Anode Technology March 2019

Anode Technology
Leading the way

Sohar Aluminium, Oman

(courtesy of Sohar Aluminium)

Anode quality is crucial to the safe and optimal operation of any potline. Over the
last years, we have focused on developing processes and technologies to
constantly deliver high anode quality. Innovations include the SCAP-Rhodax® ,Bi-
Eirich processes, and advanced baking furnace technologies.

AP Technology Anode Solutions

At Rio Tinto, we know what it takes to produce high quality anodes: state of the art know-how,
unmatched industrial experience, continuous R&D and our advanced AP Technology™ anode
solutions. That's why we're recognised worldwide as the leader in designing, building and operating
paste plants, anode baking furnaces and rodding shops.

Together these innovations provide you with the benefits of unrivalled performance, low investment
costs, continuous process improvements, unprecedented reliability and simplified anode plant
construction, commissioning and operation.

End-to-end services

Our flexible AP Technology™ anode solution ranges from complete anode plant or baking furnace
construction to plant retrofits. Our services include:

• Pre-feasibility studies
• Transfer of anode technology expertise through licensing agreements
• Basic engineering of the paste plant, baking furnace and rodding shop including all handling
systems
• Detailed engineering of the baking furnace refractory, insulation and concrete casing
• Training at our Institut Paul Héroult Technical support during construction, commissioning and
operation
• Refractory supply quality control services
• Lab analysis of raw materials, baked anodes and specific construction materials

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 Worldwide users of AP Technology™ anode solutions

Production
Complete anode
capacity Baking furnace Furnace retrofit
plant
(kt/year)

Alba 2 84 2002

Alba 4 169 2005

Almahdi 72 2008

Alouette 1 125 1992 2006

Alouette 2 169 2004

Alro 135 2004

Aluar 2 76 2013

Aluar 3 184 2007/2009

Aluminium of Greece 80 1965 2018

Boyne 235 2012

Dunkerque 125 1991 2013

EGA Al Taweelah 330 2013

Egyptalum 173 2000

Hillside 3 70 2003

Hindalco Aditya 197 2013

Hindalco Mahan 197 2013

Kitimat 250 2015

Kurri Kurri 100 2004

Lauralco 125 1991 2014-2017

Maaden 480 2012/2013

Mozal 1 135 2000

Mozal 2 135 2003

Nalco 2 105 2003

Qatalum 340 2010

Trimet Saint-Jean-
150 2015
de-Maurienne
Sebree 1 33 2009

Sebree 2 109 2011

Sohar 200 2008

Tomago 1 135 1983 2008

Tomago 3 83 2003

Zalco D 82 2003

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 Anode Technology March 2019

Sohar Aluminium smelting showcasing our

industry leading anode solution

• High productivity SCAP-Rhodax® process

• Capex efficient Bi-Eirich mixing line
• Lowest baking furnace capital expenditure
due to nine pits per section
• Significantly reduced baking furnace energy
consumption of 1.6 GJ/t
• New fluewall and headwall design ensuring
refractory stability with heat expansion
• New fire process control methodology to
manage short fire cycle and ensure
complete combustion of volatile matters

Our state of the art anode

solution is part of our AP
Technology™ offer, the
industry's most
comprehensive smelter Sohar Aluminium Baking Furnace (courtesy of Sohar Aluminium)

