Novel reactive anode for electrochemical extraction of rare earth metals from rare earth oxides

Aida Abbasalizadeh; Seshadri Seetharaman; Prakash Venkatesan; Jilt Sietsma; Yongxiang Yang

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-51085-9_9

Novel reactive anode for electrochemical extraction of rare earth metals from rare earth oxides

Aida Abbasalizadeh, Seshadri Seetharaman, Prakash Venkatesan, Jilt Sietsma, Yongxiang Yang

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volume › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

Electrolytic production of metallic neodymium is carried out in fused fluoride salts containing neodymium oxide. Two major challenges pertaining to neodymium production are (a) low oxide solubility, (b) possibility of anodic fluorine gas evolution if the electrolysis rate exceeds feeding rate of neodymium oxide. In this study, a novel method is proposed in which iron fluoride (FeF3) is used as a fluorinating agent to convert neodymium oxide into neodymium fluoride. Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA) results of as-converted salt show a complete conversion of neodymium oxide into neodymium fluoride. In the electrolysis process, iron is used as a reactive anode with electrochemical dissolution of iron into the melt, thus preventing fluorine gas evolution at the anode. Therefore, the fluorinating agent is constantly regenerated in situ which enables the continuous conversion of neodymium oxide feed. The cathodic product is a Nd–Fe alloy which can be directly used as a master alloy for the production of NdFeB permanent magnets.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Rare Metal Technology 2017
Subtitle of host publication	Proceedings
Editors	Hojong Kim, Shafiq Alam, Neale R. Neelameggham, Harald Oosterhof, Takanari Ouchi, Xiaofei Guan
Place of Publication	Cham, Switzerland
Publisher	Springer
Pages	87-92
ISBN (Electronic)	978-3-319-51085-9
ISBN (Print)	978-3-319-51084-2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51085-9_9
Publication status	Published - 2017
Event	TMS 2017 - 146th Annual Meeting & Exhibition - San Diego, CA, United States Duration: 26 Feb 2017 → 2 Mar 2017

Publication series

Name	The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series
ISSN (Print)	2367-1181

Conference

Conference	TMS 2017 - 146th Annual Meeting & Exhibition
Abbreviated title	TMS 2017
Country/Territory	United States
City	San Diego, CA
Period	26/02/17 → 2/03/17

Keywords

Rare earth
Electrochemical extraction
Reactive anode

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-319-51085-9_9

Cite this

Abbasalizadeh, A., Seetharaman, S., Venkatesan, P., Sietsma, J., & Yang, Y. (2017). Novel reactive anode for electrochemical extraction of rare earth metals from rare earth oxides. In H. Kim, S. Alam, N. R. Neelameggham, H. Oosterhof, T. Ouchi, & X. Guan (Eds.), Rare Metal Technology 2017: Proceedings (pp. 87-92). (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51085-9_9

Abbasalizadeh, Aida ; Seetharaman, Seshadri ; Venkatesan, Prakash et al. / Novel reactive anode for electrochemical extraction of rare earth metals from rare earth oxides. Rare Metal Technology 2017: Proceedings. editor / Hojong Kim ; Shafiq Alam ; Neale R. Neelameggham ; Harald Oosterhof ; Takanari Ouchi ; Xiaofei Guan. Cham, Switzerland : Springer, 2017. pp. 87-92 (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series).

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title = "Novel reactive anode for electrochemical extraction of rare earth metals from rare earth oxides",

abstract = "Electrolytic production of metallic neodymium is carried out in fused fluoride salts containing neodymium oxide. Two major challenges pertaining to neodymium production are (a) low oxide solubility, (b) possibility of anodic fluorine gas evolution if the electrolysis rate exceeds feeding rate of neodymium oxide. In this study, a novel method is proposed in which iron fluoride (FeF3) is used as a fluorinating agent to convert neodymium oxide into neodymium fluoride. Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA) results of as-converted salt show a complete conversion of neodymium oxide into neodymium fluoride. In the electrolysis process, iron is used as a reactive anode with electrochemical dissolution of iron into the melt, thus preventing fluorine gas evolution at the anode. Therefore, the fluorinating agent is constantly regenerated in situ which enables the continuous conversion of neodymium oxide feed. The cathodic product is a Nd–Fe alloy which can be directly used as a master alloy for the production of NdFeB permanent magnets.",

keywords = "Rare earth, Electrochemical extraction, Reactive anode",

author = "Aida Abbasalizadeh and Seshadri Seetharaman and Prakash Venkatesan and Jilt Sietsma and Yongxiang Yang",

year = "2017",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-319-51085-9_9",

language = "English",

isbn = "978-3-319-51084-2",

series = "The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series",

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booktitle = "Rare Metal Technology 2017",

