Applied Sciences (Jul 2020)

Preparing High-Purity Anhydrous ScCl<sub>3</sub> Molten Salt Using One-Step Rapid Heating Process

  • Junhui Xiao,
  • Chao Chen,
  • Wei Ding,
  • Yang Peng,
  • Kai Zou,
  • Tao Chen,
  • Zhiwei Zou

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/app10155174
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 15
p. 5174

Abstract

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In this study, a one-step rapid heating novel process was used to prepare high-purity anhydrous scandium chloride molten salt with low-purity scandium oxide. High-purity anhydrous ScCl3 molten salt was used as the Sc-bearing raw material for preparing the Sc-bearing master alloy. Inert gas was used to enhance the purity of anhydrous scandium chloride and reduce the hydrolysis rate of scandium. The results show that high-purity scandium chloride (purity, 99.69%) with the scandium content of 29.61%, was obtained, and the hydrolysis rate of scandium was 1.19% under the conditions used: removing ammonium chloride; residual crystal water temperature of 400 °C; m(Sc2O3):m(NH4Cl) = 1:2.5; holding-time of 90 min; heating-rate of 12 °C/min; and argon flow of 7.5 L/min. XRD, SEM, and EPMA analyses further verified that anhydrous scandium chloride crystallization condition was relatively good and the purity of high-purity anhydrous scandium chloride approached the theory purity of anhydrous scandium chloride.

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