Prebaked Carbon Anode
GB GB/T 20972
Prebaked Carbon Anode is a baked carbon block made from calcined petroleum coke bonded with coal-tar pitch, supplied to GB/T 20972 in the GB-YD, GB-I and GB-HG grades.
Reference datasheet — Prebaked Carbon Anode is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
What is Prebaked Carbon Anode?
Prebaked Carbon Anode is a baked carbon block made from calcined petroleum coke bonded with coal-tar pitch, supplied to GB/T 20972 in the GB-YD, GB-I and GB-HG grades. It is a consumable component rather than a structural material: the block is rodded to steel stubs and consumed as the anode in Hall-Héroult aluminium electrolysis cells. Typical bulk density is 1.55 g/cm³ with thermal conductivity around 4 W/m·K, and the material is porous, very abrasive and oxidises in service. There is no general engineering substitute; grade selection is driven by pot design and current density. Prebaked Carbon Anode has a density of 1.56 g/cm³ (0.0564 lb/in³), lighter than 96% of ceramic grades. It melts at 3,600°C (6,512 °F). Prebaked Carbon Anode has a tensile strength of 6 MPa (0.798 ksi), weaker than 96% of ceramic grades. The elastic modulus is 6 GPa (0.87 Msi).
What is Prebaked Carbon Anode used for?
- Aluminium electrolysis anodes
- Anode blocks for Hall-Héroult reduction cells
- Slotted anodes for point-feed prebake pots
- Anode assemblies rodded to steel stubs
- Potline consumable carbon blocks
- Replacement blocks for anode butt recycling circuits
Advantages
- Low embodied carbon — 1.1 kg CO₂/kg, better than 99% of ceramic grades
- Lightweight — 1.56 g/cm³ (0.0564 lb/in³), better than 96% of ceramic grades
- Easy to machine — 65/100, better than 89% of ceramic grades
Limitations
- Low stiffness — 6 GPa (0.87 Msi), worse than 97% of ceramic grades
- Low fracture toughness — 1 MPa·√m (0.91 ksi·√in), worse than 84% of ceramic grades
- Needs corrosion protection — 55/100, worse than 77% of ceramic grades
Prebaked Carbon Anode properties
Typical room-temperature values; bars are the position among ceramic grades.
Physical3
Prebaked Carbon Anode has a density of 1.56 g/cm³ (0.0564 lb/in³), lighter than 96% of ceramic grades. It melts at 3,600°C (6,512 °F).
Mechanical7
Prebaked Carbon Anode has a tensile strength of 6 MPa (0.798 ksi), weaker than 96% of ceramic grades. The elastic modulus is 6 GPa (0.87 Msi).
Thermal5
Prebaked Carbon Anode is rated for continuous service to 500°C (932 °F). It conducts heat at 4 W/m·K (2.31 BTU/hr·ft·°F), worse than 68% of ceramic grades. Thermal expansion is 4 µm/m·K (2.22 µin/in·°F).
Electrical2
Prebaked Carbon Anode has an electrical resistivity of 5.5×10⁻⁵ Ω·m.
Chemical & Environmental2
Corrosion resistance is good (55/100), worse than 77% of ceramic grades.
Sustainability3
Producing a kilogram of Prebaked Carbon Anode takes about 40 MJ of energy and emits 1.1 kg of CO₂ — less than 88% of ceramic grades. Typical recycled content is 18%.
Manufacturability2
Prebaked Carbon Anode's machinability is good (65/100, better than 89% of ceramic grades).
Common Calculations4
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the ceramic family
Yield strength against density for every ceramic grade FabDigit runs. Prebaked Carbon Anode is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with Prebaked Carbon Anode
Is Prebaked Carbon Anode easy to machine?
Sawn and slotted with carbide or diamond-tipped blades and drilled for stub holes; very abrasive, dust-explosion/extraction control required.
Can Prebaked Carbon Anode be welded?
