An electrochemical method of reducing metal oxide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022145484-A1
Application number	US-202017438695-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 12, 2020
Priority date	Mar 13, 2019
Publication date	May 12, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided a method of electrochemically reducing multiple metal oxide pellets simultaneously, the method comprising: contacting an anode and a cathode with multiple metal oxide pellets with an electrolyte, wherein the multiple metal oxide pellets are secured to the cathode; and applying an electrical potential between the anode and the cathode to reduce multiple metal oxides comprised in the multiple metal oxide pellets to its respective metals. There is also provided an electrochemical cell for electrochemically reducing multiple metal oxide pellets simultaneously.

First claim

1 . A method of electrochemically reducing multiple metal oxide pellets simultaneously, the method comprising:
contacting an anode and a first cathode with an electrolyte; applying an electrical potential between the anode and the first cathode; contacting the anode and a second cathode with multiple metal oxide pellets with the electrolyte, wherein the multiple metal oxide pellets are secured to the second cathode; and applying an electrical potential between the anode and the second cathode to reduce multiple metal oxides comprised in the multiple metal oxide pellets to its respective metals.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising removing the first cathode prior to the contacting the anode and a second cathode.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple metal oxide pellets has a porosity of 5-60%.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple metal oxide pellets has same or different composition from each other.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple metal oxide pellets comprises at least one metal oxide.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple metal oxide pellets comprises multi-elemental oxides.

7 . (canceled)

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out under an inert atmosphere.

9 . (canceled)

10 . (canceled)

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cathode comprises titanium (Ti), stainless steel, molybdenum, nickel, iron-chromium-aluminium (FeCrAl) alloy, or a combination thereof.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the anode comprises graphite, glassy carbon, CaRuO 3 , SnO 2 , or a combination thereof.

13 . (canceled)

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte comprises a molten salt.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the molten salt comprises calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ), lithium chloride (LiCl), lithium oxide (Li 2 O), sodium chloride (NaCl), calcium oxide (CaO), lithium bromide (LiBr), potassium bromide (KBr), cesium bromide (CsBr), calcium bromide (CaBr 2 ), potassium chloride (KCl), potassium bromide (KBr), or a combination thereof.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising heating the electrolyte prior to the contacting.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the heating comprises melting the electrolyte to a molten state.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte is at a temperature of 400-1200° C. prior to the contacting.

19 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising collecting the multiple metal oxide pellets following the applying to recover the metals.

20 . An electrochemical cell for electrochemically reducing multiple metal oxide pellets simultaneously, the cell comprising:
an electrolyte; an anode; a first cathode configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein the first cathode is in contact with the electrolyte in the first position and the first cathode is not in contact with the electrolyte in the second position; a second cathode comprising multiple metal oxide pellets secured to the second cathode, the second cathode configured to move between a first position and a second position, wherein the second cathode is not in contact with the electrolyte in the first position and the second cathode is in contact with the electrolyte in the second position; and a power supply for applying an electrical potential between the anode and the cathode to reduce multiple metal oxides comprised in the multiple metal oxide pellets to its respective metals
wherein the first cathode and the second cathode are not simultaneously in contact with the electrolyte.

21 . The electrochemical cell according to claim 20 , wherein the electrolyte is a molten electrolyte.

22 . The electrochemical cell according to claim 20 , wherein each of the multiple metal oxide pellets have same or different composition from each other.

23 . The electrochemical cell according to claim 20 , wherein each of the multiple metal oxide pellets comprises at least one metal oxide.

24 . The electrochemical cell according to claim 20 , wherein each of the multiple metal oxide pellets comprises multi-elemental oxides.

25 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Agency Science Tech & Res

Inventors

• Wang Pei
• Ng Chee Koon
• Wuu Delvin
• Tan Cheng Cheh Dennis
• Lin Kaixin Vivian

Classifications

• C25C7/005

  of cells for the electrolysis of melts (C25C7/02 - C25C7/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• C25C3/28

  of titanium · CPC title

• C25C7/025

  used in cells for the electrolysis of melts · CPC title

• C25C3/00

  Electrolytic production, recovery or refining of metals by electrolysis of melts (C25C5/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C25C3/06

  of aluminium · CPC title