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Re:Lithium discovery in US volcano could be biggest deposit ... by speed_spread on Sunday September 10, 2023 @12:28AM (#37452906)
I confirm that an aluminium refinery is not something you stop lightly. I remember something about taking two weeks to restart? Maybe more. Source, had family working at a large northern plant.
Re:Lithium discovery in US volcano could be biggest deposit ... by Filligree on Sunday September 10, 2023 @01:33AM (#37453177)
Being able to restart it at all makes it better than a lot of industries. Many of these liquid-metal affairs depend on convection and inertia to keep the metal molten, and if it solidifies inside a pipe—well, then you don't have a pipe anymore; you have a bimetal pole.

Or ceramic cladding for an iron pole, depending.

Either way it's a rebuild, not a restart.

Re:Lithium discovery in US volcano could be biggest deposit ... by iancmceachern on Sunday September 10, 2023 @03:30AM (#37453652)
Totally, like magnetic induction pumps that pump molten iron, once the iron solidifies its a composite tube.
Re:Lithium discovery in US volcano could be biggest deposit ... by Arrath on Monday September 11, 2023 @05:38PM (#37474084)
> well, then you don't have a pipe anymore; you have a bimetal pole.

I love that way of describing it.