Calculation and graphical presentation of physico-chemical properties of aluminum electrolytes.

The influence of a particular addittive to the aluminum electrolyte is often very complex. While it can exhibit a desired impact on one property, it can negatively influence others. The only possibility to find the proper type and amount of additions is the optimization of the physico-chemical properties of the electrolyte. For this purpose the computer program FYZCHEM was designed. This program offers quick calculation and extensive graphical representation and comparison of the ten most important physico-chemical properties of the aluminum electrolyte - temperature of primary crystallization density, electrical conductivity, viscosity, vapor pressure, alumina solubility, solubility of aluminum in the electrolyte, surface tension, thermal conductivity and density difference between aluminum and electrolyte. Users can quickly obtain exact information on the influence of additives on the values of a particular property. Equations used in the program were constructed on the basis of our own experimental data as well as literature data. Users have an option to enter their own equation for each property. It is possible to compute and compare four arbitrarily selected properties using four graphical windows at the time. It is possible to select two constituents of the electrolyte as independent variables. In such a case iso-lines diagrams are displayed together with the limiting lines for alumina solubility and liquidus curve and thus clearly defining the safe working region.