Method of aluminum-scandium alloy production
AssigneeNioCorp Advanced Metals and Alloys, LLC
InventorsAdam Clayton Powell, Matthew R. Earlam, Salvador A. Barriga, Richard Salvucci, Brian Hunt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed methods relate to producing an aluminum-scandium (Al—Sc) alloy. A method can include providing an electrolyte bath comprising a first portion of at least one of ScF3 or AlF3 and a first portion of at least one of LiF, NaF, or KF; providing a cathode in electrical contact with the electrolyte bath; providing an anode in electrical contact with the electrolyte bath; adding a first portion of Sc2O3 into the electrolyte bath; reacting an aluminum ion with the cathode; applying an electric current to the cathode, thereby reacting a scandium ion with the cathode to produce the Al—Sc alloy.
Claims18
A method of producing an aluminum-scandium (Al—Sc) alloy, comprising:
- (a) providing an electrolyte bath comprising a first portion of at least one of ScF3 or AlF3 and a first portion of at least one of LiF, NaF, or KF;
- (b) providing a cathode in electrical contact with the electrolyte bath, wherein the cathode comprises aluminum;
- (c) providing an anode in electrical contact with the electrolyte bath;
- (d) adding a first portion of Sc2O3 into the electrolyte bath;
- (e) reacting an aluminum ion with the cathode;
- and
- (f) applying an electric current to the cathode, thereby reacting a scandium ion with the cathode to produce the Al—Sc alloy, wherein after reacting the scandium ion with the cathode:
- the electrolyte bath comprises ScF3, AlF3, and at least one of LiF, NaF, or KF, and
- the cathode comprises the aluminum and scandium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.