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Electrolysis of Converter Matte in Molten CaCl<sub>2</sub>-NaCl
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Ferrometallurgy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Ferrometallurgy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Ferrometallurgy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Ferrometallurgy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
Department of Physics, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Ferrometallurgy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- 1 State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Ferrometallurgy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- 2 State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Ferrometallurgy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- 3 State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Ferrometallurgy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- 4 State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Ferrometallurgy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
- 5 Department of Physics, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
- 6 State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel & Shanghai Key Laboratory of Advanced Ferrometallurgy, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China
Journal of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering·Volume 06 (2018)·Pages 1–11·Published 11 February 2018·DOI10.4236/msce.2018.62001
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Abstract
The electrolytic production of nickel-copper alloy by electrochemical reduction of converter matte in molten salt has been investigated. The sintered solid porous pellets of Ni 3 S 2 , Cu2S and converter matte were electrolyzed at a voltage of 3.0 V in molten CaCl 2 -NaCl under the protection of argon gas at 700℃, respectively. The electro-reduction processes were investigated and the products were characterized. The results show that the molten salt electro-reduction process can be used to produce nickel, copper and nickel-copper alloy directly from Ni 3 S 2 , Cu 2 S and converter matte precursors in molten CaCl 2 -NaCl, respectively. CaS would be formed as the intermediate compound during the electro-reduction process, and then the formed CaS can be gradually decomposed and removed with the increase of the electrolysis time. The experimental results show that the molten salt electro-reduction process has the potential to be used for the reduction of sulfide minerals in molten CaCl 2 -NaCl.
KeywordsConverter MatteElectro-ReductionNickel-Copper AlloyMolten CaCl<sub>2</sub>-NaClSolid-State Electrochemistry
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