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Abbasalizadeh, A, Seetharaman, S, Venkatesan, P, Sietsma, J & Yang, Y 2017, Novel reactive anode for electrochemical extraction of rare earth metals from rare earth oxides. in H Kim, S Alam, NR Neelameggham, H Oosterhof, T Ouchi & X Guan (eds), Rare Metal Technology 2017: Proceedings. The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series, Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 87-92, TMS 2017 - 146th Annual Meeting & Exhibition, San Diego, CA, United States, 26/02/17. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-51085-9_9

Novel reactive anode for electrochemical extraction of rare earth metals from rare earth oxides. / Abbasalizadeh, Aida; Seetharaman, Seshadri; Venkatesan, Prakash et al.

Rare Metal Technology 2017: Proceedings. ed. / Hojong Kim; Shafiq Alam; Neale R. Neelameggham; Harald Oosterhof; Takanari Ouchi; Xiaofei Guan. Cham, Switzerland : Springer, 2017. p. 87-92 (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volume › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

TY - CHAP

T1 - Novel reactive anode for electrochemical extraction of rare earth metals from rare earth oxides

AU - Abbasalizadeh, Aida

AU - Seetharaman, Seshadri

AU - Venkatesan, Prakash

AU - Sietsma, Jilt

AU - Yang, Yongxiang

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Electrolytic production of metallic neodymium is carried out in fused fluoride salts containing neodymium oxide. Two major challenges pertaining to neodymium production are (a) low oxide solubility, (b) possibility of anodic fluorine gas evolution if the electrolysis rate exceeds feeding rate of neodymium oxide. In this study, a novel method is proposed in which iron fluoride (FeF3) is used as a fluorinating agent to convert neodymium oxide into neodymium fluoride. Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA) results of as-converted salt show a complete conversion of neodymium oxide into neodymium fluoride. In the electrolysis process, iron is used as a reactive anode with electrochemical dissolution of iron into the melt, thus preventing fluorine gas evolution at the anode. Therefore, the fluorinating agent is constantly regenerated in situ which enables the continuous conversion of neodymium oxide feed. The cathodic product is a Nd–Fe alloy which can be directly used as a master alloy for the production of NdFeB permanent magnets.

AB - Electrolytic production of metallic neodymium is carried out in fused fluoride salts containing neodymium oxide. Two major challenges pertaining to neodymium production are (a) low oxide solubility, (b) possibility of anodic fluorine gas evolution if the electrolysis rate exceeds feeding rate of neodymium oxide. In this study, a novel method is proposed in which iron fluoride (FeF3) is used as a fluorinating agent to convert neodymium oxide into neodymium fluoride. Electron Probe Micro Analysis (EPMA) results of as-converted salt show a complete conversion of neodymium oxide into neodymium fluoride. In the electrolysis process, iron is used as a reactive anode with electrochemical dissolution of iron into the melt, thus preventing fluorine gas evolution at the anode. Therefore, the fluorinating agent is constantly regenerated in situ which enables the continuous conversion of neodymium oxide feed. The cathodic product is a Nd–Fe alloy which can be directly used as a master alloy for the production of NdFeB permanent magnets.

KW - Rare earth

KW - Electrochemical extraction

KW - Reactive anode

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-319-51085-9_9

DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-51085-9_9

M3 - Chapter

SN - 978-3-319-51084-2

T3 - The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series

SP - 87

EP - 92

BT - Rare Metal Technology 2017

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A2 - Alam, Shafiq

A2 - Neelameggham, Neale R.

A2 - Oosterhof, Harald

A2 - Ouchi, Takanari

A2 - Guan, Xiaofei

PB - Springer

CY - Cham, Switzerland

T2 - TMS 2017 - 146th Annual Meeting & Exhibition

Y2 - 26 February 2017 through 2 March 2017

ER -

Abbasalizadeh A, Seetharaman S, Venkatesan P, Sietsma J , Yang Y. Novel reactive anode for electrochemical extraction of rare earth metals from rare earth oxides. In Kim H, Alam S, Neelameggham NR, Oosterhof H, Ouchi T, Guan X, editors, Rare Metal Technology 2017: Proceedings. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. 2017. p. 87-92. (The Minerals, Metals & Materials Series). doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-51085-9_9