V. Suzdaltsev, A. A. Filatov, A. Yu. Nikolaev, A. A. Pankratov, N. G. Molchanova, Yu. P. Zaykov.
ABSTRACT. The main regularities of extraction of scandium and zirconium from their oxides into aluminum during aluminothermic and electrolytic preparation of Al-Sc and Al-Zr alloys and ligatures in KF-AlF3, NaF-AlF3 and KF-NaF-AlF3 oxide-fluoride melts with Sc2O3 additives and ZrO2. The effect of the melt composition and its temperature, the duration of synthesis, the content of Sc2O3 and ZrO2 oxides in melts, the mechanical mixing of aluminum and the cathode current density on the content of scandium and zirconium in aluminum, and their extraction from oxides are determined. It is shown that, depending on the synthesis parameters, the average values of extraction of scandium and zirconium are 20–75 and 40–100%, respectively. The electrolytic decomposition of oxides in melts KF-AlF3, NaF-AlF3 and KF-NaF-AlF3 leads to a significant increase in extraction of scandium and zirconium into aluminum. Based on the results of the research, the parameters for obtaining alloys and ligatures Al-Sc and Al-Zr with scandium content up to 10 and zirconium up to 15 wt.% in the electrolysis of oxide-fluoride melts.
KEY WORDS: scandium, zirconium, oxide-fluoride melt, aluminothermy, electrolysis, extraction.