Rare Earth Electrolytic Cell in China Achieves Breakthroughs

Energy-saving rare earth electrolytic cell in China have achieved breakthroughs recently. The reporter came to the workshop of a new material production enterprise in Baotou Rare Earth High-Tech Industrial Development Zone and was attracted by an electrolytic bath that is 2.2 meters long, 1.8 meters wide, and 1 meter high. According to the company personnel, this is the Wan'an electrolytic cell, a bulky killer in the world's largest praseodymium-neodymium production base.

"We put a fluoride salt solution into the electrolytic cell, passed 15,000 amps of direct current, and the furnace temperature was maintained at about 1000 °C. Then poured the praseodymium-neodymium oxide into the electrolytic bath. Oxygen ions are oxidized to carbon dioxide, and rare earth ions are reduced to the cathode to metal droplets." Haitao Guo, a representative of the company's R&D team and senior engineer said to reporters.

Haitao Guo admits that the difficulty in the development of the Wan'an electrolytic bath lies in the fact that the high-temperature molten fluoride salt system used in the molten salt electrolysis process owns a very strong erosion ability and it is the key to find suitable tank materials and tool accessories.

At present, the production of praseodymium-neodymium metal products in China mainly uses the small electrolytic cell production technology of 6,000 amperes. The company's R&D team has deeply cultivated the rare earth metal industry electrolytic bath and electrolytic technology. From the small 6000-ampere electrolytic bath to the 30,000-ampere one. Its final production process is aiming at 15,000-ampere process technology.

Neodymium and praseodymium-neodymium alloy products are crucial raw materials for the production of small luggage buttons and mobile phone accessories at home and abroad, as well as the original magnetic materials used in the field of wind turbines and aerospace. It directly affects the stability of magnetic material accessories.

The 15,000amp rare earth molten salt electrolysis technology of the electrolytic cell not only owns high single furnace output, long furnace life, and low power consumption, but also with consistent product quality, and electrolysis technology in China has been highly evaluated by domestic and foreign users.

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