About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Electrode Technology for Aluminum Production
|
| Presentation Title |
Mesostructural Evolution Guided Optimization of Carbon Cathodes: An X-Ray Computed Tomography Study on Baking Process |
| Author(s) |
Jiaqi Li, Kejia Qiang, Hongliang Zhang, Jiguang Zhang, Yingtao Luo, Bo Han, Mengying Cai |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Jiaqi Li |
| Abstract Scope |
The baking process critically determines the physicochemical properties of carbon electrodes used in aluminum production. Although prior studies have established correlations between baking parameters and electrode performance through experimental and modeling approaches, the formation mechanisms of porous structures during baking remain poorly understood, limiting further performance optimization. In this study, we employed X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) and Digital Volume Correlation (DVC) to establish a mesoscale model of carbon cathode blocks and propose, for the first time, an intelligent optimization model for low-defect formulations. Through three-dimensional reconstruction, thermal deformation analysis, and pore classification, we quantitatively analyzed the dynamic structural evolution and crack initiation mechanisms within carbon blocks. Results indicate that most pores (cracks) form below 410 ℃. Between 240 ℃ and 410 ℃, secondary and primary pores exhibit predominantly many-to-many connectivity. Furthermore, based on the fractal dimension obtained from mesoscale CT analysis and combined with densest packing theory and particle swarm optimization, a particle size distribution model for low-crack carbon blocks was developed. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: Light Metals |