Extraction of Liquid Elements by Electrolysis of Oxides
AssigneeMassachusetts Institute of Technology
InventorsAntoine Allanore, Donald R. Sadoway
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Abstract
An electrolytic extraction method wins a target element from an oxide feedstock compound thereof. The feedstock compound is dissolved in an oxide melt in contact with a cathode and an anode in an electrolytic cell. During electrolysis the target element is deposited at a liquid cathode and coalesces therewith. Oxygen is evolved on an anode bearing a solid oxide layer, in contact with the oxide melt, over a metallic anode substrate.
Claims20
A method of extracting a target element from an oxide feedstock incorporating the target element, the method comprising:
- providing a liquid electrolyte, at least 75% oxide by weight, in which the oxide feedstock is dissolved;
- providing an anode, including a metallic anode substrate, in contact with the electrolyte;
- providing a cathode, in contact with the electrolyte;
- driving electrons from an oxygen precursor in the electrolyte into the metallic substrate across an oxide layer thereon to form gaseous oxygen;
- reducing an oxide specie of the target element in the electrolyte to form the target element at the cathode.
An apparatus comprising:
- a liquid electrolyte, at least 75% oxide by weight, including oxygen precursors and species bearing a target element from an oxide feedstock compound dissolved in the electrolyte;
- a liquid cathode, in contact with the electrolyte;
- an anode, including a metallic anode substrate and a solid oxide layer, meeting the electrolyte at a contact interface, opposite the cathode,
- the apparatus being operable, upon connection of the anode and the cathode to a power source, to electrolyze the dissolved oxide feedstock compound, drive electrons from the oxygen precursors across the solid oxide layer to form gaseous oxygen and reduce the species bearing the target element to form the target element at the cathode
An apparatus comprising:
- a liquid electrolyte, at least 75% oxide by weight, including oxygen precursors and species bearing iron from an oxide feedstock compound dissolved in the electrolyte;
- a liquid cathode, in contact with the electrolyte;
- an anode, including a metallic anode substrate at least 50% by weight of which is chromium and at least 1% by weight of which is iron, meeting the electrolyte at a contact interface, opposite the cathode,
- the apparatus being operable, upon connection of the anode and the cathode to a power source, to electrolyze the dissolved oxide feedstock compound, drive electrons from the oxygen precursors into the anode to form gaseous oxygen and reduce the species bearing iron to form iron at the cathode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.