Electrochemical co-reduction of Y(III) and Zn(II) and extraction of yttrium on Zn electrode in LiCl-KCl eutectic melts

This work presents an electrochemical study of Y(III) ions on W electrode and liquid Zn electrode and co-reduction mechanism of Y(III) and Zn(II) on W electrode in LiCl-KCl eutectic melts. Cyclic voltammogram and current reversal chronopotentiogram revealed that the electrochemical reaction of Y(III) on W electrode proceeds a single step mechanism of Y(III) to Y(0). On liquid Zn electrode, the deposition potential of Y(III) is more positive than that on W electrode due to the formation of Y-Zn solution and the reduction process was found to be a diffusion controlled and quasi-reversible at lower scan rate of 0.1 V/s. Based on the results of cyclic voltammometry, square wave voltammetry, and chronopoteniometry, the Y-Zn intermetallics could be formed by co-reduction process of Y(III) and Zn(II) on W electrode in LiCl-KCl-ZnCl2-YCl3 molten salts. Moreover, the electrochemical extracting metallic Y was conducted by galvanostatic and potentiostatic electrolysis on liquid Zn electrode. Electrolysis products consisted of Zn and YZn12 phases characterized by scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry and X-ray diffraction. Meanwhile, the change of Y(III) concentration in LiCl-KCl eutectic melts was detected by inductive coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer and the extraction efficiency could be estimated.