Refractories for Aluminum: Electrolysis and the Cast House by Andrey Yurkov, a new book published by Springer, details the rigorous requirements for refractories designed for aluminium metallurgical processes: reduction, casthouse, and anode production. The author describes requirements specific to the properties and structure of refractory materials that differentiate it from materials used for ferrous metallurgy, among others. A comparison is drawn between the properties and structure of refractories and carbon cathode materials from different points of view: from the perspective of physical chemistry and chemical interactions during the metallurgical process and from the aspect of designing reduction pots and furnaces to accommodate the lifetime of metallurgical aggregates that are a part of aluminum refractory processes.
Key aspects of Refractories for Aluminum:
- Reveals key principles of physical chemistry that play a significant role in aluminium production
- Summarizes requirements for optimized structure and properties of refractory materials
- Addresses contradictory concepts on critical components of refractories — the lining of reduction cells, thermal balance, and the features that constitutes the best refractory materials
The author of Refractories for Aluminum, Andrey Yurkov, graduated from the Department of Ceramics and Refractories at the Moscow Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology. He holds a Ph.D. in structural ceramics and a Dr. Sci. in materials science of refractory materials. Professor Yurkov has more than a 100 publications to his name. His areas of expertise and interests include materials science and processing of non-oxygen and oxygen-containing ceramics and refractories, and their applications in the aluminium industry. Yurkov is currently a research scientist at UC Rusal. He has also served as the organizer and chairperson of the seminar and conference, Refractories and Carbon Cathode Materials for the Aluminium Industry.