Diagnosing anode quality problems using optical macroscopy

Abstract

Anode quality assessment has become largely focused on laboratory tests undertaken on anode core samples. This is important, giving valuable insight to many anode quality problems and their potential causes. Anode “structural integrity” is, however, a critical anode property that is not directly assessed by these traditional anode core tests. Structural integrity is best described as how well a baked anode has been made, as evidenced by the visual appearance of the anode structure. Several methods have been used previously to visually assess anode structures, including optical image analysis. While these methods can highlight individual structural detail and features, they are not well suited to assessing overall anode structural integrity. This paper will outline a simple method for assessing baked anode structural integrity that uses USB macroscopy to evaluate anode quality and diagnose problems.