Abstract:
Reasonable selection of molten salt systems is crucial in the industrial production process of the rare earth metal industry prepared by electrolysis. The density, surface tension and conductivity of LaCl
3-KCl molten salt of different ratios at 1 073—1 223 K were determined by the Archimedes method, tube pulling method and continuous variable conductivity cell constant method (CVCC). The results show that as the temperature increases, the density (
ρ) and interface tension (
σ) of the LaCl
3-KCl molten salt of the same component decrease, while the conductivity (
κ) gradually increases. At the same temperature, with increasing LaCl
3 content in the molten salt, the density and interfacial tention increase, while the conductivity gradually decreases. The empirical formulas for density, interface tension and conductivity are,
ρ=
a-
b×
T×10
-3,
σ=
a-
b×
T×10
-3,
κ=
A+
B×
T×10
-3+
C×
T2×10
-6, respectively. The change law of the physicochemical properties of molten salt with temperature and components is clarified, which provides a scientific basis for the preparation of lanthanum and its alloys by molten salt electrolysis.