Looking for high-grade Temperature Sensors and Thermocouples for Aluminum Smelters?

Aluminium comes right after Iron in popularity among manufacturers. Known for its versatility, lightweight, excellent resistance against corrosion and easy recyclability, the perks of using aluminium are numerous. Temperature is a very important factor while manufacturing aluminium as precision goes a long way in making high-grade aluminium products. As worldwide demand for Aluminum continues to grow due to new applications and benefits, manufacturers need precise and reliable RTDs and thermocouples to ensure efficiency and high quality of the manufacturing process.

Processes that take place in Aluminium Smelters

Temperature measurement and control is the basic & essential requirement of the production process of Aluminium in Smelters.

There are four major sections in Aluminum Smelter.

• Reduction or Pot Room 
• Anode Baking Furnace
• Cast House 
• Launder or Casting Table.

Eureka Engineering has you covered - Eureka offers highly advanced temperature measurement and control solutions that make the entire smelting process more stable and efficient.

Eureka Engineering offers Custom-designed Thermocouples, RTDs, Cables & other accessories for every section of Aluminium Processing. 

Reduction/ Pot Room: Aluminium is extracted from Alumina (aluminium oxide) - the Raw Material by Reduction Process. This process takes place in a large Carbon lined steel container called “Reduction pot". In most plants, these pots are lined up in long rows called potlines.

The alumina is then dissolved in aluminium fluoride in the steel pot, Carbon electrode (Anode) is lowered into the solution. Direct electrical current of between 50,000 and 150,000 amperes flows from the Anode through the molten mixture to the carbon cathode lining of the pot. The electric current reduces the alumina into aluminium and oxygen. 

Heavier aluminium settles to the bottom of the pot and is periodically syphoned off into crucibles.

Eureka offers the “Therma Tip” Thermocouple, which is specially designed to measure the temperature of Molten Aluminium Temperature. Therma Tip is a very Accurate, stable & low drift thermocouple for consistent measurement. It comes with a Boron -Nitride Protective coating – Resistance to Wetting to increase the life.

The thermocouple is available in 2 mm and 3 mm sizes, with a special Stainless Steel Ferric- Chromium alloy sheath, with a narrow tip for fast response time.

Carbon Anode – Furnace / Kiln: Carbon Anode is a solid carbon block, consists of High Purity Coke. The pre-baked Coke Anode is placed in a Baking furnace, which consists of a series of refractory bricks lined pits. 

The mixture is Baked / Fired to 1150 C, heated by Gas flame for several days.

The cycle of placing, preheating, firing, cooling and removal is approximately two weeks period.

Eureka has developed Flue wall Thermocouples that provide an accurate measurement of Flue Wall Temperature, which is essential for achieving quality Anode baking. The product can measure temperature up to 1200°C even in a corrosive atmosphere. 

The Thermocouples come with a new and advanced Protection sheath for enhanced life. 

Conventional Thermocouples use Chromium protective covering but the chromium Oxide formed over the pipe outer surface protects the pipe from corrosion, but at very high temperature and cyclic operation, the Chromium Oxide layer falls off and the pipe is fully corroded and damaged. Eureka Engineering has introduced a special design protection pipe, which is a combination of “Fe-Cr-Al”, drilled bar sheath. This Pre-Oxidized material forms an aluminium Oxide layer that does not fall off, which protects the pipe from corrosion.

Eureka also offers Anode Temperature measuring thermocouples which allow continuous measurement of Anode and are directly inserted in the Carbon Anode for temperature measurement in the harsh environment in the furnace.

Eureka Engineering offers Thermocouples with Pointed narrow tips for easy placement in the Anode. These Thermocouples are Type N with Class 1 accuracy and come with mineral Insulated Sensors offering operability up to 1200 C.

Cast House / Remelt Furnace: Molten Aluminium metal from the pots is transferred to a holding furnace where the temperature is controlled and different alloys are mixed based on the product requirement. After reaching the desired temperature and holding time, the molten Aluminium in the furnace is ready for casting. 

Eureka has designed Molten Aluminum Thermocouples which can continuously measure the temperature of molten aluminium Temperature is to achieve good quality castings. As the failure of the Protection sheath due to corrosion by molten aluminium at 800 degrees C is very high, special care is taken while designing the sheath using a combination of cast iron, Silicon Carbide, Silicon Nitride. This thermocouple is Type K Thermocouple, Mineral Insulated, Class 1 accuracy.

Eureka also offers Roof Thermocouples where furnaces Temperatures are monitored by Roof Thermocouples. Overheating of Furnace will damage Refractory lining of the Furnace. 

The most suitable Thermocouple is Type K Thermocouple with an Inconel Outer protection pipe.

Launder / Casting Table: The molten metal then passes from the holding furnace through a launder line to the casting machine. Ingots and Billets are formed here. The systems typically include a hot-face refractory, backup insulation & steelwork and systems that help maintain metal temperature and prevent oxide build up. The temperature of Molten Aluminum flowing in the launder may drop due to the ambient temperature & atmosphere. The temperature of molten aluminium is closely monitored using Thermocouples. Eureka offers Type K Thermocouples with ‘Ferric-Chromium’ S Sheath with Boron Nitride coating for long life.

In addition, Eureka also offers products for supporting sectors in aluminium smelting-

Rodding Plant – Cast Iron Furnace: Iron is melted in this furnace. Disposable Paper Tube Thermocouples, Type R/S are used to measure very high temperatures. The paper tube is supplied with different lengths up to 1200 mm. 

Handheld lance assembly with Digital Temperature Indicator is also available.

Power Plants- Thermocouples & RTDs: Thermocouples, Type K, Mineral Insulated, Tapered Tip, Multi-Point types, suitable for Exhaust gas, Wheel Space, Lube Oil temperature measurements. Also, various styles of standard and Miniature RTDs Pt-100 are manufactured by Eureka Engineering for measuring Bearing Temperature.

Eureka believes in quality and aims for perfection in the field of engineering and designing world-class products to help increase efficiency and save time and resources in aluminium smelting.

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