Metallothermic reduction of Nd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ with Ca in CaCl/sub 2/-NaCl melts

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988 · J. Electrochem. Soc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2095591· OSTI ID:7224114

Sharma, R A; Seefurth, R N

Neodymium metal was produced by metallothermic reduction of Nd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ with calcium in a CaCl/sub 2/-NaCl melt by the overall reaction Nd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ + 3Ca ..-->.. 3CaO + 2Nd at temperatures between 983 and 1063 K. Neodymium was recovered from the salt melt by dissolution in a molten metal pool of either Nd-Zn or Nd-Fe. The reduction process was observed to proceed through the following reactions: Nd/sub 2/O/sub 3/ (Solid) + CaCl/sub 2/ (Solution) ..-->.. CaO (Solid) + 2NdOCl (Solution + Solid); 2NdOCl (Solution + Solid) + 3Ca (Solution) ..-->.. 2Nd (Solid) + 2CaO (Solid) + CaCl/sub 2/ (Solution); Nd (Solid) + Nd/sub x/Fe/sub y/ (Pool) ..-->.. Nd/sub x+1/Fe/sub y/ (Pool). To obtain good yields it was necessary to keep the concentration of CaCl/sub 2/ in the molten salt phase at least at 70 weight percent. The yield (percentage of neodymium oxide recovered as metal) was --95% in the case of a Nd-Zn extraction pool. Neodymium metal, freed of zinc by vacuum distillation, was of high purity (>99% Nd). The yield was also --95% for the case of a Nd-Fe extraction pool. The Nd-Fe alloy produced was of high quality and can be directly used in producing Magnequench alloy for permanent magnets.

• Research Organization: Electrochemistry Dept., General Motors Research Labs., Warren, MI (US)
• OSTI ID: 7224114
• Journal Information: J. Electrochem. Soc.; (United States), Vol. 135:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
37 INORGANIC
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
NEODYMIUM
PRODUCTION
NEODYMIUM OXIDES
REDUCTION
CALCIUM
CALCIUM CHLORIDES
CHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
CHEMICAL REACTION YIELD
DISSOLUTION
FABRICATION
HIGH TEMPERATURE
IRON
NEODYMIUM ALLOYS
PERMANENT MAGNETS
RECOVERY
SODIUM CHLORIDES
VACUUM DISTILLATION
VERY HIGH TEMPERATURE
ZINC
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALLOYS
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM HALIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DISTILLATION
ELEMENTS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
KINETICS
MAGNETS
METALS
NEODYMIUM COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
RARE EARTH ALLOYS
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
RARE EARTHS
REACTION KINETICS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
YIELDS
360101* - Metals & Alloys- Preparation & Fabrication
400201 - Chemical & Physicochemical Properties