Ramming pasteRamming paste plays a crucial role in aluminum reduction cellsAluminum reduction cell by confining the cathodic plane, directly impacting the cell’s efficiency, lifespan, and overall performance. The start-up phase is particularly critical, as the paste undergoes thermal, chemical, and mechanical transformations during bakingBaking. This paper presents the methodology used to characterize the evolution of thermo-chemo-mechanical behavior of a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHPolycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH))-free ramming pasteRamming paste during bakingBaking. A model based on the mass loss of the ramming pasteRamming paste during bakingBaking is proposed to evaluate the bakingBaking level of the paste, showing a dependency on the heating rate, which influences the release of volatiles and the binder transformation. Experimental results include the evolution of mechanical propertiesMechanical properties as well as the expansion/shrinkage evolution during bakingBaking. These findings are under implementation in a thermo-electro-mechanical ¼ cell finite elementFinite element model to predict the qualityQuality of the cathodic plane’s confinement during the start-up phase.