Abstract: (Cu-Ni)/(10NiO-90NiFe2O4) cermet inert anodes containing metal Cu-Ni 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 wt% were prepared and their corrosion behavior in Na3AlF6-Al2O3 melts was investigated. The results indicate that the content of metal Cu-Ni has little effect on the steady-state concentration of Ni in electrolyte, the steady-state concentration of Fe decreases from 304ppm to 168ppm and that of Cu increases from 21ppm to 71ppm with the content of metal Cu-Ni increasing from 0 to 20 wt%. Post-examination shows that metallic phase Cu-Ni is corroded preferentially during electrolysis and many pores are left at the anode surface. Considering the corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity, the cermet containing metal Cu-Ni 5 wt% behaves best among NiO-NiFe2O4 based cermet anodes examined, and should be further studied.

Key words: aluminum electrolysis, inert anode, NiFe2O4 based cermet, corrosion resistance