a saving could reach ?more than $10m a year,? the developers think. The researchers suggest that the lower part of a steel anode electricity-conducting pin be repaired using a protective coating made of a heat-resistant metal...