Oxidation studies of metals dissolved in molten salts [thesis]

Robert Francis Ryan
1971
Recent investigations have shown that many metals are soluble in molten salts, while it has also been shown that the solubility of these metals are often related to the current losses in electro winning of metals from their fused salts or mixtures of fused salts. Because there are a wide number of molten salt systems possible for the electrowinning of any one metal, it is desirable to have a means of comparing these for their potential utility in electrolysis. Solubility measurements alone are
more » ... nsufficient and, therefore, it was planned to investigate oxidation kinetics. The aim of this investigation was to study different types of metal oxidation kinetics. The first to be studied was the oxidation of aluminium metal dissolved in molten cryolite melts. It was also intended to evaluate the effects of additives used in the electro winning of aluminium by the Hall-Heroult process. The type of reaction in the oxidation of aluminium in cryo1itic-me1ts is given as M + salt + gas ----^ soluble oxide (Al^O^) product. Another system to be studied was the oxidation of cadmium metal dissolved in cadmium chloride-potassium chloride melts. In this case the product was an insoluble oxide. The type of reaction is given by: M + salt + gas ->* insoluble oxide (CdO) product.
doi:10.26190/unsworks/10599 fatcat:sk7rxmvlfbd35h2ykbvkwhzbmi