本文重点介绍“氯化物熔盐体系电解还原固态氧化物冶金过程的高效化”和“氯化物熔盐体系电裂解硫化物及熔融碳酸盐与熔融氧化物体系电分解氧化物无温室气体排放冶金”的研究进展,结合武汉大学的部分代表性工作阐述了相关技术的原理,以期揭示熔盐电解技术在节能减排和资源高效利用上的优势及其发展前景,为发展短流程、低碳高效的电化学冶金工业提供理论和技术支持。
This review focuses on recent developments in molten-salt electrolytic metallurgical processes with respect to 1) high-efficiency metallurgical technologies via electrolytic reduction of solid oxides in molten chlorides and 2) zero-carbon-footprint electrochemical splitting metallurgical technologies. Initiating with an introduction on dynamic solid/solid/liquid three-phrase interlines electrochemistry for electrochemical reduction of solid cathode, the former aspect is discussed in terms of facilitating mass transfer throughout solid cathode, one-step production of functional alloy powders with the assistance of under-potential electroreduction of active metals and near-net-shape production of metal/alloy components. Whilst the latter is summarized by introducing some zero-carbon molten-salt electrolytic technologies including electro-splitting of solid sulfides in molten chlorides, electrometallurgical technology in molten carbonates and molten oxide electrolysis. With an attempt to demonstrate the proof-of-concept, the merits of molten-salt electrolytic technologies on environmental viability, energy-profitability and resource-utilization are also justified and highlighted, which, as hope, could form a basis for developing novel electrolytic processes for clean, energy-efficient and affordable metallurgy of materials.