technology and services

Green Anode Process
package. With many paste plants in operation, we are
focused on developing and optimising green
processes to address the challenges of
amperage creep and declining raw material
Improved HSE standard performance
quality.
Our commitment ta health, safety and
environment (HSE) excellence is reflected in Our innovative approach and extensive
our anode process technologies. experience in green anode processes ensure
you benefit from the best basic engineering,
Our state-of-the-art AP TechnologyTM anode
specifications, flow sheet and technical
package includes, for example, bake processes
assistance, to produce high density anodes.
that minimise waste and reduce environmental
impacts. Thorough combustion of fuel and SCAP-Rhodax®: a state-of-the-art process
volatiles in the fluewalls ensure low tar content Developed in conjonction with Fives Solios in
in the fumes. Our worldwide expertise and Aluminium Dunkerque Smelter in France, this
sophisticated modelling tools yielded a furnace high productivity paste plant process results in
design that minimises energy consumptions and an anode with improved density and high
lowers CO2 emissions. A one-step dry fume resistance to thermal shock craking. At the
treatment uses alumina to scrub the fumes Alba, Sohar Aluminium and Ma’aden smelters,
without solid or liquid by-product rejection. licensees use our SCAP-Rhodax® process to:
Emission performance (at stack) • Produce an aggregate with a naturally high
grain-to-sand (G/S) ratio after the fines
Specified Typical
fraction addition
Total particules <5 mg/Nm
3
<3.3 mg/Nm
3
• Lower investment and maintenance costs
due to the need of only two fractions as
3 3
Gaseous fluoride <0.5 mg/Nm <0.25 Mg/Nm opposed to four or more on conventional
3 3 preparation lines
PAH 16 US EPA <2.5 mg/Nm <1.5 mg/Nm
3 3
Specific flow rate <4,500 Nm /t <4,000 Nm /t

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 Anode Technology March 2019

The Bi-Eirich mixing line New fluewalls are prefabricated outside the
The use of two Eirich continuous mixers furnace which facilitates fluewall replacement
provides an alternative to conventional mixing and avoids slowing down furnace production
processes, reducing investment and during maintenance.
maintenance costs while producing anodes with
similar characteristics. We've gained strong Rodding shop and anode handling facilities
industrial experience with this process at the Modelling and simulation optimise the rodding
Alucam (15 t/h), Sohar Aluminium (36 t/h), shop design (configuration, conveyor lengths,
Kitimat (36 t/h) andMa’aden (40 t/h) smelters. machine numbers and trolleys) and anode
handling equipment (furnace tending
High densification vibrating compactors with assemblies, auxiliary cranes and conveyor
counter pressure and vacuum layouts from the furnace ta the storage area).
Our industrial experience at Alma, Aluchemie, For an existing operation, this resulting analysis
Boyne, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, Sohar allows to improve the rodding shop
Aluminium and Kitimat facilities enables us to performance by reducing cycle time and
help optimise vibrating compactors to produce enhancing reliability.
high density anodes. These compactors
increase anode density by two to four points Technical assistance
with the absence of cracks (baked apparent Dedicated and experienced technical support is
density above 1.60 with typical coke quality). provided during anode plant start-up and
operation:
Anode baking furnace
We constantly strive to lower investment and • Green process optimisation leading to
operating costs by providing: increased anode density and improved
thermal shock resistance with high G/S ratio
• High anode production capacity up to 85 • Baking process optimisation resulting in
kt/year/fire and low refractory mass decreased gas consumption and tar
• 3D modelling to optimise fluewall design for emissions, and increased baking
flow and temperature homogeneity, pressure homogeneity and fluewall life
drop and refractory deformation with heat • Control of carbon dust problems including
expansion raw material specifications and baking
• New fluewall concepts. process optimisation
• Raw materials and anode manufacturing
AP Technology™ advanced anode technology processes optimisation supported by our
and know-how produce tangible results R&D programme
including:

Low energy consumption Contacts

Fuel (oil / gas) 1.8 - 2.4 GJ/t Technology sales department
725, rue Aristide Bergès Centr'Alp - BP 7
Packing coke 5 – 10 kg/t
38341 Voreppe Cedex France
Homogeneous level of baking T +33 (0)4 76 57 85 00
F + 33 (0)4 76 56 61 10
Typical Lc average 30 – 35 A ap-technology.com
Standard deviation 1A

Average internal fluewall life currently Rio Tinto Aluminium head office
over 150 baking cycles (about seven to 1188 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal,
eight years) assuming efficient anode Quebec H3A 3G2 Canada
butt cleaning in the rodding shop T +1 514 848 8000
F + 1 514 848 8115
Furnace retrofit capabilities include anode size riotintoaluminium.com
increases, concrete casing (tub) modification
and conversion of closed furnace to open
furnace design.