About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Electrode Technology for Aluminum Production
|
| Presentation Title |
Experimental Investigation of the Thermo-Chemo-Mechanical Behaviour of the NeO2 Ramming Paste During Baking |
| Author(s) |
Janick Bouchard-Perron, Daniel Marceau, Duygu Kocaefe, Simon-Olivier Tremblay, Antoine Godefroy |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Janick Bouchard-Perron |
| Abstract Scope |
Ramming paste plays a crucial role in aluminum reduction cells by confining the cathodic plane, directly impacting the efficiency, lifespan and overall performance of the cell. The start-up phase is particularly critical, as the paste undergoes thermal, chemical, and mechanical transformations during baking. This paper presents the methodology used to characterize the evolution of thermo-chemo-mechanical behaviour of the NeO2 ramming paste during baking. A new model, based on the mass loss of the ramming paste during baking, is proposed to evaluate the baking level of the paste, showing a dependency on the heating rate which has an influence on the release of volatiles and the binder transformation. Experimental results include the evolution of mechanical properties as well as the expansion/shrinkage evolution during baking. These findings are under implementation in a thermo-electro-mechanical ¼ cell finite element model to predict the quality of the cathodic plane’s confinement during the start-up phase. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: Light Metals |
| Keywords |
Other, Characterization, Mechanical Properties |