Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for producing lithium from an aluminum-lithium alloy scrap comprising (a) a dryer for removing moisture from solid aluminum-lithium alloy; (b) a reservoir for heating and holding molten aluminum-lithium alloy; (c) a three-layered electrolysis cell comprising a most dense lowest layer of molten aluminum-lithium alloy, a middle layer of molten salt electrolyte, and an uppermost layer of molten lithium; and (d) a reactive gas fluxing unit to remove water present in the molten salt.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for treating spent potlining from the electrolytic smelting of aluminum in cryolite including burning the spent potlining to form an ash, mixing with a siliceous material either before or after the ash-forming step, and heating to form a residue suitable for landfill. The ash and siliceous material are mixed in a specified mole ratio of at least about 1.4 silicon to sodium. The process further includes cooling the residue rapidly.The residue formed by the process of the present invention produces a spent potlining suitable for landfill characterized by a low leachability of fluorine in water.

Abstract: The present invention provides a eutectic aluminum base alloy and anode made therefrom which may include at least two elements from the group consisting of scandium, bismuth, cadmium, gallium, indium, lead, mercury, thallium, tin, and zinc. The alloying elements are present in the aluminum alloy in such quantity that they are at least in part liquid at the sites of local reaction on the anode. The preferred alloying components are eutectics of the elements. The alloys and anodes have a high overpotential for water reduction. The purity of the aluminum is preferably at least about 99.99%. Preferred compositions are aluminum-gallium-indium, aluminum-gallium-indium-tin, aluminum-gallium-indium-tin-zinc, aluminum-gallium-indium-zinc, aluminum-gallium-zinc, aluminum-gallium-tin, and aluminum-bismuth-cadium-indium-lead-tin. The alloying elements may preferably be present in a total amount of about 0.01 to 3.0 percent based on total alloy weight. In an alternate embodiment a molten anode may be employed.

Abstract: The invention includes producing a stable polybutadiene film on an alumina support wherein the alumina contains an alumina having a habit or form of crystals formed during a precipitation of aluminum hydroxide from an alkali metal aluminate by preselecting and controlling the pH of the alkali metal aluminate and the addition of certain monohydric and polyhydric alcohols to the alkali metal aluminate solution. Precipitation is controlled to form crystals having a habit or form which varies from principally acicular to principally lamellar crystal forms. This alumina is (a) coated with polybutadiene to form a polymer film layer on the alumina support and (b) the polymer film layer is cross-linked to form a stable polybutadiene coated and crosslinked on a support of acicular or lamellar alumina.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing hydrotalcite in high yield including reacting activated magnesia with an aqueous solution containing aluminate, carbonate, and hydroxyl ions. The method further includes a first step of heating magnesium carbonate or magnesium hydroxide to a temperature between about 500.degree.-900.degree. C. to form activated magnesia or magnesium oxide. The method is suited to producing synthetic hydrotalcite from industrial Bayer liquor.

Abstract: Disclosed in a process for recovering aluminum flouride, caustic, and carbon from spent potlining retrieved from an aluminum electrolytic reduction cell. Spent potlining is treated by leaching with a caustic solution to produce a fluoride-rich basic liquor and carbonaceous solid residue followed by contacting the carbonaceous solid with an acid bath of aluminum sulfate and sulfuric acid to produce a fluoride-rich acid liquor.

Abstract: Continuously-cast lithium-containing alloy ingots are produced by a direct chill process including cooling the alloy to form a continuous ingot having a solid shell and further cooling the ingot by direct chill with an organic coolant. The organic coolant in one aspect includes a modified hydrocarbon fluid, e.g., ethylene glycol, having less than a predetermined moisture content. The method includes recirculating coolant while controlling moisture content. An ingot formed by the present invention provides small dendrite arm spacing in a relatively large size ingot. Aircraft plate or sheet is produced from the ingot of the present invention.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy that may be used as an anode in a battery displays high voltage and high coulombic efficiency when used with a caustic electrode by the presence of about 0.03 to 0.2 percent tin. Additionally, about 0.03 to 0.07 percent gallium and/or 0.002 to 0.006 percent silicon may be added. It is preferred that the purity of the aluminum be at least as pure as 99.995%. A heat treatment enhances voltage and efficiency.

Abstract: A recovery process is disclosed for reclaiming the lithium content from aluminum-lithium alloy scrap including establishing a three-layered electrolytic cell comprising a most dense lowest layer of molten aluminum-lithium alloy, a middle layer of molten salt electrolyte, and an uppermost layer of molten aluminum-lithium; maintaining the lowest layer of molten aluminum-lithium alloy at a positive DC voltage with respect to the uppermost layer of molten lithium; establishing a current flow through the cell; establishing a specified composition in the molten salt electrolyte such that lithium in the lowest layer is electrochemically oxidized and passes into the molten salt electrolyte as lithium ions and further such that said lithium ions are electrochemically reduced and pass into the uppermost layer as lithium metal; and withdrawing lithium from the uppermost layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides in-situ electrolyte storage for batteries. The size of the reserve battery is significantly smaller due to the placement of an elastomeric sealed container within the interelectrode space of the battery. The sealed container contains the electrolyte. When punctured, the electrolyte flows out of the sealed container and into the electrode space. Substantially simultaneously, the elastomeric sealed container shrinks back allowing the electrolyte to flow into the interelectrode space allowing for the reaction. Preferably, the sealed container is made of elastomeric material that is flexible yet with good memory. This will allow the sealed container to shrink back to a small size when punctured. In addition, the sealed container should have have a low permeability to the electrolyte so as to minimize the amount of electrolyte that escapes from the sealed container while the electrolyte is being stored.

