Review—Preparation of Zirconium Metal by Electrolysis

Abstract

The application field of zirconium involves chemical, metallurgical, biological and nuclear industries due to its excellent properties. However, the uneconomical production process of zirconium at this stage has led to its high price. With the increasing demand for zirconium, the call for price reduction is becoming stronger. A review on zirconium preparation processes is provided in this paper with emphasis on electrolysis process, which has the potential to replace the traditional Kroll process. Electrolysis process can be classified into three types according to different zirconium sources: Molten salt electrolysis process, electrodeoxidation process and zirconium production from oxycarbide anode. The principle, flow, current achievements and barriers to industrial application of various electrolysis processes are discussed. The review is finalized with the suggestions for future research directions.

Design of a Synthetic Strategy to Achieve Enhanced Fluorescent Carbon Dots with Sulfur and Nitrogen Codoping and Its Multifunctional Applications

“…Enrichment of ions in nature is a major hazard to ecosystems and food safety, [ 1 ] especially for some metals, which have gradually become an essential issue affecting public health. [ 2 ] Zirconium ion (Zr 4+ ) is a metal element that is widely found on earth and has important applications in industry, [ 3 ] including nuclear, [ 4 ] aerospace, [ 5 ] electronics, [ 6 ] chemistry, [ 7 ] and medicine. [ 8 ] In the environment, the concentration of Zr 4+ is also an important indicator of the chemical properties and level of contamination of the environment, such as water and soil.…”

Electrolysis Synthesis of Carbides and Carbon Dioxide Capture in Molten Salts

“…Carbides that exhibit various excellent properties have been applied from the initial ceramic materials to high‐end fields such as energy, nuclear, aerospace, etc. [ 1–5 ] The morphology, composition, and microstructure of carbides relevant to the properties are closely related to the synthesis method. At present, the chief synthesis strategy of carbides among the various methods is the carbothermal reduction process on account of reaction 1.…”

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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-

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Optical monitoring of the anodic dissolution of zirconium and the agglomeration of potassium hexachlorozirconate during transpassive dissolution in molten LiCl–KCl salt

“…One promising methodology for recycling spent fuel Zralloy cladding is an electrometallurgical process that uses molten LiCl-KCl salt as a medium. [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19] For such a process, the direct anodic dissolution of Zr-alloy cladding is the most straightforward strategy for administering Zr reactants into molten LiCl-KCl salts. 8,16 Since Zr-alloy cladding is generally composed of 97% or more of Zr; 8 it is essential to rigorously understand the anodic dissolution behavior of Zr in molten LiCl-KCl salt.…”