Production of Metallic Titanium by Electrowinning in Molten Salts of Titanium Oxycarbide Anode

The electrochemical behavior of Ti3+ in LiCl-LiF-TiF3 salt was investigated by cyclic and square wave voltammetries at 853 K. Both methods confirm the presence of a single reduction wave of Ti3+ ions to metal, at a potential of −2.3 V vs. Cl2/Cl−. The closeness of the potentials of TiCxOy dissolution and Ti3+/Ti4+ wave is an issue during the electrorefining of the anode. A low current density has to be applied to stay within the titanium oxycarbide dissolution and avoid the formation of Ti4+. The titanium deposition was studied by electrorefining of a titanium metal plate in LiCl-LiF-TiF3 (0.62 mol/kg). The cathodic deposit analysis by XRD and SEM confirms the formation of titanium metal with an average grain size of 150 µm. The faradic deposition yields are above 85% and constant between 60 and 160 mA/cm2.

STUDY OF A PILOT PLANT FOR THE RECOVERY OF METALS FROM SPENT ALKALINE AND ZINC-CARBON BATTERIES WITH BIOLOGICAL SULPHURIC ACID AND POLYTHIONATE PRODUCTION

The recovery of Zn and Mn from spent alkaline and Zn-C batteries with a biohydrometallurgycal process was studied in a pilot plant that consists of an air-lift bioreactor with a sulphur packed bed where Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans produces an acid-reducing medium; a leaching reactor where the acid-reducing medium is mixed with the battery powder, and a recovery reactor where metals are recovered from the leaching liquor by electrolysis. Results show that with acid medium (350 mM[H+]) produced in 12 days by Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans in the bioreactor, an extraction of 100% of Zn and 67% of the Mn present in the battery powder was reached. The presence of polythionates in the medium produced in the bioreactor allows the dissolution of the manganese. The solid remaining after bioleaching is a manganese oxide. The electrolysis of the leaching liquor produced a cathodic deposit of metallic Zn and an anodic deposit of a manganese oxide in one step at room temperature.

Reaction Chamber and Cathode Configurations in Arc Production of Fullerenes

ABSTRACTThe reaction chamber in the arc production of fullerenes was redesigned with a nozzle surrounding the decomposition zone to allow for clean collection of soot in a filtering cartridge. Quantitative analysis in the region of 300–430 nm in UV-visible spectra permits determination of the abundance of C60 and C70 in the soot. Calibrated curves of absorptivity for both pure fullerenes were employed. In equivalent conditions of current and pressure, electrographites of different origins have different decomposition rates and yields. A mechanism to interpret the cathodic deposit formation is proposed. Decomposition inside a closed cathodic cylinder yields 100% deposit.