MODERN RESOURCE-SAVING TECHNOLOGY TO PRODUCE ANODE MASS IN METALLURGICAL INDUSTRY
Intensification of aluminum production by the electrolysis of cryolite-alumina melts requires constant updating and high quality of applied raw materials. For the first time in the world practice environmentally friendly oil pitch obtained by liquid-phase catalytic oxidative cracking has been used in non-ferrous metallurgy. As compared with the traditional use of coal-tar pitch its advantage is complete absence of the source of carcinogens 3,4 Benz[a]pyrene in this binder. A modified heavy pyrolysis tar with the increased coke number of up to 25 units has been also used as a binder for the anode mass. The PURPOSE of this study is development of new carbon compositions based on oil pitch containing minimum of carcinogenic substances as compared with the traditional use of coal-tar pitch in aluminum production by the electrolysis of cryolite-alumina melts. METHODS. For the first time ever the article presents the results of studying petroleum tar obtained by the catalytic liquid phase oxidative cracking. The results of the chromato-mass-spectrometry of the samples of the produced tar did not show the presence of benzo[a]pyrene in tar composition. RESULTS. The paper provides the results of testing environmentally friendly petroleum tar obtained by the catalytic liquid-phase oxidative cracking technology and modified heavy pyrolysis tar with the possibility of their practical use for modern resource-saving technology in non-ferrous metallurgy in the production of dry anode mass. CONCLUSIONS. Conducted studies show high ecological and economic efficiency of using petroleum tar and modified heavy pyrolysis tar as binding components when producing dry anode mass to obtain primary aluminum in reduction cells with Soderberg anode.