Preparation of iron by electrodeoxidation in NaCl-CaCl₂ molten salt system

The electro-deoxidation of Fe₂O₃ into Fe by FFC- Cambridge process was carried out in the NaCl-CaCl₂ molten salt system. The powder sintering process and electrolysis process were highlighted. The microstructure of the Fe₂O₃ pellet after sintering, and phase composition of the products before and after electrolysis were analyzed by SEM and XRD, respectively. The optimized electro-deoxidation process conditions were as follows: cell voltage of 3.2 V, electrolysis time of 8 h, and sintering temperature of 800~900 ℃, the binder dosage of 1.5%~2.5%, and the electrolysis temperature of 680~722 ℃. At the same time, the electrical deoxidation mechanism of Fe₂O₃ in this molten salt system was determined to be Fe₂O₃→Fe₃O₄→FeO→Fe.