Composition for inert electrodes

A metal oxide composition for use as an inert electrode in the electrolytic production of metal from a metal compound in a molten salt, the electrode comprising:

• two metal oxides combined to provide a metal oxide composition having a first and second phase, the first phase having the formula M(M'.sub.y M.sub.1-y).sub.z O.sub.K, the second phase having one of said metal oxides, in the formula y is a number from 0.1.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.45 and 0.55.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.9, O is oxygen, M is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M' is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M and M' being different metals, z is a number selected from the group consisting of 2, 3 and 4, and K is a number in the range of 3.9 to 4.4, an electrode formulated from said composition being highly conductive and being inert with respect to said molten salt.

A metal oxide composition for use as an inert electrode in the electrolytic production of metal from at least one of the metal oxide and metal salt dissolved in a molten salt, the electrode having a composition comprising:

• two metal oxides which are combined to provide an electrode metal oxide composition having a first phase and a second phase, the first phase consisting essentially of a material having the formula M(M'.sub.y M.sub.1-y).sub.z O.sub.K and the second phase containing one of said metal oxides in the formula, y is a number in the range of 0.1.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.45 and 0.55.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.9, O is oxygen, M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Ni, Sn, Zr, Zn, Co, Mn, Ti, Nb and Ta, M' is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M and M' being different metals, z is a number selected from the group consisting of 2, 3 and 4, and K is a number in the range of 2 to 4, an electrode formulated from said composition being highly conductive and being inert with respect to said molten salt.

In an improved process for the electrolytic production of metal from a metal compound dissolved in a molten salt using an inert electrode, the improvement comprising:

• electrolyzing the metal compound using an inert electrode fabricated from two metal compounds combined to provide a combination metal compound consisting essentially of a composition defined by the formula M(M'.sub.y M.sub.1-y).sub.z X.sub.K where y is a number in the range of 0.1.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.45 and 0.55.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.9, M is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, M' is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M and M' being different metals, z is a number selected from the group consisting of 2, 3 and 4, X is at least one material selected from the group consisting of O, F, N, S, C and B, and K is a number in the range of 2 to 4.4, an electrode formulated from said composition being highly conductive and being inert with respect to said molten salt.

In an improved process for the electrolytic production of metal from a metal compound dissolved in a molten salt using an inert electrode, the improvement comprising:

• electrolyzing the metal compound using an inert electrode fabricated from two metal oxides combined to provide an anode metal oxide composition wherein one of the two metal oxides is selected from the group consisting of NiO, SnO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, ZnO, CoO, MnO, TiO.sub.2 and Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5, the composition containing a material having the formula M(M'.sub.y M.sub.1-y).sub.z O.sub.K where y is a number in the range of about 0.1.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.4 and 0.6.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.9, M is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M' is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M and M' being different metals, O is oxygen, z is a number selected from the group consisting of 2, 3 and 4, and K is a number in the range of 2 to 4.4, an anode formulated from said composition being highly conductive and being inert with respect to said molten salt.

In an improved process for the electrolytic production of metal from a metal compound dissolved in a molten salt using an inert electrode, the improvement comprising:

• electrolyzing the metal compound using an inert electrode fabricated from two metal oxides combined to provide an anode metal oxide composition wherein one of the two metal oxides is selected from the group consisting of Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3, Mn.sub.2 O.sub.3, and Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, the composition containing a material having the formula M(M'.sub.y M.sub.1-y).sub.z O.sub.K where y is number in the range of 0.1.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.4 and 0.6.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.9, M is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M' is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M and M' being two different metals, O is oxygen, z is a number selected from the group consisting of 2, 3 and 4, and K is a number in the range of 2 to 4.4, an anode formulated from said composition being highly conductive and being inert with respect to said molten salt.

In an improved process for the electrolytic production of metal from a metal compound dissolved in a molten salt using an inert electrode, the improvement comprising:

• electrolyzing the metal compound using an inert electrode fabricated from two metal oxides combined to provide a metal oxide composition wherein one of the two metal oxides is selected from the group consisting of NiO, SnO.sub.2, ZrO.sub.2, ZnO, CoO, MnO and TiO.sub.2, the other metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3, Mn.sub.2 O.sub.3, and Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, the composition containing a material having the formula M(M'.sub.y M.sub.1-y).sub.z O.sub.K where y is a number in the range of 0.1.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.4 and 0.6.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.9, M is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M' is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M and M' being two different metals, O is oxygen, z is a number selected from the group consisting of 2, 3 and 4, and K is a number in the range of 2 to 4.4, an anode formulated from the composition being highly conductive and being inert with respect to said molten salt.

In an improved process for the electrolytic production of metal from a metal compound dissolved in a motion salt using an inert electrode, the improvement comprising:

• electrolyzing the metal compound using an inert electrode fabricated from two metal oxides combined to provide a metal oxide composition having a first and second phase, the first phase having the formula M(M'hd yM.sub.1-y).sub.z O.sub.K, the second phase containing one of said metal oxides, in the formula, y is a number from 0.1.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.45 and 0.55.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.9, M is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M' is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M and M' being different metals, O is oxygen, z is a number selected from the group consisting of 2, 3 and 4, and K is a number in the range of 3.9 to 4.4, an electrode formulated from said composition being highly conductive and being inert with respect to said molten salt.

In an improved process for the electrolytic production of metal from a metal compound dissolved in a molten salt using an inert electrode, the improvement comprising:

• two metal oxides which are combined to provide an electrode metal oxide composition having a first phase and a second phase, the first phase consisting essentially of a material having the formula M(M'.sub.y M.sub.1-y).sub.z O.sub.K, the second phase containing one of said metal oxides, in the formula, y is a number in the range of 0.1.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.45 and 0.55.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.9, M is a metal selected from the group consisting of Ni, Sn, Zr, Zn, Co, Mn, Ti, Nb and Ta, M' is a metal having a valence selected from the group consisting of 2, 3, 4 and 5, M and M' being different metals, O is oxygen, z is a number selected from the group consisting of 2, 3 and 4, and K is a number in the range of 2 to 4, an electrode formulated from said composition being highly conductive and being inert with respect to said molten salt.