Rare Earth Metal Production Via Molten-Salt Electrolysis
Authors: Sinclair Nicholas Scott , Wasalathanthri Dona Ruwani N. , Mainali Badri , Holcombe Benjamin , Orhan Asya , Akolkar Rohan 
Published: November 2022

The extraction and purification of metals such as aluminum has relied on the electrowinning process for decades. The Hall-Héroult process, developed in 1885, utilizes a molten salt electrolyte to electrochemically produce aluminum metal (Al) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from aluminum oxide (Al2O3) and carbon.1–3 Similar molten salt techniques have been developed for a variety of other metals including the rare earth metal Neodymium (Nd). Neodymium is of particular interest recently with significant increases in demand being driven by the increased production of new technologies such as electrified vehicles and magnetic data storage that require neodymium in the form of neodymium–iron–boron (Nd–Fe–B) permanent magnets. 4,5

The state of the art procedure for neodymium processing, similar to the aluminum process, utilizes a neodymium and lithium fluoride molten salt electrolyte with a sacrificial carbon anode to convert neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) and carbon to neodymium metal and carbon dioxide.4,6 As an unfortunate byproduct of this process performed in a fluoride containing molten salt, perfluorocarbons (PFCs) can also be produced simultaneously alongside carbon dioxide from the sacrificial anode. The formation of PFCs combined with the emission of a significant amount of greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) make the current process for neodymium electrowinning undesirable from an environmental standpoint.7

An alternative molten salt process has been proposed in which the fluoride salts have been replaced with chloride salts consisting of lithium chloride (LiCl) and potassium chloride (KCl). Rather than directly converting neodymium oxide to neodymium metal, the oxide is first converted to chloride salt form by reaction with hydrochloric acid. The neodymium salt is then dissolved into the LiCl-KCl molten salt and neodymium is electroplated via the below set of reactions.8,9

Cathode: 2NdCl3 + 6e- → 2Nd(solid) + 6Cl-

Anode: 6Cl- → 3Cl2 + 6e-

Overall: 2NdCl3 → 2Nd(solid) + 3Cl2

This process has several distinct advantages. Utilizing the chlorine reaction eliminates the need for a sacrificial anode material as well as the production of carbon dioxide. The chloride based molten salt also eliminates the formation of PFCs. The chlorine produced could then be recycled to make more hydrochloric acid for use in converting neodymium oxide to chloride. Our work evaluates anode and cathode behavior during this neodymium chloride molten salt process in order to determine its viability. Overpotential and stability of various anode materials are investigated in order to minimize energy consumption and ensure long life of process materials. The effect of various plating conditions such as current density and substrate material are investigated to determine impact on deposit quality, coulombic efficiency, and metal purity. Additional purification techniques such as vapor distillation procedures are developed to ensure a product that is viable for industrial use. This proof of concept work aims to develop a safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly path towards large scale production of rare earth elements.

Reactor design and cathode efficiency results are based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy under the Advanced Manufacturing Office, Award Number DE-EE0009434. Anode design work was supported through a subcontract from the Ames Laboratory with funding from the Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy under contract No. DE-AC02-07CH11358; Agreement No. 26110-AMES-CMI. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Energy or the United States Government.

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