Electrochemical production of Al-Sc alloy in CaCl2-Sc2O3 molten salt

In order to develop a new production process for Al-Sc alloys, a fundamental study on the electrolysis in CaCl2-Sc2O3 melts was conducted using a small-scale laboratory cell. Al-Sc alloys were electrochemically produced by cathodically polarizing an Al liquid electrode in CaCl2-Sc2O3 melts at 1173 K. Metallic-colored spherical samples were produced by the electrolysis and were analyzed by XRD, EPMA, XRF, and ICP-AES. The electrolyzed samples consisted of Al and Al3Sc phases. The purity of the obtained Al-Sc alloys was greater than 99 mass%, and the calcium content was less than 0.65 mass%. This study demonstrates the feasibility of Al-Sc alloy production directly from Sc2O3 by electrochemical methods. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.