The paper presents a theoretical study conducted to investigate the effect that the chemical composition of electrolyte and its overheating have on the size of sideledge formed in an aluminum smelting bath. Three electrolyte compositions were chosen: (1) sodium cryolite with the cryolite ratio CR = 2,7; (2) cryolite CR = 2,7 + 5 wt.% CaF2; (3) cryolite CR = 2,7 + 5 wt.% CaF2 + 5 wt.% Al2О3. The electrolyte liquidus overheating temperatures were 5, 10, 15 and 20 °C. Calculations were performed using the finite element method. A simplified design of an aluminum cell was used with a prebaked anode. The temperature field was calculated using a mathematical model based on the Boussinesq approximation, which contains the Navier–Stokes equation as well as thermal conductivity and incompressibility equations. The key role of electrolyte overheating in sideledge formation was established. The resulting sideledge profile depends on the heat transfer coefficients and thermophysical properties of materials. The smallest sideledge thickness with the same electrolyte overheating was observed in cryolite composition 3, and the profiles of the formed sideledge for samples 1 and 2 were nearly the same. The thickness of the sideledge formed with a 5 degree overheating exceeded 7 cm and the difference in temperature between the sideledge in contact with electrolyte and the side block wall was 20–25 degrees. It was found that the virtually total disappearance of the sideledge occurs at electrolyte liquidus overheating by 20 degrees.
