Apparatus to measure an electro-chemical activity

Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Apparatus – Electrolytic

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Details

204422, 205784, G01N 27406, G01N 27411

Patent

active

057923299

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method to measure an electro-chemical activity of a non-metallic liquid layer lying on a molten bath by means of a measuring cell with an electro-chemical element which shows an active part and with a counter electrode. Furthermore, this invention relates to a measuring cell to measure an electro-chemical activity.
It is often necessary to not only carry out measurements in molten baths but also to carry out measurements in layers lying above the molten baths. It is for example necessary for the evaluation of the course of metallurgic processes when producing steel to measure the oxygen potential of slag. It may also be necessary to measure activities in cryolite meltings during the aluminium electrolysis in order to be able to monitor and control the metallurgic process.
It is known from Radexrundschau 1990, pages 236 to 243, to carry out oxygen measurements directly in slag. Here, an ordinary electro-chemical sensor is arranged in the slag. The electro-chemical sensor is equipped with a measuring cell with a counter electrode and an electro-chemical element. The electro-chemical element is formed in the known way out of a reference electrode which is arranged in a reference material. This reference material is again surrounded by a small solid-electrolyte tube. Such measuring cells are, for example, also known from EP 0 108 431. They are used for the measurement of oxygen activities in molten baths with the measuring cell itself being protected while passing through the layer lying above it (for example slag) by a protecting cap.
The known direct measurements of oxygen activities in melted layers arranged above a molten bath, like slag or cryolite, demand the exact placing of the electro-chemical element within the layer to be measured. This layer is normally relatively thin (e.g. for ladle slag approximately 0 to 15 cm) so that diverging placements of the electro-chemical element normally also entail diverging measurement results. The exact arrangement of the measuring cell therefore often demands a relatively high expenditure of energy and cost as the level of surface of the molten bath cannot be easily determined. The positioning therefore demands a relatively long dipping time of the probe so that for example the counter electrode and the measurement leads can get damaged.
Moreover, methods to analyze slags are known in which the slag samples are taken and analyze after their solidification and partly after remelting.


SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Proceeding from the known state of art, the invention is based on the task to provide a method to measure an electro-chemical activity which supplies exact measuring results with the least possible expenditure. Furthermore, it is the task of this invention to provide a suitable electro-chemical element as well as a measuring cell for these measurements.
According to the invention the task for the above characterized method is solved in that the measuring cell is dipped through the non-metallic liquid layer into the molten bath, in that the active part of the electro-chemical element is while passing through the non-metallic liquid layer surrounded by the material of this layer, in that this material is kept at the electro-chemical element until after the measurement of the electro-chemical activity and in that the measurement is carried out in the molten metal after dipping the electro-chemical element into the molten metal within the molten bath. A measuring cell is understood to be an arrangement of at least one electro-chemical element and a counter electrode, the counter electrode being arranged immediately next to the electro-chemical element or distant from it. The counter electrode can for example be fixed at the wall of the melting container or be a part of this wall. In this case, of course, the counter electrode is naturally not dipped through the non-metallic liquid layer into the molten bath. With this method the measurements are carried out in an almost constant surrounding. An exact placin

REFERENCES:
patent: 3468780 (1969-09-01), Fischer
patent: 3578578 (1971-05-01), Von Krusenstierna
patent: 3616407 (1971-10-01), Engell et al.
patent: 5342489 (1994-08-01), Iwase et al.
B. Korousic, "Application of Oxygen Sensor for Measurement of the Oxygen Potential in the Matter ESR-Slags," Radex-Rundschau vol. 1, pp. 236-243 (May 1990).

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