TMS Short Course: Industrial Aluminum Electrolysis

Course Content

Bénédicte Allard, Carbone Savoie

Ron Barclay, Alcoa

Phillipe Beghein, SGL Carbon

Wayne Hale, Formerly, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation (the TMS 2001 President)

Warren Haupin, Alcoa, Retired

Richard Jeltsch, Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation

Halvor Kvande, Hydro Aluminium, Norway

Jerry Marks, Formerly Alcoa, now IAI

Vinko Potocnik, Alcan International Ltd.

Alton Tabereaux, Formerly Reynolds Metals Company, now Alcoa

Gary Tarcy, Alcoa

Geir Wedde, Alstrom Power Environment

Barry Welch, Emeritus Professor Univ. of Auckland & Visiting Professor Univ. of New South Wales

Peter White, Heraeus Electro-Nite

Nick Zienkowicz, Vulcan Refractories Limited

Alumina Properties
Anode Carbon
Bath Chemistry
Cathode Blocks
Cathode Refractories
Cathode Start-Up
Cell Modernization
Cell Operations & C.E.%
Magnetic Modeling
Perfluorocarbon Emissions

Practical Application to Operations
Principles of Aluminum Electrolysis
Process Control
Process Simulation
Producing Good Quality Anodes
Tour of Aluminum Smelter
Smelter Organizational Structure and Management Style
Workers’ Health, Safety and Hygiene

In addition to the class work, the course will feature an on-site visit to a pre-bake aluminum smelter.

About the Presenters

Bénédicte Allard received a PhD in Physics of Materials in 1990. She then joined Carbone Savoie and has been working in Carbon Savoie Research Lab on cathode and sidewall products.

Ron Barclay has over thirty years of experience in the Aluminum Industry. His experience includes both operations and technical responsibilities. His involvement includes greenfield construction, new plant start-up, older plant restarts, and capital equipment design/selection/commissioning. His technology involvement goes from true R and D to field application, from adding new capacity to modernizing old capacity. He has a degree in Science and has lectured and presented numerous technical papers in various international venues, including The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society conferences, global carbon conferences, and other technical conferences. Mr. Barclay presently holds the position of Manager of Electrode Technology, Alcoa Primary Metals which includes global responsibilities for all Alcoa’s smelters.

Philippe Beghein is employed by SGL Carbon Group as Technical Service Manager, Carbon/Graphite Products. He is a Chemical Engineer. Philippe started in Graphite activities with Pechiney in 1980, Production, R&D, Technical Service Development Manager for graphite cathodes in 1990. Since 1993 he has been with the SGL Carbon Group.

Wayne Hale is the Vice President of Smelting, Refining and Power Generation for Kennecott Utah Copper in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is responsible for leading the safe and economical production of copper and electric power for the largest copper producer in the United States. Prior to joining Kennecott in 2000, Mr. Hale worked in the aluminum industry for 23 years From 1997-2000 he was the President, Primary Products Division, of Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation in Pleasanton, CA. responsible for leading the corporation’s worldwide primary aluminum production, premium product production, marketing and sales and intellectual asset marketing and sales with an annual turnover of more than $900 million. , Mr. Hale also worked for Rio Tinto, plc at Anglesey Aluminium Metal Limited in the United Kingdom as Technical Manager, Operations Manager then Managing Director over the years 1990-1997. Prior to 1990 he was employed by Kaiser Aluminum as Staff Technical Engineer, Assistant Potline Manager, Senior Technical engineer and Potline Engineer.

Mr. Hale’s career accomplishments include the “Telly” Award for the best Educational Video Series, “The Basics of Aluminum Production” in 1991; Invited speaker to House of Lords – “Impact of Carbon Tax on Aluminium Smelting” in 1996 & 1997; Listed in “Who’s Who – Europe, 1994-Present; Member TMS, author of multiple papers, held leadership positions, presently President of TMS and past Light Metals Division Chair, 1983-Present; Aluminium Federation (ALFED), UK – President of Primary Producers, 1994-1997; Director – Antur Menai, UK, 1995-1997; North Wales Business Forum, UK, 1996-1997; Rotary Club and Club President, UK, 1994-1997; Aluminum Transactions – Advisory Board Member, 1998-Present.

Warren Haupin received a B.S. degree in electrochemical engineering from the Pennsylvania State University in 1942. His professional career, until retirement, was spent with the R&D organization of the Aluminum Company of America. There he rose to the rank of Senior Fellow. In 1984 he was the first recipient of the Francis C. Frary Award for Technical Excellence. This award is given by the Aluminum Company of America for outstanding contribution to Alcoa technology. In 1996 he received the TMS Light Metals Technical Service Award. In 1985 he received the TMS Light Metals Best Paper Award. In 1972 he was a co-recipient of the Wasserman Award of the American Welding Society.

His research has ranged from welding and brazing of aluminum, aluminum purification techniques, fundamental and practical aspects of Hall-Héroult cell technology, to advanced aluminum production processes. He has lectured on aluminum smelting at numerous colleges and universities and has had many consulting assignments in the United States and other parts of the world. Mr Haupin has published numerous chapters for books and encyclopedias, numerous technical papers and holds 20 U.S. patents. He is a registered professional engineer and a member of The Mineral, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), The Electrochemical Society, The Instruments Society of America and The Scientific Research Society of North America.

Richard Jeltsch received his BS degree in Chemistry from Allegheny College , Meadville, PA in 1969 and his MS in Chemistry from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH in 1971.

