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Use of Thermodynamic Modeling for Selection of Electrolyte for Electrorefining of Magnesium from Aluminum Alloy Melts

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Abstract

With United States Department of Energy Advanced Research Project Agency funding, experimental proof-of-concept was demonstrated for RE-12TM electrorefining process of extraction of desired amount of Mg from recycled scrap secondary Al molten alloys. The key enabling technology for this process was the selection of the suitable electrolyte composition and operating temperature. The selection was made using the FactSage thermodynamic modeling software and the light metal, molten salt, and oxide thermodynamic databases. Modeling allowed prediction of the chemical equilibria, impurity contents in both anode and cathode products, and in the electrolyte. FactSage also provided data on the physical properties of the electrolyte and the molten metal phases including electrical conductivity and density of the molten phases. Further modeling permitted selection of electrode and cell construction materials chemically compatible with the combination of molten metals and the electrolyte.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial and the technical assistance provided by the United States Department of Energy Advanced Research Project Agency (US DOE ARPA-e). Extensive technical, economic, and business discussions with James Klausner (Program Director), Bahman Abbasi, Thomas Bucher, and Daniel Matuszak were very helpful. Ray Peterson of Real Alloy provided aluminum scrap samples and industrial inputs regarding commercialization. The authors thank David Thweatt, Kevin Loutfy, Y. Kim, Jay DeSilva, Charles Ibrahim, and Mr. Robert Hoffman at MER Corporations well as Mark Gesing of Gesing Consultants Inc. all contributed significantly to the experimental process validation. The authors also thank the FactSage group at the Ecole Polytechnique, Arthur Pelton, Christian Robelin, and Aimen Gheribi for excellent training and support throughout the thermodynamic modeling effort including electrolyte electrical conductivity estimates.

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Author notes

  1. Adam J. Gesing (Technical Director, President)

    Present address: Gesing Consultants Inc., Toronto, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Phinix, LLC, Lexington, KY, USA

    Adam J. Gesing (Technical Director, President) & Subodh K. Das (CEO)

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  1. Adam J. Gesing
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  2. Subodh K. Das
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Correspondence to Subodh K. Das.

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Manuscript submitted December 30, 2015.

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Gesing, A.J., Das, S.K. Use of Thermodynamic Modeling for Selection of Electrolyte for Electrorefining of Magnesium from Aluminum Alloy Melts. Metall Mater Trans B 48, 132–145 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-016-0724-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-016-0724-8

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