Process for the electrolytic production of metals from a fused salt melt with a liquid cathode

摘要

A process for the production of metal Me or any alloy containing metal Me from a metal halide MeXn by electrolysis in a cell comprising an anode, a liquid metal cathode comprising one or more metals M and a liquid electrolyte comprising a salt melt of one or more alkali metal or alkaline earth metal halides, which comprises introducing metal halide MeXn, in which Me represents a metal selected from the groups 2b, 3b (including the lanthanide series and the actinide series), 7b and 8 of the periodic system and Cr, Cu, Au, Ga, Sn, Pb and Bi, X represents halogen and n represents the valency of the metal Me, into the liquid metal cathode and isolating Me or an alloy containing Me from the metal cathode material.