Direct Electrochemical Reduction of Titanium-Bearing Compounds to Titanium-Silicon Alloys in Molten Calcium Chloride

Abstract

Titanium-silicon alloys have been electrochemically extracted from the multi-component titaniumbearing compounds in molten calcium chloride electrolyte. Sintered pressed pellets of titanium-bearing compounds served as the cathode, and the electrochemical experiments were carried out systematically at 900 °C, 3.1 V and 1000 °C, 3.8 V using a graphite-based anode and an improved solid oxide oxygen-ion-conducting membrane (SOM)-based anode, respectively. The mineral composition and morphology of the obtained products were examined. The current features and the reaction mechanisms of the electrochemical reduction process are discussed. Comparisons between the graphite-and SOMbased anode systems are also carried out, and the results show that the improved SOM-based anode electrolysis system exhibits higher current efficiency and reduction rate than the graphite-based anode electrolysis system. Electrolysis of about 1.5 g titanium compounds using the SOM-based anode system can be finished within 6 h, and the current efficiency reaches approximately 50%.

Research on Effect Factors of Current Efficiency in the Process of Sponge Titanium Production by Electrolytic Method

“…We made a research on the electrolysis process and electrolysis machine which can directly electrolyze TiO2 in vacuum condition to produce sponge titanium, and produced purity 99.56~99.75% sponge titanium which reaches to national primary standard [11,12] .based on the research above, we analyzed the various factors that affect the current efficiency in the process of sponge titanium production by vacuum electrolysis method for the purpose of current efficiency improvement.…”