Reduction of rare-earth fluorides with zirconium

The reactions of rare-earth (La, Pr, Nd, Gd, Dy, and Yb) fluorides with zirconium in molten mixtures of alkali-metal halides have been studied by differential thermal X-ray diffraction, and chemical analyses and IR spectroscopy. It has been shown that zirconium reduces rare-earth fluorides in the 465-625degreesC range. The onset temperature of the reaction increases with an increase of the melting point of the rare-earth fluoride. The degree of reduction of rare-earth fluorides with zirconium for the MF3 : Zr (mol/mol) feed ratio varying from 1.5 to 6 does not exceed 35%.