Electrolytic Reduction Characteristics of Titanium Oxides in a LiCl-Li2O Molten Salt

Experiments using a metal oxide of a non-nuclear material as a fuel are very useful to develop a new electrolytic reducer for pyroprocessing. In this study, the titanium oxides (TiO and TiO2) were selected and investigated as the non-nuclear fuel for the electrolytic reduction. The immersion tests of TiO and TiO2 in a molten 1.0 wt.% Li2O-LiCl salt revealed that they have solubility of 156 and 2100 ppm, respectively. Then, the Ti metals were successfully produced after the separate electrolytic reduction of TiO and TiO2 in a molten 1.0 wt.% Li2O-LiCl salt. However, Ti was detected on the platinum anode used for the electrolytic reduction of TiO2 unlike TiO due to the dissolution of TiO2 into the salt.