Electrochemical Reduction of Transition Metal Oxides in Lithium Chloride Salt at 650°C
Open Access
- Author:
- Pickarski, Timothy
- Area of Honors:
- Materials Science and Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Hojong Kim, Thesis Supervisor
Amy Carol Robinson, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Electrochemistry
Sintering
Voltammetry
Iron (III) Oxide
Nickel Oxide
Lithium Chloride
Li-Bi Reference Alloy
SEM-EDS
Electrode Design - Abstract:
- The electrochemical reduction of transition metal oxides, such as iron (III) oxide (Fe2O3) and nickel (II) oxide (NiO), is of significant interest in various fields such as recycling and metallurgy. This study investigates the electrochemical behavior and reduction of Fe2O3 in a molten lithium chloride (LiCl) while outlining the design process used to efficiently create robust and effective electrodes for electrochemical testing. Supported by a range of electrochemical and subsequent characterization techniques, the main objective of this research is to gain a better understanding of the electrode design process while probing into the reduction process of these transition metal oxides in molten salt systems, paving the way for the development of more efficient and sustainable processes in relevant applications. Voltammetry and chronoamperometry were employed to study the electrochemical reduction process of Fe2O3 in LiCl at 650°C, though novel cavity electrode designs did not permit the examination of exact reduction peaks. The changes in the density of sintered oxide pellets were explored along with techniques to manipulate the pellets into workable cathode materials. To explore the performance of pellet electrodes after chronoamperometry, post-reduction characterization of sintered Fe2O3 pellets was carried out using optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging techniques, as well as energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. Examination of the morphology showed metallization of the pellet and some deterioration of the Fe pellet, while EDS analysis confirmed the presence of predominantly elemental iron. The findings presented here can be used to inform and guide future research endeavors exploring other oxides or oxide systems, contributing to the development and optimization of electrowinning processes for transition metal oxides.