Thermal insulating materials for aluminum cell linings

Thermal insulation lining materials are important in aluminum electrolysis cells because they determine the temperature gradients that may affect the operational life of the cathode components.' The testing and selection of thermal insulating materials are critical for cathode design and cell performance; however, the literature on these topics is limited.(1-7) In this work, a variety of thermomechanical tests were performed to classify insulating materials according to their performance. Computational simulations showed how each type of insulation affects the heat balance of the cathode if applied in actual industrial cells.