Preparation of Titanium by Electrolysis of CaTiO₃ in NaF-AlF₃ and NaF-KF Molten Salts

The short process preparation of metals under the low-carbon background is one of the future development trends. In the present study, titanium was prepared via electrodeoxidization of CaTiO 3 in NaF-AlF 3 and NaF-KF molten salts. The solubility of CaTiO 3 in NaF-AlF 3 and NaF-KF molten salts were firstly investigated. Then, cyclic voltammetry tests were carried out in the two molten salt systems. In addition, potentiation electrolysis experiments were conducted at the reduction peak potential of cyclic voltammetry, and the deposition products were tested by XRD, SEM and EDS analyses. The experimental results show that the reduction process of CaTiO 3 to titanium in NaF-AlF 3 molten salt is in four steps, that is CaTiO 3 →TiO→Ti 2 O→Ti. In NaF-KF molten salt, CaTiO 3 reacts with KF and generates K 2 TiO 3 spontaneously, and then K 2 TiO 3 follows the reduction law of thermodynamics and is reduced to metallic titanium in one step, that is CaTiO 3 →K 2 TiO 3 →Ti. The titanium produced in the NaF-KF molten salt can be purified by washing, and the final titanium product is lumpy and extremely pure. Two electrolytic methods of CaTiO 3 in fluorine molten salts provide a theoretical basis for titanium preparation from titanate in a short process.