Electrochemical Mechanism of Molten Salt Electrolysis from TiO2 to Titanium

Xianghai Meng; Hongmei Zhao; Sheng Bi; Zilai Ju; Zhenming Yang; Yu Yang; Hui Li; Jinglong Liang

doi:10.3390/ma15113956

Electrochemical Mechanism of Molten Salt Electrolysis from TiO₂ to Titanium

Materials (Basel). 2022 Jun 2;15(11):3956. doi: 10.3390/ma15113956.

Authors

Xianghai Meng¹, Hongmei Zhao¹, Sheng Bi¹, Zilai Ju¹, Zhenming Yang¹, Yu Yang², Hui Li², Jinglong Liang²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tangshan Polytechnic College, Tangshan 063299, China.
² Key Laboratory of Ministry of Education for Modern Metallurgy Technology, College of Metallurgy and Energy, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China.

Abstract

Electrochemical mechanisms of molten salt electrolysis from TiO₂ to titanium were investigated by Potentiostatic electrolysis, cyclic voltammetry, and square wave voltammetry in NaCl-CaCl₂ at 800 °C. The composition and morphology of the product obtained at different electrolysis times were characterized by XRD and SEM. CaTiO₃ phase was found in the TiO₂ electrochemical reduction process. Electrochemical reduction of TiO₂ to titanium is a four-step reduction process, which can be summarized as TiO₂→Ti₄O₇→Ti₂O₃→TiO→Ti. Spontaneous and electrochemical reactions take place simultaneously in the reduction process. The electrochemical reduction of TiO₂→Ti₄O₇→Ti₂O₃→TiO affected by diffusion was irreversible.

Keywords: TiO2; electrochemical mechanism; electrochemical reduction; molten salt.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 52074125, and Tangshan Science and Technology Innovation Team Training Program Project under Grant No. 21130207D.