About this Abstract |
Meeting |
2023 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
Symposium
|
High Temperature Electrochemistry V
|
Presentation Title |
Optimisation of the Anodic and Cathodic Current Densities during Nd Electrowinning Process |
Author(s) |
Mathieu Gibilaro, Christophe Remazeilles, Laurent Massot, Pierre Chamelot |
On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Mathieu Gibilaro |
Abstract Scope |
Nd metal is industrially produced in LiF-NdF3-Nd2O3 by electrolysis at around 1000 °C using a carbon anode, according to the reaction:
Nd2O3 + 3/2 C→2 Nd + 3/2 CO2
On the anodic part, in case of Nd2O3 depletion, the production of carbon oxide CO and perfluorocarbons CFx was observed. The point is that CO production leads to the anode over-consumption meanwhile CFx are powerful greenhouse effect gases. The influences of Nd2O3 content in LiF-NdF3-Nd2O3 on the anode oxidation was investigated by coupling IR-spectroscopy and electrochemical techniques, to prevent CFX formation during Nd electrolysis. It was observed that carbon anode was only oxidized into CO2(g) until the limiting current density was reached. Beyond this value, CFx were also produced.
On the cathodic part, the influence of the current density was investigated as a function of the production yield. A minimum current density is required to obtain a good metallic Nd coalescence. |
Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
Keywords |
Pyrometallurgy, Electrometallurgy, |