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Reducing Carbon Contamination by Controlling CO32− Formation During Electrochemical Reduction of TiO2

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Abstract

Molten salt electrolysis is a clean and low-cost Ti production technology that allows the direct conversion of metal oxides into metals or alloys via electrochemical reduction. However, carbon contamination can always be found due to the formation of CO32− and erosion of the graphite anode during electrolysis. Herein, we explore the reduction of carbon contamination by controlling CO32− formation. By adjusting the electrolyte composition, it is possible to improve the wettability between the molten salt and the anode and reduce the O2− solubility in molten salt to reduce CO32− formation. This approach reduces carbon contamination, and the current efficiency is also increased by adding 30 wt pct KCl to pure molten CaCl2. The carbon content in the cathode product decreased by 94 pct and the current efficiency was increased by 51 pct, compared with electrolysis in pure CaCl2 molten salt. In addition, the anode corrosion decreased, and the weight loss of the graphite anode decreased by approximately 65 pct after 18 hours of electrolysis.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported financially support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51674054), and supported by the Chongqing Key Laboratory of Vanadium-Titanium Metallurgy and New Materials, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400044, PR China

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, P.R. China

    Tongxiang Ma, Xiangyu Luo, Yu Yang, Meilong Hu, Liangying Wen, Shengfu Zhang & Liwen Hu

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  1. Tongxiang Ma
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  2. Xiangyu Luo
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  3. Yu Yang
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  4. Meilong Hu
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  5. Liangying Wen
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  7. Liwen Hu
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Correspondence to Meilong Hu or Liwen Hu.

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Manuscript submitted August 18, 2020, accepted January 3, 2021.

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Ma, T., Luo, X., Yang, Y. et al. Reducing Carbon Contamination by Controlling CO32− Formation During Electrochemical Reduction of TiO2. Metall Mater Trans B 52, 1061–1070 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-021-02078-w

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