Cerium chloride, molten

Metallic cerium is prepared by metahothermic reduction techniques, such as reducing cerous fluoride with calcium, or using electrolysis of molten cerous chloride or others processes. The metahothermic technique produces high-purity cerium. 

Mischmetal is produced commercially by electrolysis, The usual starting ingredient is the dehydrated rare earth chloride produced from monazite or bastnasite. The mixed rare earth chloride is fused in an iron, graphite, or ceramic crucible with the aid of electrolyte mixtures made up of potassium, barium, sodium, or calcium chlorides. Carbon anodes are immersed in the molten salt. As direct current flows through the cell, molten mischmetal huilcls up in the bottom of the crucible. This method is also used to prepare lanthanum and cerium metals. 

Derivation (1) Calcium reduction of vanadium pentoxide yields 99.8+% pure ductile vanadium (2) aluminum, cerium, etc. reduction produces a less pure product (3) solvent extraction of petroleum ash or ferrophosphorus slag from phosphorus production (4) electrolytic refining using a molten salt electrolyte containing vanadium chloride. 

Metallurgy. — The metals of most of the cerium group elements have been prepared, three general methods having been used t (1) fusion of the anhydrous halides with sodium, potassium, calcium, or aluminium (2) electrolysis of the fused chlorides or of a solution of the oxide in the molten fluoride (3) heating the oxides with magnesium, calcium, or silicon. Reduction with aluminium has also been tried, but it is not satisfactory except possibly for cerium itself. Electrolysis has been the most successful, the other methods usually giving at best an alloy. 

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