Direct electroreduction of oxides in molten fluoride salts

An in situ spectroscopic study of the local structure of oxyfluoride melts: NMR insights into the speciation in molten LiF–LaF3–Li2O systems

“…4a). 74,75 This fact is evidenced here by the LaOF peak in the 19 supported by the evaluation of the 139 La and 19 F chemical shifts. The displacement toward negative values indicates that the fluorine environment goes toward a "LiF" environment, i.e.…”

Forming metal powders by electrolysis

“…These changes should be maintained at a certain level so that the reaction kinetics at the electrodes and ion transport through the electrolyte are not compromised too much. More recently, some fluoride 2.2 Cell designs with a cathode of type: (I) pellets-in-crucible, 3 (II) suspended pellet(s), 3 (III) a thin coating (image: cross sections of TiO 2 coated Ti foil before and after electroreduction), 26 (IV) powderin-cavity (top: SiO 2 powder loaded in the through-hole of a Mo foil; bottom: cracks in the fractured end of Mo wire) [27][28][29] (V) a disc-withoxide-sheath, 19 (VI) a contact-pin, 18,30 (VII) porous-oxide-preforms (for near-net-shape manufacturing of engineering components as shown by the images), 30 (VIII) pellets-in-basket, 3 salts were applied to support the FFC Cambridge process, 36 although the toxicity of these salts may cause environmental concerns if used at large scales.…”

Neodymium electrowinning into copper-neodymium alloys by mixed oxide reduction in molten fluoride media

“…Pilling-Bedworth rule considerations [40], as illustrated by Li et al [41] and Gibilaro et al [42], indicate that during oxide reduction, if the molar volume of the formed metal Vm is smaller than the molar volume of the oxide Vo, the metal obtained is porous enough to allow the molten salt electrolyte accessing the underlying oxide. For neodymium, the metal to oxide molar volume ratio is V Nd /V Nd 2 O 3 = 0.89, meaning that volume constriction is not enough during Nd 2 O 3 conversion into metal: the metallic neodymium formed would thus act as a diffusion barrier.…”