Preparation of high purity vanadium metal by silicothermic reduction of oxides followed by electrorefining in a fused salt bath

Abstract

Preparation of high purity vanadium metal has been investigated by using a combination of silicothermic reduction and fused salt electrorefining processes. The reduction reaction was carried out by heating V 2O 5 / V 20 3 with Si or Si+C mixture, under dynamic vacuum, in the temperature range 1873-1973K. It was possible to prepare vanadium metal, containing 0.03 - 0.08 mass % oxygen, by pyrovacuum treatment alone. Refining of impure vanadium, containing 89.5 mass % vanadium, 4 mass % silicon and 1.3 mass % oxygen, could be accomplished in the LiCl-KCI-VCI2 bath, to a purity of 99.5 mass %.