Electrochemical reduction mechanism of several oxides of refractory metals in FClNaKmelts

Abstract

The dissolution characteristics and electrochemical reduction mechanism of oxides of refractory metals ZrO2, HfO2 and MoO3 in NaCl-KCl-NaF melts are studied. The results shows that there are no chemical reaction of ZrO2 and HfO2 in NaCl-KCl-NaF melts, the dissolution of MoO3 is chemically dissolved, and MoO3 reactwith melts to form Na2Mo2O7. The reduction process of zirconium in the NaCl-KCl-NaF-ZrO2 melts is a reversible process of one-step electron transfer controlled by diffusion. The electrochemical reduction process of ruthenium is a one-step reversible process and the product is insoluble; Electrochemical reduction of metallic molybdenum in melts is controlled by the diffusion and electron transfer process of active ion Mo2O27− . The electrochemical reduction process of the metal molybdenum in the melts is carried out in two steps.

Keywords

• oxides of refractory metals
• melts
• solubility characteristics
• electrochemical