Abstract: The present document describes a method and confinement unit for stopping a chemical reaction involving hot metal dross and a gas in the surrounding environment. The method comprises transferring the hot metal dross in a dross pan and placing the dross pan with the metal dross therein in the gastight chamber. Then, the dross pan is sealed with the hot metal dross therein into a gastight chamber of a fixed interior volume. The chemical reaction occurring inside the gastight chamber depletes a limited amount of gas present inside the gastight chamber, thereby stopping once the gas is completely depleted. The gastight chamber is shaped and sealed to withstand a pressure differential created by the depleting of the gas in the fixed interior volume, until the hot dross is cooled and the chemical reaction has stopped.

Abstract: A spent anode is replaced with a new anode in an electrolysis cell having an anode bus bar and an anode rod contacting the bus bar. A desired distance (D4) from the bus bar to a reference point on or adjacent to an anode rod for the new anode is calculated, the spent anode is replaced with a new anode so that the reference point on the new anode rod is spaced from the bus bar by an actual distance (D5), and the actual distance (D5) is measured at least once by means of a vision system. The actual distance (D5) is preferably adjusted using a feedback control loop in a computer so that D5 approaches the desired distance (D4).

Abstract: A spent anode is replaced with a new anode in an electrolysis cell having an anode bus bar and an anode rod contacting the bus bar. A desired distance (D4) from the bus bar to a reference point on or adjacent to an anode rod for the new anode is calculated, the spent anode is replaced with a new anode so that the reference point on the new anode rod is spaced from the bus bar by an actual distance (D5), and the actual distance (D5) is measured at least once by means of a vision system. The actual distance (D5) is preferably adjusted using a feedback control loop in a computer so that D5 approaches the desired distance (D4).