Progress of Inert Anodes in Aluminium Industry: Review

The paper is a review of the advancements achieved towards the research work done towards inert anodes for aluminium reduction cell. The research work dedicated towards inert anodes has been for more than a century, but significant advancement was made only a few decades ago. The aim of the researchers was to find the anode which shows excellent electrical conductivity and highly resistant towards corrosion with longer anodic lifetime but this is highly difficult to achieve. This article reviews the research work done on: (1) Ceramics, which are oxides of Ni, Sn, Fe, and Cu which can be one or a combination of oxides e.g. NiO - Li2O (2) Metals, in pure or alloy form (3) Cermets, oxides in combination with the metals. Some results obtained in laboratory scale cells were highly liable and gave a scope to try them on industrial cells.