Preparation method of rare earth metal

Abstract

The invention provides a preparation method of rare earth metal. The preparation method comprises the following steps: rare earth salt, ion liquid and hydroxyl ether solvent are mixed to form electrolyte, and the electrolyte is put in an electrolytic bath; the electrolyte is electrolyzed to form the rare earth metal; and the formula of the hydroxyl ether solvent is FORMULA, wherein R1 is any one of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl and tertiary butyl, R2 is any one of methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-butyl, isobutyl and tertiary butyl, and n is 1-10. The method uses the hydroxyl ether solvent as additive, and uses hydroxyl hydrotropy rare earth salt, and the hydroxyl hydrotropy rare earth salt only contains one hydroxyl, so that the gas release quantity is largely reduced, the current is not quickly reduced, and the porosity in products is also largely reduced. The method uses a solid substance as additive to relieve the problems of difficult dissolving and complex steps.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the technical field of rare earths, in particular to a method for preparing rare earth metals. Background technique [0002] The traditional preparation methods of rare earth metals mainly include vacuum thermal reduction method and molten salt electrolysis method. These preparation methods have the characteristics of high energy consumption, serious pollution, strong corrosion and high requirements for equipment and related configurations, which limit their application in the field of preparation of rare earth metals. Applications. [0003] Ionic liquids are widely used as electrolytes in electrochemical processes due to their excellent properties such as low melting point, low volatility and stable electrochemical properties. At present, the method of depositing rare earth metals by ionic liquids has been extensively studied at home and abroad. Domestically, for example, the Chinese patent application number ZL201110435737....

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

However, this type of ionic liquid is expensive, and the deposition process must be carried out at 150 ° C

[0009] In summary, the existing methods for preparing rare earth metals by using ionic liquids have the disadvantages of high cost, high energy consumption, cumbersome operation due to the use of solid additives, and the need to operate in a glove box, which limits its industrial application

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