Quantitative evaluation of the cracking of carbon anodes by image analysis for aluminum industry

Quality of carbon anodes used in aluminum industry affects significantly the electrolytic cell performance including the energy consumption. One of the important factors that influence the anode quality is the cracking of anodes. Quantitative evaluation of this problem helps identify the causes and consequently allows the necessary corrective actions to be taken. The characterization of the baked anode cracking was done by determining the sizes (width, length) of the cracks and their distribution on the anode surface. This work was carried out using the image analysis technique. Two types of cracking, horizontal and vertical, were investigated for industrial baked anodes. The results show the types of cracks encountered in industrial anodes and indicate the regions susceptible to the formation of cracks. In this article, the characterization method will be described, and the results on the anode crack formation will be presented