Design and Manufacture Electrolysis Equipment to Produce Magnesium Oxide Material

The use of Magnesium in the automotive field is diverse, it is necessary to source raw materials. One of the raw materials for magnesium can be obtain from nature which can be done by electrolysis and thermal reduction processes. Electrolysis is a chemical reaction process of decomposition by electric current in electrolytes with the help of electrodes. The electrolysis process to obtain magnesium requires a minimum temperature of around 725°C. This article discusses the design and manufacture of electrolysis devices with fuel using coke and wood charcoal. The methodology carried out includes design in the form of soft drawings, determination of tool dimensions, furnace design, air supply line design, temperature control device placement, argon gas line placement, coal fuel placement, and material selection. The manufacturing stage of electrolysis equipment includes the manufacture of furnaces consisting of the manufacture of the outer frame of steel plates, the installation of refractory stone insulation, the placement of air supply lines, the installation of blowers, the placement of argon gas lines, the placement of graphite electrodes. Placement of power supply in the form of an adapter that can be adjusted the voltage. The results of MgCl2 electrolysis equipment have dimensions of a diameter of 325 mm and a height of 500 mm. The insulation thickness of the refractory stone is 120 mm. The size of the crucible diameter is 125 mm, and the height of the crucible is 160 mm. The time to reach a furnace temperature of 725°C is achieved within 20 minutes with a mixture of coal and wood charcoal fuel.