Not weldable; anodes are rodded to steel stubs with cast iron thimbles or graphitic glue/ferrophos paste.
Can Prebaked Carbon Anode be formed, bent or molded?
Green paste of calcined coke + ~14–16 % coal-tar pitch mixed at 150–170 °C, vibro-compacted or press-formed, then baked 1100–1200 °C over 10–20 days in ring furnaces with packing coke.
Prebaked Carbon Anode chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Sfrom petroleum coke; GB/T 20972 typically ≤2.0–3.0 % | 0.5 – 3 | 1.8 |
| ashtotal ash, GB/T 20972 ≤0.5 % for first grade | 0.1 – 0.6 | 0.3 |
| Fe≈300 ppm | ≤ 0.06 | 0.03 |
| Si≈200 ppm | ≤ 0.04 | 0.02 |
| Namainly from recycled butts; catalyses air burn | ≤ 0.06 | 0.03 |
| V≈150–300 ppm, catalyses air reactivity | ≤ 0.04 | 0.02 |
| Ni | ≤ 0.03 | 0.02 |
| Ca | ≤ 0.03 | 0.01 |
| Ccalcined petroleum coke aggregate + coal-tar pitch binder coke + recycled butts | ≥ 98 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on Prebaked Carbon Anode?
Normally used as-baked; optional aluminium/boron-oxide protective coating or slot machining to reduce top burn-off and improve gas release.
Equivalent designations
Standards and trade names that resolve to Prebaked Carbon Anode in FabDigit's catalog. Equivalence is nominal — check the exact specification when certification matters.
- GB (China)
- GB/T 20972
How much does Prebaked Carbon Anode cost?
Prebaked Carbon Anode is a budget-cost ceramic ($), cheaper than about 90% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Prebaked Carbon Anode — frequently asked
What is Prebaked Carbon Anode used for?
Prebaked Carbon Anode is typically used for aluminium electrolysis anodes, anode blocks for Hall-Héroult reduction cells, slotted anodes for point-feed prebake pots, anode assemblies rodded to steel stubs, potline consumable carbon blocks and replacement blocks for anode butt recycling circuits. In short: consumable smelter carbon; purpose-built for aluminium pots; not a structural block.
What is the tensile strength of Prebaked Carbon Anode?
Prebaked Carbon Anode has a typical tensile strength of 6 MPa (0.798 ksi) — weaker than 96% of ceramic grades.
Is Prebaked Carbon Anode easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (65/100, better than 89% of ceramic grades). Sawn and slotted with carbide or diamond-tipped blades and drilled for stub holes; very abrasive, dust-explosion/extraction control required.
Can Prebaked Carbon Anode be welded?
Not weldable; anodes are rodded to steel stubs with cast iron thimbles or graphitic glue/ferrophos paste.
What surface finishes work on Prebaked Carbon Anode?
Normally used as-baked; optional aluminium/boron-oxide protective coating or slot machining to reduce top burn-off and improve gas release.
Can Prebaked Carbon Anode be formed, bent or molded?
Green paste of calcined coke + ~14–16 % coal-tar pitch mixed at 150–170 °C, vibro-compacted or press-formed, then baked 1100–1200 °C over 10–20 days in ring furnaces with packing coke.
What is the maximum service temperature of Prebaked Carbon Anode?
Prebaked Carbon Anode is rated for continuous use to about 500°C (932 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
How much does Prebaked Carbon Anode cost?
Prebaked Carbon Anode is a budget-cost ceramic ($), cheaper than about 90% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- ISO 11713 Carbonaceous materials for aluminium production — Determination of electrical resistivity — ISO (2018)
- ISO 12985-1 / ISO 18515 — apparent density and compressive strength of baked anodes — ISO (2018)
- Anode Manufacture — Raw Materials, Formulation and Processing Parameters — R&D Carbon Ltd. (2000)
- Light Metals — Carbon Technology (anode property surveys) — TMS (2022)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.