Electrochemical co-reduction of Y(Ⅲ)and Al(Ⅲ)in a fluoride molten salt system and electrolytic preparation of Y-Al intermediate alloys

In this study,a molten salt co-reduction method was proposed for preparing Y-Al intermediate alloys and the electrochemical co-reduction behaviors of Y(Ⅲ)and Al(Ⅲ)and the reaction mechanism of intermetallic compound formation were investigated by transient electrochemical techniques.The results show that the reduction of Y(Ⅲ)at the Mo electrode is a reversible electrochemical process with a single-step transfer of three electrons,which is controlled by the mass transfer rate.The diffusion coefficient of Y(Ⅲ)in the fluoride salt at a temperature of 1323 K is 5.0238×10^(-3)cm^(2)/s.Moreover,the thermodynamic properties associated with the formation of Y-Al intermetallic compounds were estimated using a steady-state electrochemical method.Y-Al intermediate alloy containing 92 wt%yttrium was prepared by constant current electrolysis at 1323 K in the LiF-YF_(3)-AIF_(3)-Y_(2)O_(3)(6 wt%)-Al_(2)O_(3)(1 wt%)system at a cathodic current density of 8 A/cm^(2)for 2 h.The Y-Al intermediate alloy is mainly composed ofα-Y2Al and Y phases.The development and application of this innovative technology have solved major technical problems,such as a long production process,high energy consumption,and serious segregation of alloy elements at this stage.

Electrical conductivity optimization of the Na3AlF6–Al2O3–Sm2O3 molten salts system for Al–Sm intermediate binary alloy production

Metal Sm has been widely used in making Al–Sm magnet alloy materials. Conventional distillation technology to produce Sm has the disadvantages of low productivity, high costs, and pollution generation. The objective of this study was to develop a molten salt electrolyte system to produce Al–Sm alloy directly, with focus on the electrical conductivity and optimal operating conditions to minimize the energy consumption. The continuously varying cell constant(CVCC) technique was used to measure the conductivity for the Na3AlF6–AlF3–LiF–MgF2–Al2O3–Sm2O3electrolysis medium in the temperature range from 905 to 1055°C. The temperature(t) and the addition of Al2O3(W(Al2O3)), Sm2O3(W(Sm2O3)), and a combination of Al2O3and Sm2O3into the basic fluoride system were examined with respect to their effects on the conductivity(κ) and activation energy. The experimental results showed that the molten electrolyte conductivity increases with increasing temperature(t) and decreases with the addition of Al2O3or Sm2O3or both. We concluded that the optimal operation conditions for Al–Sm intermediate alloy production in the Na3AlF6–AlF3–LiF–MgF2–Al2O3–Sm2O3system are W(Al2O3) + W(Sm2O3) = 3wt%, W(Al2O3):W(Sm2O3) = 7:3, and a temperature of 965 to 995°C, which results in satisfactory conductivity, low fluoride evaporation losses, and low energy consumption.

Effect of Adding Extruded Mg-Mischmetal Intermediate Alloy on Microstructure and Properties of Die-Casting Magnesium Alloy AZ91D

The preparation techniques of Mg-mischmetal intermediate alloy and the effects of the mischmetal addition ranging from 0.45% to 1.04% on the microstructure and properties of AZ91D alloy prepared by die casting were investigated. The Mg-MM intermediate alloy was prepared by permanent mold casting and then was extruded into the bars. The microstructure and analytical studies were carried out using optical microscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Testing results shows the Mg-MM intermediate alloy could melt easily down at die casting temperature of 680 ℃ that was lower than the melting point of lanthanum (918 ℃) and that of cerium (798 ℃). This was propitious to protection the alloy from the oxidation at high temperatures. Then magnesium alloy test bars were produced under conventional cold chamber die casting condition with addition of different weight of the Mg-MM intermediate alloy. Observation and analysis indicated that the microstructures of the alloy were refined and RE containing Al phase was formed with increasing RE addition. The data obtained by tensile tests showed that alloying with mischmetal improved the tensile property of the AZ91D magnesium die casting alloy at ambient temperature.