This monograph presents the theoretical background of the industrial process for the production of Al-Si alloys in standard aluminum electrolyzers. It reviews the physical chemistry and electrochemistry of cryolite melts containing silica and focuses on analyzing the exchange reactions in Na3AlF6-Al2O3-SiO2 melts. It presents the kinetics and mechanism of Si(IV) electroreduction in Na3AlF6-Al2O3-SiO2 melts on Al cathodes while the current yields as well as industrial tests performed are discussed. The modern research trends in the field are also overviewed. Providing readers with information not easily obtained in any other single source, this book is of great interest to researchers, graduates, and professionals working in the fields of electrochemistry and technology of cryolite-based melts.

Autorentext

Dmitriy V Pruttskov is a professor at Zaporizhzhia National University, Ukraine. He graduated from Zaporizhzhia Industrial Academy in 1978 and obtained his diploma in metallurgical engineering. After that, he worked at All-Union Research and Design Institute of Titanium (Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine) where he held the positions of engineer, junior, senior researcher, and head of the laboratory of electrometallurgical processes. He received his degree of PhD (Kandidate) in 1984 from the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry (IGICH) of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine, and his DSc in 1995 from the Institute of High-Temperature Electrochemistry of Russian Acad Sci (Ekaterinburg, Russia) for the works in the field of electrochemistry of cryolite melts. His research interests are focused on the physical chemistry and technology of magnesium, aluminum, silicon, titanium, and their alloys, as well as refractory inorganic compounds. The results of his research activities were published in 150 scientific papers. Also, he is a co-author of 30 inventions, most of which are used in the metallurgical industry.

Aleksandr A. Andriiko had been the head Chair of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the National Technical University of Ukraine "Kyiv Polytechnic Institute" (NTUU "KPI") since 2003 till 2021. After retirement from this position, he remains a professor of this chair (part-time). He obtained his diploma in Chemical Engineering in 1974 and worked in the Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry (IGICH) of the National Academy of Science of Ukraine since then and till 2003. He received his degrees of PhD (Kandidate) in 1981 and DSc in 1993 from IGICH for the works in the field of electrochemistry of molten fluorides. He worked as a scientific advisor in the Republic of Korea (1998) and as visiting Professor at the Centre of Electrochemical Surface Technology (CEST) in Wiener Neuschtadt, Austria (Summer 2008). He has carried outresearches in various fields of inorganic chemistry (coordination chemistry of 3d-metals, high-temperature chemistry of molten fluorides), physical chemistry (phase equilibria in molten salt systems), electrochemistry (thermodynamics of metal-electrolyte interface, electrodeposition of refractory and other metals from molten salts, lithium batteries and active materials for them) and, more recently, nanochemistry of inorganic oxide materials. The results of his research activities were published in more than 120 papers in refereed journals and monograph "Many-electron electrochemical processes" (Springer 2013). Also he is co-author of 24 inventions and author of the chapter in: Electrochemistry in a Divided World / F. Sholz Ed. (Springer 2015).

Aleksey Kirichenko - Associate Professor, Candidate of Technical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Metallurgical Technologies, Ecology and Technogenic Safety of the Zaporizhzhia National University (Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine). In 2000, he graduated from the Zaporizhzhia State Engineering Academy (Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine) and received the qualification of a metallurgical engineer. In the same year, he started working at the department of ferrous metallurgy of the Zaporizhzhia State Engineering Academy. In 2012, he received a PhD (candidate) degree from Zaporizhzhia State Engineering Academy for his research work on the utilization of red sludges with the production of dispersed metal-carbon materials. In 2014, he received the academic title of associate professor of the Department of Metallurgy of Ferrous Metals. In the period 2019-2022, he held the position of head of the Department of Metallurgy of the Engineering Educational and Scientific Institute of the Zaporizhzhia National University (Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine). His main interest is the processing of secondary metallurgical waste, metal-carbon materials, and electrochemistry. The list of his scientific publications includes more than 100 scientificworks, 3 co-authored books and 6 patents for inventions.