One-step electrochemical reduction of stibnite concentrate in molten borax

Levent Kartal; Mehmet Barış Daryal; Güldem Kartal Şireli; Servet Timur

doi:10.1007/s12613-019-1867-9

Volume 26 Issue 10

Oct. 2019

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Article Navigation > International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials > 2019 > 26(10): 1258-1265

Levent Kartal, Mehmet Barış Daryal, Güldem Kartal Şireli, and Servet Timur, One-step electrochemical reduction of stibnite concentrate in molten borax, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 26(2019), No. 10, pp. 1258-1265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-019-1867-9

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Levent Kartal, Mehmet Barış Daryal, Güldem Kartal Şireli, and Servet Timur, One-step electrochemical reduction of stibnite concentrate in molten borax, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 26(2019), No. 10, pp. 1258-1265. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-019-1867-9

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Research Article

One-step electrochemical reduction of stibnite concentrate in molten borax

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Corresponding author:
Levent Kartal E-mail: leventkartal@hitit.edu.tr
Received: 17 April 2019; Revised: 10 June 2019; Accepted: 12 June 2019

Abstract

Abstract

In this study, antimony production from a stibnite concentrate (Sb₂S₃) was performed in one step using a molten salt electrolysis method and borax as an electrolyte. Electrochemical reduction of the stibnite concentrate was performed at 800℃ under galvanostatic conditions and explained in detail by the reactions and intermediate compounds formed in the borax. The effects of current density (100-800 mA·cm^-2) and electrolysis time (10-40 min) on cathodic current efficiency and antimony yields were systematically investigated. During the highest current efficiency, which was obtained at 600 mA·cm^-2, direct metal production was possible with 62% cathodic current efficiency and approximately 6 kWh/kg energy consumption. At the end of the 40-min electrolysis duration at 600 mA·cm^-2 current density, antimony reduction reached 30.7 g and 99% of the antimony fed to the cell was obtained as metal.
- molten salt electrolysis;
- electrochemical reduction;
- antimony;
- antimony extraction;
- stibnite;
- borax

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