Improving quality of alloys and saving alloying and refining additives while the external cathode and anode are exposed to the melt in constant electric field

Abstract

The advanced methods for the alloy composition regulation at some consumption of slag-forming additives are suggested. When implementing the proposed technology, the slag functions as a protector and electric conductor, and redox processes are determined by the magnitude and the applied potential function. The cathodic and anodic polarization of aluminum alloys in alundum and graphite crucibles is studied with the curves polarization method. The behavior of components of aluminum alloys is studied under external cathodic and anodic effects of the melt with a constant electric field. During the cathode polarization there is a significant decrease of Mg loss in the aging process of the melt; on the contrary, anodic polarization increases the loss in comparison with the melting without external electrochemical action. The content of iron and nickel under anodic polarity of the melt is not reduced if it is compared to the melting without electrochemical action due to passivation. The elements at the end of the electrochemical series are mostly protected. Thus, copper, under the cathodic polarization, and especially the anodic one is wasted less.