Formation of Calcium Titanate During Electroreduction of TiO2 in Molten CaCl2 Bath

Abstract

The direct electrochemical reduction of a TiO2 cathode in a molten CaCl2 bath to produce titanium metal invariably results in the formation of CaTiO3 as an intermediate product. To obtain even more insight into the formation of CaTiO3, experiments are performed in open-circuit conditions as well as at a cell voltage of 2 V for different time periods. In this study, we examine the conversion of TiO2 to CaTiO3 in the molten CaCl2 bath. Prolonged electrolysis experiments are conducted and the newly transformed phases are analyzed using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The formation of CaTiO3 and its subsequent transformation to different species during reduction is discussed. An approach for preparing CaTiO3 chemically by treating the TiO2 electrode in CaCl2 bath and subsequently reducing it by electrochemical means to produce titanium metal has been proposed.