Reducing Dependence on Non-Renewable Sources: The Addition of Binchotan Charcoal in Carbon Anodes for the Aluminum Industry

Carbon anodes are produced by the mixture of calcined petroleum coke and coal tar pitch, forming a paste that is cooked lately. The addition of biomass in the anodes could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimize the use of nonrenewable sources. In this work, carbon anodes were produced with the addition of 1 and 3% of binchotan charcoal, replacing part of the petroleum coke. Binchotan is a type of Japanese charcoal, characterized by having a high density, good electrical properties, and a high carbon content. The bioanodes were evaluated with the following analyses: apparent density, mechanical strength, CO₂ reactivity, electrical resistivity, and chemical composition. The tests were performed based on a methodology that is used in the aluminum industry and the results were compared with a typical carbon anode and an international reference. All of the values were considered adequate, indicating that it is possible to replace small percentages of calcined petroleum coke with binchotan charcoal. Technically, binchotan charcoal seemed feasible to be applied in carbon anodes produced on a laboratory scale and has the potential to be used in the aluminum industry.