After eight years in the US Air Force, he joined Kaiser Aluminum in 1980 as a Process Engineer at the Mead smelter. He spent ten years in various reduction process engineering roles including Environmental Manager for the smelter before being named Cathode Specialist for Kaiser's Primary Products Division in 1990. In that role Mr. Jeltsch is responsible for improvement of cathode technology in Kaiser smelters and for Kaiser's technology sales customers. This includes testing and qualification of materials, construction and repair practices, and lining design. Mr. Jeltsch specializes in cathode failure analysis and has conducted more than 100 autopsies of failed cells.

He is a member of TMS and has presented papers at the 1984 and 1992 annual meetings.

Halvor Kvande (1945) graduated from NTNU, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in Trondheim, Norway in 1969. He eared his dr. ing. Degree in 1972 and his dr. techn. degree in high-temperature inorganic chemistry from the same university in 1979. The subject of the last thesis was: Thermodynamics of the Electrolyte Used in Aluminium Electrolysis Cells, Studied by Vapour Pressure Measurements. Since 1980 he has worked with Hydro Aluminum Metals Products in Ardal, Karmoy and Oslo. His major field has been research and development work on the chemistry of the Hall - Heroult process primary production of aluminum. For the last ten years he has also worked part-time as Adjunct Professor at his Alma Mater NTNU in Trondheim. He is the author or co-author of more than 125 scientific and technical papers, as well as 4 books, on aluminium electrolysis and related topics.

Jerry Marks is currently serving as consultant to the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) with headquarters in London, U.K. on climate change, perfluorinated (PFCs) gases measurement and inventorying of greenhouse gases. Prior to his work for IAI Jerry was employed by Alcoa, Inc at the Alcoa Technical Center and served as Alcoa’s liaison with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as the Voluntary Aluminum Industrial Partnership manager coordinating efforts aimed at PFC emissions reductions. He has been active in PFC sciences since the early 1990s and has chaired the U.S. Aluminum Association PFC Task Force and has participated in a number of U.S. and international PFC workshops and meetings. Jerry has also been active in the development of PFC measurement methodology and has authored and co-authored a number of publications in this area.

Vinko Potocnik obtained his Ph.D. in plasma physics at The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada in 1973. Since then, he has worked at Alcan International Ltd, Arvida Research and Development Center. He has extensive experience in modeling, operation and control of aluminum electrolysis cells, with special attention on magnetohydrodynamics, energy balance, dynamic process simulation and experimental evaluation of cells. He participated in the design and operation of Alcan’s high amperage experimental cells. His other activities include modeling of carbon baking furnaces and teaching. He is the author or co-author of many published papers in aluminum reduction.

Alton Tabereaux is Manager of Process Technology, Alcoa Primary Metals. He graduated with a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Alabama in 1971. He worked in Research and Development at Reynolds Metals Company for 26 years. He has become an acclaimed world leader in cell diagnostics and operations as well as being a regular contributor to TMS Light Metals. He teaches in the TMS Industrial Aluminum Electrolysis course as well as the international course on Process Metallurgy of Aluminum held in Norway each year. He has obtained 15 US patents and published over 50 technical papers.

Gary Tarcy is Manager, Energy Efficiency Alcoa Primary Metals. In this function he interacts, advises and directs efforts towards improving current and power efficiency for Alcoa smelters worldwide. In particular, these responsibilities include improved pot control systems, improved pot room practices and improved measurement systems used by the smelters. His presentations in this course will include Optimization of Current Efficiency, Pot Control and Fluoride Emissions.

Geir Wedde was born February 9, 1949 in Oslo, Norway. He obtained his B.Sc.H. University degree in Applied Physics from the University of Strathclyde, Glasglow, Scotland, and received his post graduate degree of M:Sc in Environmental Pollution Control from Leeds University, Leeds, England in 1977.

He has been employed at Alstom Power Norway for the past 22 years, currently as Technology Manager for air pollution control systems to the aluminum industry. He has worked on dry scrubber projects in Norway, Dubai, Bahrain, India, Canada and Australia, and spent 3 years in Brazil as project manager during the Albras smelter construction.

Geir has presented several papers and has been lecturing on emission control at various aluminum conferences and courses.

Barry Welch is in his 40th year of research and development associated with aluminum smelting technology. He has worked in the industry as well as consulting, directing research programs, and publishing extensively on aspects of smelter technology.

Peter White is employed by Heraeus Electro-Nite Int. N.V. as a Product Application Manager, based in Belgium. Peter graduated with a BSc degree in Metallurgy in Sheffield (UK) in 1985. Following four years working as a Research Metallurgist for a foundry research institute (BCIRA), Peter was appointed product specialist for a subsidiary company of Heraeus Electro-Nite, initially concentrating on sensor applications in the iron and steel industry. In 1997 Peter was appointed to his present position as Product Manager, focussing on the application of sensors in the primary aluminium industry.

Nick Zienkowicz is currently a Director of Vulcan Refractories Limited. He is a Licentiate of the Institute of Ceramics from the North Staffs Polytechnic and has 20 years experience within the refractories industry occupying positions within technical, production and sales areas.

CANCELLATION POLICY

In the event that course registration is not sufficient, attendees will be notified of course cancellation a minimum of 10 days prior to the scheduled beginning of the course. Individuals wishing to cancel their registration may due so on or before the August 20, 2001 registration deadline, for a minimal $25 processing fee. No refunds will be granted after the August 20 deadline.

Administrative Details

Tuition:

Registration:

portable document format

August 20, 2001

When:

Where: The Camberley Brown Hotel, 335 West Broadway, Louisville, Kentucky. Lodging charges are not included in the tuition fee, however, a block of rooms has been reserved with The Camberley Brown Hotel, (telephone 502/583-1234, facsimile 502/587-7006) at a group rate price of $125.00 + tax per night for single or double occupancy. Participants are expected to make their own reservations by August 20, 2001.

Who Should Attend?

Course Content

About the Presenters

Administrative Details

Questions?

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