Abstract: Disclosed is an aluminum-lithium alloy containing a predetermined amount of lanthanides which provides the alloy with an improved combination of strength and fracture toughness relative to a baseline alloy not containing lanthanides but otherwise having the alloy's composition.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy contains at least about 0.01 to 0.2 weight percent gallium, at least about 0.01 to 0.2 weight percent tin, and at least about 0.01 to 0.2 weight percent lead. In another embodiment, the alloy may contain at least about 0.01 to 0.2 weight percent indium in lieu of the tin. The balance of both alloys is aluminum, tolerable levels of trace metals, and impurities. Preferably, the aluminum is present in 99.9% purity. The alloy can be used advantageously as an anode in an aluminum-air battery. The gallium-tin-lead aluminum alloy when used as an anode, is preferably used with a salt water electrolyte. The gallium-indium-lead alloy, when used as an anode is preferably used with a caustic electrolyte. The aluminum base alloy may be used as an anode in a battery assembly, a housing, an anode of the present invention, a cathode, and a support means within the housing to secure the anode and cathode in a relative spaced relationship.

Abstract: The process of the present invention for preparing granules of alumina includes pretreating an alumina powder by admixing with cold water in a mixer at a temperature below room temperature, e.g., such as below about 20.degree. C., to form a pretreated alumina having a pore volume saturated with water and further having a surface area of gel structure, and agglomerating the pretreated alumina in a fluidized bed to form granules. The process is particularly suited to producing activated alumina in macroporous granules. The process in one aspect further includes a cold hopper for cooling alumina powder prior to the pretreating step.

Abstract: An aluminum alloy that may be used as an anode in a battery displays high voltage and high coulombic efficiency when used with a caustic electrode by the presence of about 0.03 to 0.2 percent tin. Additionally, about 0.03 to 0.07 percent gallium and/or 0.002 to 0.006 percent silicon may be added. It is preferred that the purity of the aluminum be at least as pure as 99.995%. A heat treatment enhances voltage and efficiency.

Abstract: The invention includes apparatus and method for inhibiting the hardening of a wetted concrete premix in a filled concrete mixer including providing a rotatable concrete mixer drum having a plurality of sealed apertures located throughout the entire length and circumference of the drum such that at least one of the apertures is located at or near the bottom of the drum at all points of rotation, and injecting a fluid under pressure through at least one aperture and into the drum when filled with a charge of wetted concrete premix to disperse the fluid throughout a portion of the charge adjacent to the aperture and up to the surface of the charge thereby inhibiting hardening.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for recovering lithium from an aluminum-lithium alloy scrap including heating a lithium chloride-potassium chloride-lithium fluoride salt mixture in a separate bath melter vessel to form a molten salt bath reservoir; fluxing the molten salt with chlorine or hydrogen chloride gas to remove moisture; drying the aluminum-lithium scrap; heating the dried aluminum-lithium alloy scrap to form a molten reservoir of aluminum-lithium alloy; feeding low moisture molten salt and aluminum-lithium alloy to a three-layered electrolysis cell comprising a most dense lowest layer of molten aluminum-lithium alloy, a middle layer of molten salt electrolyte, and an uppermost layer of molten lithium; passing direct current through the cell with the aluminum-lithium alloy anodic; reducing lithium ions to lithium metal at a cathode suspended in the molten salt electrolyte; and removing lithium from said uppermost layer in said three-layered electrolysis cell.

Abstract: A continuous salt-based process is provided for melting and reclaiming aluminum from aluminum scrap containing impurities including heating a molten salt in a heat bay, mixing the heated salt with aluminum scrap or skim in a charge bay to form a molten charge mixture, separating aluminum from impurities in the charge bay by coalescing aluminum to form a molten aluminum metal pad, chlorinating a portion of the charge mixture from the charge bay to form a chlorinated salt mixture and metal chlorides, removing metal chlorides from the salt mixture, and feeding the salt mixture back to the heat bay. In one aspect, the chlorinating step of the present invention includes introducing carbon monoxide or, preferably, solid carbon to control oxide concentration. The process further comprises adding fluorides and removing metal chlorides from the salt to maintain a preferred salt composition.

Abstract: A process is provided for melting and reclaiming aluminum and lithium from aluminum-lithium scrap including heating a molten salt in a heat bay, mixing the heated salt with aluminum-lithium scrap in a charge bay to form a molten mixture, separating aluminum from impurities in the charge bay by coalescing aluminum to form a molten aluminum metal pad, chlorinating a portion of the charge mixture from the charge bay to form a chlorinated salt mixture and metal chlorides, removing metal chlorides from the salt mixture, removing lithium from the salt mixture, and feeding the salt mixture back to the heat bay. In one aspect, the chlorinating step of the present invention includes introducing carbon monoxide or, preferably, solid carbon to control oxide concentration. The process, in other aspects, further includes adding fluorides and recovering lithium and removing metal chlorides from the salt to maintain a preferred salt composition.

Abstract: The present invention includes casting, e.g., such as by roll casting, or slab casting, an alloy having components in the composition range of about 0.5-1.2% iron, 0.7-1.3% manganese, and 0-0.5% silicon by weight, homogenizing the cast alloy at temperatures below about 1100.degree. F., preferably below about 1050.degree. F. to control the microstructure, and cold rolling to a final product gauge. Such a final product gauge for fin stock applications include thickness in the range of about 0.003-0.006 inch. The cold rolled alloy is then partially annealed to attain desired levels of strength and formability.

Abstract: This invention includes apparatus and method for providing a support mechanism for electrode assemblies including positioning spacer of electrically nonconductive material having an inside surface forming an internal cavity and a heat pipe for passing a heat transfer fluid through the cavity along the inside surface. The heat pipe transfers heat away from the positioning spacer to form a protective layer of frozen bath around the positioning spacer.