Chemical and Electrochemical Extraction of Ytterbium from Molten Chlorides in Pyrochemical Processes

Research and application of a high-performance fluorocarbon plate prepared via modified a high temperature mould pressing method

As an indispensable part of the production of electrolytic fluorine, the quality of the carbon plate determines the running conditions and technical and economic indexes of electrolytic cells. Therefore, improving the service life of carbon plates has become an urgent challenge. Herein, special fluorocarbon plates were successfully prepared via direct heating and asphalt impregnation based on the resistance of the carbon plates, which not only improved their performance index, but also greatly reduced the cost of their production. According to electron microscopy (SEM) observation, the carbon plate prepared by the hot pressing method possessed a more compact internal structure and dislocation phenomenon, which reduced the contact pores between particles, increased the density and reduced the resistivity. The prepared carbon plate exhibited a density of 1.81 g cm^-3, resistivity of 25.8 µΩ m, and service life of 151 days. These results are superior to that of industrial carbon plates with a density of 1.74 g m^-3, resistivity of 36.7 µΩ m, and run time of 90 days, where our fabricated carbon plate exhibited an improvement of 4.5%, 29.7%, and 67.7%, respectively.

Investigation on the Electrochemical Behaviour and Deposition Mechanism of Neodymium in NdF3–LiF–Nd2O3 Melt on Mo Electrode

Neodymium was electrochemically deposited from NdF3–LiF–Nd2O3 molten salt electrolyte onto the Mo electrode at temperatures close to 1273 K. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry measurements were the applied electrochemical methods. Metallic neodymium is obtained by potentiostatic deposition. The optical microscopy and XRD were used to analyze the electrolyte, the working electrode surface, and the deposit on the electrode. It was established that Nd(III) ions were reduced to Nd metals in two steps: Nd(III) + e− → Nd(II) at potential ≈−0.55 V vs. W and Nd(II) + 2e− → Nd(0) at ≈−0.83 V vs. W. Both of these processes are reversible and under mass transfer control. Upon deposition under the regime of relatively small deposition overpotential of −0.10 V to −0.20 V, and after the electrolyte was cooled off, Nd metal was observed at the surface of the Mo electrode. CO and CF4 were gases registered as being evolved at the anode. CO and CF4 evolution were observed in quantities below 600 ppm and 10 ppm, respectively.

Electrochemical reduction La(iii) on W and Mg electrodes: application to prepare Mg–La and Mg–Li–La alloys in LiCl–KCl melts

The electrochemical behavior of La(iii) ions was studied by different electrochemical measurements in LiCl–KCl–MgCl₂ melts on a W electrode and in LiCl–KCl melts on an active Mg electrode at 873 K, respectively.

Electroreduction-based Tb extraction from Tb4O7 on different substrates: understanding Al–Tb alloy formation mechanism in LiCl–KCl melt

This work presents the electroreduction of Tb(iii) ions, and formation mechanisms of Al–Tb alloys in molten chlorides by applying different types of cathodes: Mo, Al and Al-coated Mo.

Electrochemistry of Zn and co-reduction of Zn and Sm from LiCl–KCl melt

SEM image and element mapping analysis of Zn–Sm alloy obtained by galvanostatic electrolysis.