Effect of Cu-Ni content on the corrosion resistance of (Cu-Ni)/(10NiO-90NiFe2O4) cermet inert anode for aluminum electrolysis

(Cu-Ni)/(10NiO-90NiFe2O4) cermet inert anodes containing metal Cu-Ni 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt pct were prepared and their corrosion resistance to Na3AlF6-Al2O3 melts was investigated. The results indicate that the content of metal Cu-Ni has little effect on the steady-state concentration of Ni in the electrolyte and the values could not be used to effectively differentiate their corrosion resistance. The steady-state concentration of Fe decreases from 304×10−6 to 168×10−6 and that of Cu increases from 21×10−6 to 71×10−6 with the content of metal Cu-Ni increasing from 0 to 20 wt pct. Post-examination shows that metallic phase Cu-Ni is corroded preferentially during electrolysis and many pores are left at the anode surface. Considering the corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity, the cermet containing metal Cu-Ni 5 wt pct should be selected and studied further.