Electrochemical Evaluation of Titanium Production from Porous Ti2O3 in LiCl-KCl-Li2O Eutectic Melt

This work presents an electrochemical co-reduction of porous Ti2O3 in LiCl-KCl-Li2O melt at 800 C. yclic voltammetry was applied to investigate the electrochemical behavior of Li+, Cl-, O2- and CO32- by using glassy carbon and Pt working electrodes, respectively. The electrode reaction mechanisms and degrees particle evolution principles in molten salt were discussed. Transient electrochemical techniques show that Ti2O3 is reduced to Ti metal by a two-step mechanism involving the exchanges of one and two electrons. Continually-varied current electrolysis was conducted using a porous Ti2O3 electrode against graphite and Pt anode in the molten LiCl-KCl-Li2O electrolyte medium at 800 degrees C respectively to gain insight into the electro-reduction mechanism. The results showed the oxide component was electro-deoxidized effectively and Ti metal was produced as the final product in the cathode. Our work suggests that developing a low-cost inert anode material is essential for the production of titanium by electrolysis in the future.