Consumable anode and anode assembly for electrolytic reduction of metal oxides

1. An anode assembly comprising:

a. a pair of vertically extending channels and a horizontally disposed channel;

b. vertically stacked anodes in slidable communication with the vertically extending channels and supported by the horizontally disposed channel such that the stacked anodes form a vertically extending surface adapted to contact molten electrolyte;

c. conduit to direct carrier gas to the anode; and

d. conduit to remove reaction gas from the anode.

2. The anode assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the anodes reside in the same plane within the channels.

3. The anode assembly as recited in claim 2 wherein a lower region of the assembly is adapted to be immersed in an electrolytic bath such that two adjacent anodes among the stacked anodes simultaneously contact the electrolyte.

4. The anode assembly as recited in claim 3 wherein the anodes are gravity fed into the electrolytic bath.

5. The anode assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein the anode is maintained at a first electrical potential and wherein a lower region of the assembly is encapsulated by a porous, electrically conductive substrate maintained at a second electrical potential.

6. The anode assembly as recited in claim 5 wherein the perforated substrate defines a vertically disposed region adapted to receive pieces of anode and prevent the pieces from contacting target metal forming at the cathodes.

7. An anode assembly comprising:

a. a pair of channels;

b. anodes in slidable communication with the channels;

c. conduit to direct carrier gas to the anode; and

d. conduit to remove reaction gas from the anode, and wherein a lower region of the assembly is encapsulated by a porous, electrically conductive substrate and wherein the porous substrate is electrically isolated from the anode and charged via a separate secondary circuit to prevent parasitic reactions from occurring at the anode and cathode.

8. The anode assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein the anodes reside in the same plane within the channels.

9. The anode assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein a lower region of the assembly is adapted to be immersed in an electrolytic bath.

10. The anode assembly as recited in claim 9 wherein the anodes are gravity fed into the electrolytic bath.

11. The anode assembly as recited in claim 7 wherein the porous substrate defines a horizontally disposed region adapted to receive pieces of anode.

12. A method for continuously feeding a first plurality of anodes into a electrolytic bath, the method comprising:

a) stacking anodes vertically such that all of the anodes reside in the same plane and wherein the stack includes a bottom anode and an adjacent anode and wherein the stack is supported at a depending edge of the bottom anode;

b) contacting the bottom anode and the adjacent anode with the electrolytic bath for a time and at a current sufficient to cause the bottom anode to be consumed during an electrolytic process, wherein the adjacent anode contacts the bath at a time when at least ⅓ of the vertical length of the bottom anode has been consumed;

c) using gravity to replace the bottom anode with other anodes defining the stack.

13. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein a pair of channels maintain the anodes in the same plane.

14. The method as recited in claim 12 further comprising continually removing product gases emanating from the contacted bottom anode.

15. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein all of the anodes continually move toward the electrolytic bath during electrolysis.

16. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein a second plurality of anodes can be added during electrolysis.

17. The method as recited in claim 12 wherein anodes can be added during electrolysis.

18. The method as recited in claim 12 further comprising continually removing off gas from anode surfaces.

19. The method as recited in claim 12 further comprising capturing anode pieces from the anodes during electrolysis and consuming those pieces in the redox reactions of the electrolytic process.

20. The method as recited in claim 19 wherein the capturing process comprises:

d) maintaining the anode at a first electrical potential;

e) surrounding the maintained anode with a vertically extending shroud that is maintained at a second electrical potential.

21. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein the shroud is adapted to allow electrolyte and ions to pass through it, while simultaneously preventing pieces of anode and target metal from passing through it.

22. The method as recited in claim 20 wherein the first electrical potential and the second electrical potential are the same.

23. A method for continuously feeding a first plurality of anodes into a electrolytic bath, the method comprising:

a) stacking anodes such that all of the anodes reside in the same plane and wherein the stack includes a bottom anode;

b) contacting the bottom anode with the electrolytic bath for a time and at a current sufficient to cause the bottom anode to be consumed during an electrolytic process;

c) using gravity to replace the bottom anode with other anodes defining the stack;

d) capturing anode pieces from the anodes during electrolysis and consuming those pieces in the redox reactions of the electrolytic process, wherein the capturing process comprises maintaining the anode at a first electrical potential and surrounding the maintained anode with a shroud that is maintained at a second electrical potential, wherein the first electrical potential is different than the second electrical potential.