The use of refectories and carbon cathode materials for the bottom blocks of electrolysis cells in aluminum industries was analyzed. The interaction of high-melting material with molten electrolyte was considered such that the film of molten electrolyte be formed on the cathode surface in the Hall-Heroult process. The isobaric-isothermal potential of interaction between borides and the components of molten alumina-based electrolytes at 1100°C were arranged according to the thermodynamic calculations. Result shows that the nitrides of high-melting transition metals interact with aluminum to yield aluminum nitride. Thermodynamic analysis of the interaction between high-melting compounds and the components of an electrolyte-alumina compounds shows that titanium composites can be used as cathode-wetting materials. Coating of titanium dibromide provided protection from attack by molten aluminum, erosion, and sodium infiltration.
