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In the process of molten salt electrolysis, the influence of the composition of the electrolyte on the current efficiency and electrolysis quality is a key issue that needs to be studied urgently. Thus, the interaction between tantalum ions and anions, and coordination competition between chlorine ions and fluorine ions in the electrochemical metallurgy of tantalum metal were investigated. Their effects on the reduction mechanism of tantalum ions was also studied. Moreover, the chemical coordination mechanism of tantalum ions in the above molten salts were revealed through electrochemical tests and chemical analysis. By adding fluoride ions, the reduction step of tantalum ions is reduced from two-step to one-step, which simplifies the reduction process, avoids the current empty consumption caused by the disproportionation reaction of low-valent tantalum ions, and optimizes the particle size of the product.

Indium is a strategically scarce metal with excellent conductivity and light transmittance that is widely used to prepare ITO targets. In this work, an electrolysis method was exploited to recover and reuse spent ITO (s-ITO) targets to provide a novel way to recycle valuable resources. The electrochemical behaviors of indium tin oxide were studied first by cyclic voltammetry in CaCl2 at 850℃. A reduction peak corresponding to the simultaneous reduction of indium tin oxide was found at −0.5 V vs. Pt. Then, indium-tin alloy was recovered by electrolysis of s-ITO particles in CaCl2 at −2.8 V and 850℃. The mass ratio of In and Sn in the alloy obtained by electrolysis is almost the same as that in the initial s-ITO before electrolysis. In addition, oxide composite powders were obtained by electrolysis of the alloy in NH4Cl aqueous solution, which can be used to synthesize ITO targets. The particle size of the composite powders was between 20 nm and 60 nm, and the distribution of each element was uniform.

Carbides that exhibit various excellent properties have been applied from the initial ceramic materials to high-end fields such as energy, nuclear, aerospace, etc. [1][2][3][4][5] The morphology, composition, and microstructure of carbides relevant to the properties are closely related to the synthesis method. At pre-