| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2024 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
High Temperature Electrochemistry: An FMD Symposium Honoring Uday B. Pal
|
| Presentation Title |
Electrode Processes of Reactive Rare-earth Metals and Alloys in Molten Salt Electrolytes |
| Author(s) |
Hojong Kim |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Hojong Kim |
| Abstract Scope |
Rare-earth materials are critical for the transition to a green, low-carbon economy because of their essential role in renewable energy technologies such as permanent magnet (NdFeB) motors for wind turbines and electric vehicles. Electrochemical reduction of rare-earth elements using molten salts are widely employed in the primary production of rare-earth metals (e.g., LiF-NdF3) for clean energy technologies and purifying process electrolytes (e.g., LiCl-KCl) in recycling used nuclear fuels. This presentation will examine electrochemical processes in molten salts (e.g., LiF-CaF2-NdF3, LiCl-KCl-NdCl3) with specific focus on fundamental challenges of rare-earth electrochemistry originating from high reactivity and/or multi-valent states, which can lead to low recovery yield and unreliable property measurements. Approaches to mitigate the high reactivity of rare-earth metals are introduced based on the electrochemical studies of Nd and Gd metals/alloys with an aim to help develop efficient rare-earth recovery and recycling processes. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Electrometallurgy, Extraction and Processing, Recycling and Secondary Recovery |