Anode Baking: The Underestimated Human Aspect
In the framework of carbon plant auditing R&D Carbon Ltd. had the opportunity to investigate the operation of many different anode bake furnaces. As a striking result significant differences in the performance of bake furnaces with similar design were identified. Avoidable direct annual losses of one million USD and more per 100.000 tons of baking capacity have been identified. These direct costs do not take any indirect losses in the smelter into account, which result from substandard anode quality and which can easily be two to three times higher than the direct losses.