Electrolytic gallium recovery from alkaline aluminate solns. - by electrolysis in presence of metal forming a non-passivatable alloy

摘要

Isolation of Ga and opt. V from alkaline solns. derived from alumina mfr. is carried out by electrolysis with solid electrodes at a cathodic current density of 200-1000 A/square m., a voltage of 3.4-4.5 V and a temp. of 28-37 deg.C in the presence of a metal (I) which undergoes electrolytic redn. together with Ga to form an alloy which is not passivated under the electrolysis conditions. (I) is added to the starting soln. in a 1- to 10-fold excess w.r.t. Ga.. Addn. of (I) increases the Ga yield and allows unpurified solns. to be used in conventional electrolysers without the use of toxic or expensive electrode materials.