Electrochemical reduction and dissolution of liquid aluminium in thin layers of molten halides

Abstract

New methods of liquid metals refining and separation operated with low energy consumption and environmental impact are highly desirable nowadays. This work presents an approach of Al refining and extraction from scrap in a thin layer of the multiple-pore molten salt electrochemical system, which appears promising. The new single-capillary cell design with a quasi-reference electrode on the TiB2 substrate was used to study the kinetics of aluminium reduction and dissolution in a narrow 1 mm-diameter channel filled with KF-AlF3 (1.1 <1.5 mole/mole) or equimolar NaCl-KCl with N wt.% of AlF3 (3