Electrochemistry of reduction processes and prospects for the development of reduction technologies

Oxidation and reduction of metals consist in the loss of valence electrons by metal atoms with the conversion of an electromagnetic metallic bond into an ionic bond during oxidation and the reverse transition of electrons from anions to metal cations with the conversion of an ionic bond into a metallic bond during reduction. The electronic reduction theory developed by the authors describes the reduction process by the sequential operation of two electrochemical cells: a fuel cell, in which the chemical energy of the oxidized reducing agent is converted into electrical energy of “free” electrons, and a solid electrolyte electrolyzer, which converts the electrical energy of these electrons into energy of the metal bond of the reduced cations in the oxide. Since the stage of the actual reduction is the formation of a metallic bond between cations due to electrons coming from outside, the shortest and therefore most effective supply of electrons to the reduced cations will be not from the fuel cell, but from the electrical network, that is, electrolysis of the oxides of the metal being reduced. Known methods for producing iron by electrolysis of molten oxides, as well as possibly alkaline solutions, are promising for extracting iron from rich ores. For the selective extraction of iron from ferromanganese, titanomagnetite, siderite, chromite and other complex ores, relatively low-temperature reduction of iron with hydrogen or solid-phase electrolysis to produce, after separation, a metallization product by melting carbon-free iron and a concentrate of active metal oxides is more promising.