Method and cell for the electrolytic production of a polyvalent metal
First Claim
1. An electrolytic cell for use in combination with at least one cathode for the electrolytic production of a polyvalent metal in an electrolyte of fused halides including:
- at least one anode provided with a terminal for its electrical connection,a conductive framework, which is electrically insulated from the anode and provided with a terminal for its electrical connection, the framework surrounding the anode like a basket and having wall portions facing the anode which are permeable to the electrolyte and are adapted to support a cathodic metal deposit, and having support means (19,20) associated with the walls (4,5) of the framework (3) for supporting partition-like sealing elements (18) adjacent the electrolyte-permeable wall portions in order to confine within the framework, an electrolytic bath which does not contain the metal to be produced, and to prevent the infiltration of the electrolyte into the framework through the permeable wall portions, the partition-like sealing elements being constituted by a metal capable of anodic dissolution under the operating conditions of the electrode.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a method for the production of a polyvalent metal, particularly titanium, by the cathodic dissolution of a halide of the metal in an electrolyte of alkali or alaline earth metal halides and the electro-extraction of the dissolved metal ions, the electro-extraction stage is carried out with the use of a composite electrode including an anode and a framework surrounding the anode and provided with metal partitions capable of anodic dissolution for confining within the framework a bath of alkali or alkaline earth metal halides which does not contain ions of the metal to be produced, and then applying a potential between the anode and the framework to cause the formation of an accumulation of alkali metal or alkaline earth metal by cathodic reduction, after which a potential is applied between the anode and the cathode to cause the deposition of the metal to be produced at the cathode and the simultaneous anodic dissolution of the partitions.
The stage of cathodic dissolution of the halide is carried out separately from the extraction stage with the use of composite electrode similar to that used in the extraction stage.
31 Citations
12 Claims
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1. An electrolytic cell for use in combination with at least one cathode for the electrolytic production of a polyvalent metal in an electrolyte of fused halides including:
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at least one anode provided with a terminal for its electrical connection, a conductive framework, which is electrically insulated from the anode and provided with a terminal for its electrical connection, the framework surrounding the anode like a basket and having wall portions facing the anode which are permeable to the electrolyte and are adapted to support a cathodic metal deposit, and having support means (19,20) associated with the walls (4,5) of the framework (3) for supporting partition-like sealing elements (18) adjacent the electrolyte-permeable wall portions in order to confine within the framework, an electrolytic bath which does not contain the metal to be produced, and to prevent the infiltration of the electrolyte into the framework through the permeable wall portions, the partition-like sealing elements being constituted by a metal capable of anodic dissolution under the operating conditions of the electrode. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for the production of a polyvalent metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, zirconium and hafnium, by means of:
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the cathodic dissolution of a halide of the metal in an electrolyte of alkali metal of alkaline earth metal halides in the fused state and the electro-extraction of the metal carried out in a cell including at least one anode and one cathode and a conductive framework which acts as an intermediate electrode and surrounds the anode so as to define an anodic compartment and a cathodic compartment, the framework having walls which are permeable to the electrolyte and are adapted to support a deposit of the metal to be produced in the form of a panel, so as to allow ion transfer between the anodic and cathodic compartments but to limit the transfer of ions of the metal to be produced from the cathodic compartment to the anodic compartment, comprising the steps of; (a) supplying the extraction cell with the electrolyte containing ions of the metal to be produced in solution, (b) confining a bath of alkali metal halides or alkaline earth metal halides, which is substantially without ions of the metal to be produced, within the framework by means of electrolyte-tight sealing of the permeable walls of the framework by metal partitions which are capable of anodic dissolution, (c) feeding an electric current between the anode and the framework so as to cause the cathodic deposition of the alkali metal or alkaline earth metal on the permeable walls of the framework for a sufficient period of time to cause an accumulation of this metal, (d) feeding an electric current between the anode and the cathode so as to cause the deposition of the metal to be produced at the cathode and the simultaneous anodic dissolution of the partitions so as to cause the diffusion of ions of the metal to be produced from the cathodic compartment towards the anodic compartment with the formation of the deposit of the metal to be produced on the permeable walls of the framework as a result of the reduction of the metal ions by the alkali metal or the alkaline earth metal, (e) maintaining the electric current feed between the anode and the cathode to achieve the deposition of the metal at the cathode and simultaneously (f) regulating the current between the anode and the cathode and the framework so as to keep the characteristics of permeability of the deposit substantially constant. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification