Sumitomo Aluminium Smelting Co., Ltd. started producing aluminium by Prebaked anode pots of 15 kA current load at Niihama in 1936. As per the worldwide trend of the industry, Sumitomo extended the pot design to 30 kA horizontal stud Soederberg pots, which were followed by 50 kA vertical stud Soederberg pots. In 1961, a smelter was constructed at Nagoya by using 100 kA vertical stud Soederberg pots, and two smelters with same pots were built in Niihama and in Toyama.
Supported by years of experience in operation of 100 kA vertical stud Soederberg pots, Sumitomo worked hard in development of better technology. The comparative study of the intensity factor of current and the scale factor, was directed to satisfy the requirements of industry, like engergy saving, labour saving, and environmental pollution control. Curtailment of energy consumption was studied by means of i) optimum current density, ii) suppression of effect of electromagnetic force by intervenient influence between flows of electrolysis current and bus bar current, and iii) cathode construction of good heat balance. Reduction of labour requirement was dependent on process control by computer, and improvement to environmental pollution was attributable to scrubbing of both the primary pot gas and the secondary gas from the potroom building.
Outcome of Sumitomo's development works was incorporated in a 100, 000 mtpa aluminium smelter equipped with 175 kA prebaked anode pots, which was built in 1973 at Toyo City.
After being put into operation in 1975, the modern smelter is now running at full production capacity.
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