MULTIVARIATE MONITORING OF THE PREBAKED ANODE MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND ANODE QUALITY

摘要

Prebaked anode quality is available through a weekly average ofcore sample laboratory measurements. Unfortunately, long delaysbetween production and results (approximately 4-6 weeks) canlead to poor abnormal operation and faulty anode detection, anddifficult process control. Extensive raw material and process dataare available at Alcoa Deschambault smelter’s carbon plant.Using projection to latent structures, a multivariate statisticalmethod, it was possible to correlate raw material and processconditions to weekly lab results. The effect of different petroleumcoke and coal tar pitch was analyzed and instant weeklyprediction of anode properties was achieved.