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propensity in an anode bench scale plant. For this purpose, a multi-factorial design of experiments was set up using two levels of pitching, mixing and forming intensities, and this at two levels of Na contamination and two baking temperatures. The levels of pitching, mixing (sigma blade versus high speed impeller mixers) and forming were selected in such a way that the difference in terms of apparent density reached a significant level (about 0.05 kg/dm3). Their individual impacts on the air and CO2 reactivity dust measured after laboratory oxidation tests were comparable to about 500 ppm Na contamination or 100 °C baking temperature differences, which is quite substantial for the anode behaviour in the pots. As the effect of the porosity differences on gas permeability exceeds one order of magnitude, it is obvious that the level of apparent density and therefore the pitching, mixing and forming conditions are of utmost importance for the anode dusting. The implications for equipment suppliers and plant designers are obvious: for the production of paste, efficient preheaters and intensive kneader mixers as well as controlled paste coolers need to be selected. Efficient forming machines working with vacuum conditions should be preferred and further developed in terms of densification severity and control efficiency. A parallel study on an ultra high intensive laboratory mixer, working with a mixture of fines and pitch only, i.e. producing after forming binder matrix electrodes, demonstrated the enormous potential left for porosity reduction of baked specimens. Substantial shrinkage of the dense green anodes during the baking step was observed on specimens produced under intensive mixing conditions. Concerning the dry aggregate recipe, bench scale trials with extreme ranges of fines content and fineness confirmed that, as long as the level of fineness is compensated by the fines content, optimum anode properties can be achieved with unchanged optimum pitch content. For a laboratory intensive impeller mixer, a range of fineness between 2500 and 5000 Blaine with a corresponding content between 42 % and 21 % provided anodes showing practically the same properties relevant for dusting. The conclusions drawn from the studies performed in the frame of this thesis allow a much better understanding on the traps of manufacturing world class quality anodes with zero dusting in a very different technological environment (as in China). In addition to this, the axis of development for western technology and equipment suppliers could be formulated based on the numerous quantitative pilot information gathered during this thesis work. Note: Thse sciences Ecole polytechnique fdrale de Lausanne EPFL, no 3808 (2007), Programme doctoral Sciences et Gnie des matriaux, Facult des sciences et techniques de l'ingnieur STI, Section de sciences et gnie des matriaux, Institut des matriaux IMX (Laboratoire de technologie des poudres LTP). Dir.: Heinrich Hofmann